3rd Annual NEPA Gives Raises Over $1.1 Million On Friday, June 3, 2022—in just 24 hours—225+ local nonprofit organizations worked together across seven counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania to collectively raise a total of $1,119,661 for the third annual NEPA Gives. Promoted as the single largest day of philanthropy in Northeastern Pennsylvania, NEPA Gives was hosted by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, in partnership with The Luzerne Foundation, Greater Pike Community Foundation, Wayne County Community Foundation, Carbon County Community Foundation, Posture Interactive, and other community sponsors to raise awareness about the critical work nonprofit organizations carry out across the region and to help charitable organizations raise much-needed funds. Adding to the excitement, to celebrate NEPA Gives, the Scranton Area Community Foundation also hosted a free, in-person NEPA Gives ‘Give Gathering’ on Friday evening that was held outside of the Hilton Scranton Conference Center to coincide with First Friday Scranton. The Give Gathering included live entertainment by the local cover band Light Weight, giveaways, real-time and live-streamed updates on NEPA Gives, and opportunities for supporters to meet dozens of the participating nonprofits. Over 5,149 donors generously supported NEPA Gives. NEPA Gives was also generously supported by numerous sponsors including Coterra, Hawk Family Foundation, Moses Taylor Foundation, The RailRiders, Neighborly, DiscoverNEPA, Cumulus Media, Shamrock Communications, Schwartz Mack Foundation, Fidelity Bank, Women in Philanthropy, the NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative, the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, and many others. 212 nonprofit organizations from across seven counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania received donations in the 24-hour fundraising event including The Diocese of Scranton, Equines for Freedom, Everhart Museum Museum of Natural History, Science, and Art, Countryside Conservancy, and NeighborWorks. To celebrate this historical day, both Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti and Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown made official proclamations declaring June 3, 2022, as NEPA Gives Day. Adding to the momentum, hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes and matching incentives were awarded to participating nonprofits for notable achievements, all sponsored by generous businesses, foundations, and donors across the region.4 “We look forward to NEPA Gives because it really puts the fun in fundraising, not only for us but for our donors who show up in force and get excited watching the results all day,” said Sandra Snyder, Director of Foundation Relations and Special Events at The Diocese of Scranton. “Our donors love seeing the Diocese win bonus prizes during NEPA Gives and feeling like they are part of something larger than themselves,” she added. “We are especially grateful to the Scranton Area Community Foundation and all the foundations and sponsors who make the bonuses available during NEPA Gives. They really help us motivate our donors and have a huge impact on our programming capacity.” “This year, we were grateful we had the opportunity to gather outside in Downtown Scranton to celebrate NEPA Gives and highlight the good work of the many participating nonprofits taking part in NEPA Gives,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “The energy of the event was incredible as hundreds of supporters stopped by throughout the evening to enjoy the live entertainment and support their favorite charities.” To learn more about #NEPAGives, visit nepagives.org or contact Brittany Pagnotti, Communications Manager of the Scranton Area Community Foundation at 570-347-6203.
Pennsylvania American Water Announces 2022 Camps Pennsylvania American Water today announced the return of the company’s annual Wonderful World of Water Camp, to be held in Wilkes-Barre and Peckville this year. The camps are offered free to children of Pennsylvania American Water customers. Camps were last held in 2019 and postponed in the following years due to COVID-19. Sponsored and run by Pennsylvania American Water, the Wonderful World of Water Camp provides an opportunity for area children to enjoy outdoor fun while learning about water. Day campers, ages 7-11, explore watershed basics, learn how human activity on the land affects the quality of water in rivers and streams, and discover solutions to water pollution. Campers also learn about the importance of watershed protection along the banks of our local rivers, the Susquehanna River and the Lackawanna River. The company is again partnering with Penn State Extension/Master Watershed Stewards and the Riverfront Parks Committee to host a Wonderful World of Water Camp at Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, July 11-14. Registration for the Wilkes-Barre camp opened June 1. Forms are available online at riverfrontparks.org or by calling Penn State Extension at 570-825-1701. Pennsylvania American Water and the Lackawanna River Conservation Association are gearing up for another year of water camp at the Valley Community Library, Peckville, August 1-4. Registration opens July 1. Forms are available online at www.lrca.org, by calling 570-347-6311, or by e-mailing program_manager@lrca.org. Registration for each camp is limited to 25 campers. A deposit of $10 will hold a child’s space, and the deposit will be refunded at the end of camp. “Our Wonderful World of Water Camp is back, offering a unique experience that takes children into the environment for hands-on learning about one of our most precious resources,” said Susan Turcmanovich, external affairs manager, Pennsylvania American Water. “We’re so fortunate to have our local rivers as the focal points of these camps, allowing campers to learn how they can help protect them while learning from local environmentalists.”
The Wright Center News The Wright Center’s Dr. Mark Madhok Presents Study at a National Conference Mark Madhok, M.D., Ph.D., FACP, associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, recently made an oral presentation at the Digestive Disease Week: Discover. Comprehend. Advance. meeting in San Diego, California. Digestive Disease Week is the world’s premier meeting for physicians and researchers in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. It enables them to explore exciting new developments with leaders in their specialty field. He presented, “Overall Polyp Detection Rate (PDR) from Screening, Surveillance and Diagnostic Colonoscopies Shows Excellent Equivalency with Screening PDR: A Study from the National Institutes of Health Repository of 298,920 Colonoscopies.” Madhok’s research study identified the issue that lower-quality colonoscopies are linked to a higher incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer. The quality of colonoscopy varies widely among physicians performing colonoscopies and the Adenoma Detection Rate (ADR), which is the percentage of times a gastroenterologist detects a precancerous polyp during a colonoscopy. The 298,920 colonoscopies studied were performed by 421 gastroenterologists at 83 sites. Four groups of polyp detection rates were studied for each endoscopist: Screening PDR, Surveillance PDR, Diagnostic PDR and Overall (combined) PDR. The study concluded the Overall PDR shows a high level of agreement with all three methods of polyp detection rates (screening, surveillance and diagnostic), regardless of the number of procedures performed by the colonoscopist. In addition, there is no difference in the ratio of benign tumors to cancerous polyps for the first and middle parts of the colon compared to the lower part of the colon by all 421 doctors in the study. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education offers residencies in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Internal Medicine, Regional Family Medicine, National Family Medicine and Psychiatry, as well as fellowships in the specialty fields of Cardiovascular Disease, Geriatrics and Gastroenterology. A board-certified internal medicine physician, Madhok also is a primary care and internal medicine physician at The Wright Center’s Scranton and Scranton Counseling Center practices. In addition, he is a clinical associate professor of medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and an adjunct clinical associate professor of medicine at A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona. For more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Presents Scholarly Work at the Beyond Flexner 2022 Conference The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education recently made seven scholarly presentations at the annual Beyond Flexner Conference, “Moving the Dial on Social Mission: Ensuring Health Professions Education Meets the Challenges of Today,” in Phoenix, Arizona. The interprofessional forum focuses on advancing health equity and social justice through health professions education. The annual conference brings together leaders in change to share new strategies and tools, identify and address challenges, and organize to advocate for meaningful change. Meaghan P. Ruddy, senior vice president of academic affairs, enterprise assessment and advancement, and chief research and development officer, made the oral presentation, “An Addiction Medicine Fellowship’s Innovative Approach to Patient Care.” Co-authors included Drs. Karen E. Arscott, a primary care physician, addiction medicine specialist and internal medicine faculty; Jumee Barooah, designated institutional official; and Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO. Dr. Isaac Navarro, faculty physician in the Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency, offered the oral presentation, “Developing and Implementing an Advanced Education General Dental Residency Program during a Pandemic.” The presentation’s co-authors included Drs. Barooah and Thomas, and Ruddy. The oral presentation, “Transformation Opioid Use Disorder Recovery in a Teaching Health Center: Healthy MOMS,” was presented by Ruddy. Co-authors included Maria Kolcharno, director of addiction services; and Drs. Lekha Yadukumar, an internal medicine resident, and Thomas-Hemak. Drs. Barooah and Erica Schmidt, a psychiatry resident physician, made the oral presentation, “A Northeast Pennsylvania-Based Psychiatry Residency’s Innovative Training Program.” The presentation’s co-authors included Drs. Vinod Sharma, associate Psychiatry Residency director and psychiatrist; Barooah and Thomas-Hemak. The workshop, “Teaching Health Center Programming Toolbox: Tools for Community Health Centers to plan for Physician Workforce Development,” was presented by Drs. Douglas Spegman, chief clinical officer of El Rio Health in Arizona; and Thomas-Hemak, and Ruddy. Drs. Lawrence LeBeau, program director of the National Family Residency; Barooah and Thomas-Hemak, and Ruddy presented the research poster, “Development and Outcomes of a National Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium.” The poster presentation, “Community Health Center-Based Training and Practice: Developing Master Adaptive Learners Through Integrate Care Quality Improvement,” was delivered by Drs. Ray Wagner, assistant professor and regional director of medical education El Rio Health, and Valerie Sheridan, dean, A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA); and Lisa Tshuma, assistant professor, ATSU-SOMA; Sue Dolence, a licensed clinical social worker, El Rio Health; Anna Tanguma-Gallegos, data informatics specialist, ATSU-SOMA; and Ruddy.
Lackawanna College Dual Admission Transfer Agreement Susquehanna University and Lackawanna College have signed a transfer agreement allowing qualified students to earn their bachelor’s degree at substantial tuition savings by transferring after earning their associate degree. Through this partnership, qualified students also can receive merit-based scholarships of up to $32,000 a year, with an additional $5,000 scholarship available per year for students in Phi Theta Kappa, the college’s academic honor society. The agreement, which waives the university’s application fees, also requires students to complete an “intent to enroll” form with a Lackawanna College transfer advisor prior to having earned 30 credits. Interested students can apply by June 1 for fall semester enrollment or by Oct. 1 for spring semester enrollment this year. All scholarships may be renewed for up to four semesters for students earning an associate degree contingent upon students earning at least 30 credits each academic year at Susquehanna. “Few investments have a greater impact on our nation or more substantial return than access to higher education,” Susquehanna University President Jonathan Green said. “On average, college graduates earn more than $1 million in lifetime income above those who do not complete college degrees and are more likely to remain employed in times of high unemployment. We look forward to ensuring a smooth transition for Lackawanna College graduates who come to Susquehanna to complete their bachelor’s degrees in preparation for an even brighter future.” “This agreement gives Lackawanna College students a pathway to continue to complete their degree in their field of choice,” said Dr. Jill Murray, Lackawanna College President. “We are always looking for more opportunities to offer an affordable, accessible education, which leads to family-sustaining jobs in our community.”
Job Fair at Outreach – Center for Community Resources Outreach invites job seekers to attend the CANPACK Job Fair being held at the LEAD Center at Outreach, 431 North Seventh Avenue on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 11 am to 2 pm. The LEAD Center at Outreach is hosting this on-site job fair with CANPACK. CANPACK is an international manufacturer of aluminum and steel cans and glass bottles for the food and beverage sector, located in Jessup, PA. CANPACK’s mission is to be the global partner of choice for impactful, experience-enhancing and sustainable packaging solutions – energizing customers, connecting with consumers, and inspiring employees to push boundaries. The job fair is open to the public. Meet with CANPACK, bring your resume, and explore the amazing job opportunities CANPACK has to offer. CANPACK as an employer seeks to unleash the collective energy and potential of their employees.
Munley Law Attorneys Recognized By Super Lawyers Munley Law is pleased to announce that 8 of its lawyers have been included in the 2022 edition of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers. Only 5% of attorneys in the United States are selected to Super Lawyers. To be included in Super Lawyers, an attorney must be nominated by his/her peers, or identified by the Super Lawyers research department; lawyers cannot nominate themselves nor can they pay to be recognized on the list. Nominated attorneys are subjected to a thorough evaluation and selectionprocess. Munley Law would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to the 2022 Pennsylvania SuperLawyers list:● Marion Munley● Daniel W. Munley● Caroline Munley● J. Christopher Munley● Robert W. Munley, III● John M. Mulcahey● Melinda C. Ghilardi Marion Munley was also selected for the Top 100 2022 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Top 502022 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers lists. Katie Nealon was named to the 2022 Pennsylvania Rising Stars list, which recognizes 2.5% ofAmerican lawyers who have been practicing for ten years or less.
Geisinger Named to Forbes List Geisinger has been named to the 2022 Forbes list of Best Employers for New Graduates. The rankings were selected based on Statista’s innovative methodology, guaranteeing unbiased results and providing reliable insights. More than 20,000 U.S. young professionals who work for companies that employ at least 1,000 people participated in the independent survey, which focused on work-related issues and their experiences in the workplace. “It’s an honor to be recognized,” says Brion Lieberman, chief human resources officer. “We have a strong values-based culture rooted in our people and we want Geisinger to be a place where you can stay and build a rewarding career.” “No matter what stage of your career, there’s something for everyone,” adds Julene Campion, vice president of recruitment and learning & development. “Whether you’re a new graduate or re-entering the workforce, a seasoned professional or looking for a career shift, we have services and programs to help you grow and achieve your goals.” Participants were asked to rate the likelihood they would recommend their employer to family and friends. They also assessed their employers according to safety of work environment, competitiveness of compensation, opportunities for advancement, effectiveness of diversity and inclusion efforts and company image. Finally, participants were asked to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stand out either positively or negatively. You can view the full list here. Geisinger offers benefits such as retirement programs, parental paid leave, tuition reimbursement and health insurance that starts on the first day of employment. New jobseekers can turn to Geisinger’s Career Center for guidance on resume-building, interview coaching and one-on-one services. Free Wi-Fi and computers are available.For more information, call 877-564-6447 or stop by 529 Mill St. in Danville.
Small Business Microgrants Grant Program (CDBG) The City of Scranton, in conjunction with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at The University of Scranton, announce the CDBG Small Business Micro-Grant Program for new or early-stage businesses located in Scranton’s low-moderate-income demographic areas (LMA). Funds, ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 per business, will assist with start-up costs, thus contributing to their initial success and continued revitalization of our community. New and newly established is defined as businesses opened for business within the last 12 months or planning to open within 9 months of application. Business Owner must be or have worked with SBDC at The University of Scranton to complete a business education series and/or business consultation. Final applications must include a referral form from the SBDC at The University of Scranton. Eligible Uses of FUNDS• Inventory• Procurement of machinery, furniture, fixtures and equipment• Working/Operating capital (not to include interest or finance charges)o Defined working/operating capital – Utilities, rent, business services (accounting, IT, website development) Ineligible or Restricted Uses of Funds:• The repayment of existing debt• Employee/owner payroll taxes• Reimbursement of costs incurred prior to loan/grant award• Reimbursement for interest charges or finance changes of any kind with no exceptions• Political or religious activities• Lobbying any governmental entity Interested in Applying:If you are interested in learning more and applying for this program, please email Tricia Zilaitis tzilaitis@scrantonpa.gov who will email you the application.
