PennDOT Announces Virtual Plans Display for Bridge Replacement Project The bridge is located on SR 3006 (Milwaukee Road) over Gardner Creek located approximately 0.5 mile east of SR 3001 (Newton Ransom Blvd.). The existing structure is a steel I-beam, open grate steel deck bridge that will be replaced with a single span prestressed concrete spread box beam with a composite concrete deck on integral abutments. The purpose of this project is to address the structural deficiency of the existing bridge due to its age and condition and provide continued safe and efficient access on SR 3006 over Gardner Creek. The project will include replacement of the structure with roadway reconstruction and guide rail upgrades at each end of the structure. The bridge is expected to be closed during the summer of 2023 for construction. A 4.5 mile detour will be posted using SR 3006 (Milwaukee Road), SR 3001 (Newton Ransom Blvd.) and SR 3009 (Milwaukee Road). The existing steel I-beam, open grate steel deck bridge was built in 1951 and is posted with a 34 ton weight limit. Approximately 255 vehicles a day use the bridge, on average. The virtual plans display includes digital picture boards and an online comment form. It can be accessed by visiting the PennDOT District 4 website, www.Penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/District-4/, clicking on Public Meetings under District Links, clicking on Lackawanna County and choosing tile mark SR 3006 Over Gardner Creek Bridge Replacement Project in Newton Township in Lackawanna County. In accordance with Governor Wolf’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the comment period will be held online. It will be open from October 4th to October 18th, 2021. Those unable to access the study online may give feedback by contacting PennDOT ASSISTANT LIAISON ENGINEER AMY M. LOLLI, at amlolli@pa.gov or (570) 614-2958.
Six Munley Law lawyers named to 2022 Best Lawyers list James Christopher MunleyDaniel W. MunleyCaroline M. MunleyJohn M. MulcaheyRobert W. Munley, IIIMarion K. Munley Munley Law is pleased to announce that 6 of their lawyers have been included in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. In addition, Katie Nealon was named to the 2022 “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch,” for Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs. “Ones to Watch” is an honor given to attorneys early in their legal careers. Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas.They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing. Lawyers must have at least ten years of experience practicing law to be considered. Munley Law would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to 2022 The Best Lawyers in America list: John M. Mulcahey – Personal Injury Litigation – PlaintiffsCaroline M. Munley – Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants, Personal Injury Litigation – PlaintiffsDaniel W. Munley – Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, Product Liability Litigation – PlaintiffsJames Christopher Munley – Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants, Personal Injury Litigation – PlaintiffsMarion K. Munley – Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, Product Liability Litigation – PlaintiffsRobert W. Munley, III – Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield fighting hunger with RailRiders home runs The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are proud to partner with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield to raise money for National Hunger Awareness Month. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield will donate $10 for every home run that the RailRiders hit during the 2021 season to the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has hit 120 home runs so far this season, putting the current donation total at $1,200. The RailRiders have 21 games remaining this season, including the remainder of the regular season and The Final Stretch. “We are proud to partner with our friends at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders on this important initiative,” said Brian Rinker, Market President at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. “Now more than ever, we want to support local organizations that address hunger and food insecurity in our community. We wish the RailRiders the best of luck for a successful finish to the season!” In our region, one in six children and one in eight adults face hunger each day. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank is a Feeding America partner and works to reduce hunger and promote proper nutrition in addition to preventing food waste. The Food Bank serves four counties in Northeast Pennsylvania: Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, and Wyoming. “Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield has been a great partner over the years and we appreciate their support of the Northeast Regional Food Bank,” said Katie Beekman, the RailRiders’ General Manager. “We have all seen the disheartening statistics and truly hope that this program can benefit those in need in NEPA. Now it’s time for the RailRiders to finish strong.” For more information, visit swbrailriders.com or call (570) 969-BALL.
Geisinger Life Flight reaches 40 years of life-saving service This year, Geisinger is honoring 40 years of providing life-saving critical care. What started as a single-aircraft operation at Geisinger Medical Center in 1981 has grown to a nine-aircraft operation, with six bases, two critical care grounds trucks, a crew of 150, and more than 75,000 transports completed across northeastern and central Pennsylvania. Since 2001, Life Flight 3, based at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, has been a crucial part of the Life Flight program. This month, we invite you to consider covering this milestone in local medical history. Current and former Geisinger Life Flight leaders, current crews, and patients are willing to share their stories of how the Life Flight program has impacted medical care locally and helped to save lives. Geisinger also continues investing in the program, with the addition of its latest helicopter, which recently went into service this summer.
Maternal and Family Health Services Celebrates 50th Anniversary with New Logo As part of its 50th anniversary of serving those in need, Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS) launched a new brand identity and website this week. The rebrand is designed to enhance recognition of the organization and array of services it offers, particularly during this difficult period for the thousands of women, children and families who rely on it for care. MFHS began its mission of care in 1971, with a vision to improve the quality of life of families in Northeast PA through preventative healthcare services. “Our 50th anniversary was the perfect time to revisit our logo. MFHS continues to adapt to the needs of our community, and our new logo and website reflect those changes,” said Maria Montoro Edwards, Ph.D., President & CEO of Maternal and Family Health Services. “As we continue to add services such as behavioral healthcare, we wanted to create a logo that is fresh and modern, but still connected to our history of creating a ‘circle of care’ of services for our clients.” The new Maternal and Family Health Services logo is accompanied by a new website, which highlights the services the agency offers the community. The site is designed to be welcoming and easy to navigate. The improved location finder enables the community to search by zip code to find services like the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition program and reproductive health care near them. “We also wanted to rebrand now, during the pandemic, because there is so much need in the community. While our name remains the same, our logo and website are a clearer reminder that MFHS is here to help families struggling during such a difficult time,” commented Jim Schilling, MFHS Development and Communications Officer. “The layered, circular design represents the different people we serve: children, adults, parents, families, and our entire community. Our new website reflects this as well, with an updated look and a focus on easily connecting our community with vital healthcare information.” MFHS encourages the community to see its new look by visiting the new website at: MFHS.org.
NROC Sole Radiation Oncology Practice in NEPA to Achieve APEx Award “APEx” is the Accreditation Program for Excellence, an award carefully given to select practices in the United States for excellence in safety and quality by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO.) Northeast Radiation Oncology Center’s (NROC) achievement means that it has once again earned this prestigious four-year accreditation, the only facility in Northeastern Pennsylvania to do so. “Receiving this accreditation from the premier radiation oncology society in the world validates our practices and recognizes the efforts of our team to deliver patient-centered, highest quality care to our community,” says Christopher A. Peters, M.D., Medical Director. Having attained this during the reality of COVID-19 is especially commendable, as NROC’s physicians, nurses, radiation therapists and entire staff provide continuous care. Cancer patients, physicians and families can feel confident in this award-winning culture of safety available to them in Dunmore. At its core, this exceptional accreditation reflects competencies and practices identified and endorsed in the 2012 ASTRO publication Safety is No Accident: A Framework for Quality Radiation Oncology and Care. Accreditation through APEx is a rigorous, voluntary, multi-step process that can take up to one year to complete. It’s the result of devotion, efficient communication and a myriad of technologies and training. Each center seeking APEx accreditation must have its policies and procedures evaluated using objective, verifiable expectations for performance in radiation oncology. It must demonstrate its commitment to cancer care by promoting effective communication, coordinating treatment, and engaging patients and their families as partners in care. “ASTRO is proud to recognize Northeast Radiation Oncology Center for achieving APEx accreditation,” says ASTRO chair Bruce D. Minsky, M.D., FASTRO. “NROC has demonstrated a commitment to providing their patients with safe, high-quality radiation therapy services.” APEx has a distinctive program structure that includes both a self-assessment process and a facility visit conducted by a medical physicist and a radiation oncologist, radiation therapist, nurse, dosimetrist, nurse practitioner, physician assistant or practice administrator. The team of physicians at NROC offers the most comprehensive, advanced radiation therapy technologies available in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Doctors carefully advise patients with a cancer diagnosis about the therapies most effective for their type and stage of cancer, and educate them and family members on their treatment options. The Center works with all insurances. Patients are also given the opportunity to participate in cancer clinical research trials. NROC physicians have served as Principal Investigators for National Cancer Institute research trials for over thirty-five years. More information is provided at www.nrocdoctors.com.
Woodloch Pines Named Number One Family Resort in the United States by USA TODAY Woodloch Pines, an all-inclusive family resort located in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, has been selected by USA TODAY as the number one family resort in the United States in their 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Woodloch Pines claimed the same honor in 2019 and took the number two spot in 2020. Nominees are chosen by a panel of travel experts, a well-traveled and well-educated group who are not only experts in their fields and their cities but also discriminating in their tastes. These include a combination of editors from USA TODAY, editors from 10Best.com, and other professional contributors. “We are ecstatic to be chosen as the number one family resort by USA TODAY. Woodloch has been in our family for over 60 years, and it is humbling to see our resort ranked among so many amazing properties and national brands,” said Brad Kiesendahl, CEO and President of Woodloch Pines. “This could not have been accomplished without the hard work and sincere hospitality of our staff members, as well as our loyal and passionate guests who want to share their experiences with the world. We are eternally grateful for their continued support especially through the challenges of the past few years,” he continued. To obtain more information or to book a stay, please visit woodloch.com, or call 1-800-Woodloch.
Northeast Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation Awards Careers in Care Grant to Johnson College The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation has awarded Johnson College a $30,000 grant from its Careers in Care initiative. The grant will support the College’s “Widening the Pipeline for a Trained Healthcare Workforce” project designed to increase the pool of qualified, well-trained health care workers for our area. With the grant, Johnson College will establish a mobile training laboratory to provide a hands-on experience for potential students to see and feel what it is like to work in the health care field. The board of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation recently met with Johnson College to discuss the $30,000 grant awarded to the College in support of its “Widening the Pipeline for a Trained Health Care Workforce” project and tour the mobile training laboratory. Photo: Front Row L-R: James Clemente, board chair, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Shubhra Shetty, M.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Marie Roke Thomas, Ph.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Donna Martucci, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Katie Leonard, Ed.D., President & CEO, Johnson College, Karen Baker, Sr. Director of College Advancement, Johnson College, Michele McGowan, D.B.A., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, and Laura Ducceschi, President & CEO, Scranton Area Community Foundation. Back Row L-R: The Honorable Terrence Nealon, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Robert Knowles, Vice Chairman, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Kerry O’Grady, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Christopher Dressel, M.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Mark Mitchell, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, James Mileski, board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, Jeremiah Eagen, M.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, and Peter Cognetti, M.D., board member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation.
City Lights Church to Participate in Walk for Freedom On October 16, abolitionists all over the world will come together to shine a spotlight on human trafficking for A21’s 7th annual Walk For Freedom. This event is a collective effort led by A21, a global anti-human trafficking organization dedicated to abolishing slavery everywhere, forever. Walk For Freedom is A21’s global response to human trafficking, rallying tens of thousands of people in cities around the world to fundraise and walk for the millions enslaved today. A21 combats modern-day slavery through a multi-dimensional approach: Reach, Rescue, and Restore. Walk For Freedom is an integral part of A21’s efforts to reach the vulnerable and prevent human trafficking from ever happening in the first place, as well as reaching people with the information to recognize and report human trafficking. In 2019, A21 had 500 walks in 50 countries around the world. Collectively, there were over 85 million people reached through social media. Each step mattered. Every step made a difference. But there are millions who have yet to be freed—and we will continue to walk, to show up, and to raise awareness for the victims in our cities and around the globe still trapped in slavery. This year our local actions will multiply into a greater global impact than ever before. A21’s hosts are rallying their communities and taking action. The event is not a protest, but a silent, single-file walk on behalf of the millions of men, women, and children who are trapped in slavery today. City Lights Church is hosting the walk in the Scranton area. Register for the walk here. If you have any questions, please email jesse@clcscranton.org.
