Geisinger Northeast Nurse Residency Program Receives National Accreditation The Geisinger Northeast Nurse Residency Program recently received accreditation with distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), placing it among only 208 programs worldwide to earn the distinction. The ANCC’s Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) sets the global standard for residency and fellowship programs that transition registered nurses and advanced practitioners into new practice settings. Accreditation is granted for four years and includes the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center and Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre campuses in Luzerne County and the Geisinger Community Medical Center campus in Lackawanna County. “We offer the only nurse residency program in northeastern Pennsylvania, and we’re proud of this accreditation that puts us on the same level as elite programs around the world,” said Steven Rhone, RN, chief nursing officer for Geisinger’s northeast region. Achieving PTAP accreditation requires a rigorous application process, submission of a self-study document that showcases the program and a site visit, which was conducted virtually this year. To be recognized with distinction is a testament to the valuable hands-on experience and personal support the program provides new nurses. “This is a tremendous honor,” said Lindsey Ford, DNP, RN, director of nursing education and Magnet for Geisinger’s northeast region. “It demonstrates our program’s commitment to helping new nurses acclimate to the clinical setting, so they’ll excel in their nursing careers at Geisinger.” The Geisinger Northeast Nurse Residency Program was established in 2015, and all new graduate nurses are entered into the 12-month residency. It’s designed to transition newly graduated nurses from academia to professional practice in a welcoming and supportive environment.
Boback Announces the Unanimous Passage of Veterans Bills Package by the House Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming), majority chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, announced the unanimous passage of the Veterans Day package of bills through the House today. “Just in time for tomorrow, Veterans Day, we took action this week in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to support our veterans and their families,” said Boback. “This package of bills that passed through the House today will enhance the lives of our veterans community across the Commonwealth. “The package seeks to improve professional licensure provisions, increases the blind and paralyzed veteran pension program and provides for improvements to the Pennsylvania National Guard Life insurance program. It also allows for further protections in military discharge records and the care of veterans graves. Additionally, we took action to create a recognition day for veterans of the Persian Gulf War and the Global War on Terrorism, in which many of my House and Senate colleagues valiantly served. Lastly, we passed a resolution I authored with the minority chair of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee to commemorate Veterans Day 2021 in Pennsylvania. “I am grateful to my colleagues in the House for their support of the legislation that was before us this week. I look forward to continuing to provide veterans throughout Pennsylvania with the benefits and services they so rightfully deserve.” The Veterans Day package of bills includes House Bills 1055, 1220, 1612, and 1868; House Resolution 153; and Senate Bills 248 and 550. For more information on the legislation, go to www.legis.state.pa.us.
Waverly Community House to Host 38th Annual Artisans’ Marketplace Volunteers are needed! If interested in volunteering, call The Comm office at 570-586-8191.
Geisinger Marworth Tops Newsweek List of “Best Addiction Treatment Centers” Geisinger Marworth Treatment Center has been named to Newsweek’s 2021 list of America’s Best Addiction Treatment Centers as the top-ranked facility in Pennsylvania. The America’s Best Addiction Treatment Centers 2021 list highlights the nation’s top facilities based on quality of service, reputation and accreditation relative to in-state competition. Facilities in the 25 states with the highest number of addiction treatment centers, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), were included in the survey. The rankings feature the top 300 inpatient/residential and long-term addiction treatment centers. The evaluation process included quality and accreditation scores as well as recommendations from peers. “Geisinger Marworth is dedicated to providing quality, evidence-based treatment for people with substance use disorder, and we are honored to be recognized by this survey and by our peers for the care we offer,” said Margaret Jarvis, M.D., chair of addiction medicine at Geisinger. “Marworth provides a safe and supportive environment to help people gain remission from addiction diseases.” Geisinger Marworth, located near Scranton, offers individualized, holistic inpatient and outpatient treatment to help people overcome alcohol and substance use disorder, including medication-assisted treatment, individual and family therapy, and support groups. Marworth cares for patients from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and New England, and more than 40,000 people have chosen Marworth for treatment since 1982. For more information about Marworth and addiction medicine care at Geisinger, visit Geisinger.org/NewsweekMarworth.
Johnson College Announces New Two-Year Associates Degree Students can now enroll in Johnson College’s new Mechatronics Technology program. The program will start during the fall 2022 semester. The two-year associate degree program prepares students for entry-level work in the multidisciplinary field of Mechatronics, which includes energy, plastics, computer and communications equipment manufacturing, and aerospace technology. Students learn the theoretical principles and measured values required to troubleshoot electrical, electronic, and mechanical systems. The program also teaches customer service, supervisory, and professional communications skills to help students excel in their future roles as Mechatronic technicians. Graduates will work in careers such as electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists or technicians and have the opportunity to earn a median annual income of up to $59,800. “Johnson College’s industry partners have shared with us the importance of students entering the workforce with interdisciplinary skills. These are the students they want to hire.” said Dr. Katie Leonard, Johnson College’s President and CEO. “The addition of the Mechatronics Technology program addresses their need for versatile employees with dynamic troubleshooting skills.” For more information about or to enroll in Johnson College’s Mechatronics Technology program visit johnson.edu/mechatronics or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.
Director of Addiction Services at The Wright Center for Community Health Participates in PA Panel Discussion Maria Kolcharno, L.S.W., director of addiction services for The Wright Center for Community Health, recently participated in a panel discussion at the Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative Learning Session that addressed working relationships between Opioid Use Disorder Centers of Excellence and maternity care providers in the commonwealth. Kolcharno addressed numerous collaborative relationships The Wright Center for Community Health’s Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support program (Healthy MOMS) has formed with regional Children & Youth Service agencies, OB-GYN providers and hospital maternity units since it was founded in 2018 to better deliver services. During the program’s breakout sessions, she outlined workflow charts to assist others in replicating the collaborative relationships and processes the Healthy MOMS program has established with Centers of Excellence and maternity care teams. Topics discussed included best practices in connecting patients with opiate use disorder to local Centers of Excellence. Established in 2016, The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence is one of 50 in the state. The program helps individuals in recovery reshape their lifestyles from the comfort of their own communities. Patients visit any of The Wright Center’s primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne or Wayne counties to connect with supportive certified recovery specialists, case managers, social workers, and medical providers who collectively help them break the cycle of addiction through outpatient care. Linked to The Wright Center’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, the Healthy MOMS program was co-founded with multiple agencies to assist women who are pregnant and have a substance use disorder. Healthy MOMS provides prenatal, perinatal and postpartum care, including medication-assisted treatment to women coping with a substance use disorder, and strives to break the stigma associated with it while building their self-esteem during and after their pregnancies, ideally engaging them in recovery support services. The Pennsylvania Perinatal Quality Collaborative includes 61 birthing hospitals and newborn intensive care units and 14 health plans in the state. Overall, the organization works to reduce maternal mortality and improve care for pregnant and postpartum women and newborns affected by opioids. For more information about the Healthy MOMS program, call 570-995-7821 or text healthymoms to 555888. Information about the program and its partners is also available online at healthymoms.org. Go to thewrightcenter.org/services for information about the Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence.
