The Wright Center’s Dr. Pancholy receives Designation The fellows of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) has named Dr. Samir B. Pancholy, program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, a Master of the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (MSCAI) – a designation held by fewer than 100 interventional cardiologists worldwide. The MSCAI designation recognizes physicians who have demonstrated excellence in interventional cardiology and a commitment to the highest levels of clinical care, innovation, publications, and teaching. SCAI was founded in 1978 with a mission to lead the global interventional cardiovascular community through education, advocacy, research, and quality of patient care. SCAI has dedicated its work to advancing the profession and is the designated society for guidance, representation, professional recognition, education, and research opportunities for invasive and interventional cardiology professionals. The society has more than 4,500 members, according to SCAI. Dr. Pancholy has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts in reputed international journals, has published several practice-changing randomized controlled trials, and has developed multiple procedural techniques to increase the safety and efficacy of the procedure of cardiac catheterization and catheter-based intervention. His research and educational programs in the area of transradial access (catheterization from the artery in the wrist) have been credited with the widespread adoption of the technique in the U.S. and worldwide. He also invented several devices that make cardiovascular procedures safer, more effective, comfortable, and cost-effective. Dr. Pancholy holds more than 70 patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark office. SCAI will recognize Dr. Pancholy at the SCAI Scientific Sessions in Phoenix, Arizona, in May. The conference brings together the international interventional cardiology community to share the latest clinical data, procedural guidance, and advanced expertise. “Dr. Pancholy richly deserves this prestigious honor from SCAI,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, the Designated Institutional Official for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. “He shares his expertise with our fellows who travel from around the world to learn from him. He has improved access and quality of cardiac care for countless people thanks to the 37 fellows who have graduated from our fellowship program since 2009.” He also serves as the director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at the Veterans Administration Center, Wilkes-Barre, and as a professor of medicine at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton. Dr. Pancholy is board-certified in internal medicine, with additional certifications in cardiovascular diseases, interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure, and transplant cardiology. He earned his medical degree from B.J. Medical College in India, and completed his residency at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. Dr. Pancholy completed fellowships in interventional cardiology and cardiovascular diseases at the Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital and Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education offers Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Internal Medicine, Regional Family Medicine, National Family Medicine, and Psychiatry residency programs and fellowships in Cardiovascular Disease, Gastroenterology, and Geriatrics. For more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570.866.3017.
WVIA Employee’s Awarded Designation WVIA’s Sarah Marie Thomas and Alecia Panuski have been named CFRE International Certified Fund Raising Executives (CFRE). Sarah, Director of Membership, and Alecia, Major Gifts Officer, at WVIA, join over 7,700 professionals around the world who hold the CFRE designation. Individuals granted the CFRE credential have met a series of standards set by CFRE International which include tenure in the profession, education, and demonstrated fundraising achievement. They have also passed a rigorous exam testing the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a fundraising executive, and have agreed to uphold Accountability Standards and the Donor Bill of Rights. “The CFRE credential was created to identify for the public and employers those individuals who possess the knowledge, skills, and commitment to perform fundraising duties in an effective and ethical manner,” states CFRE International President and CEO Eva E. Aldrich, Ph.D., CAE, (CFRE 2001-2016). “As the certification is a voluntary achievement, the CFRE certification demonstrates a high level of commitment on the part of Sarah and Alecia to the fundraising profession and the donors who are served.” CFRE recipients are awarded certification for a three-year period. To maintain certification status, certificants must demonstrate on-going fundraising employment and fundraising results and continue with their professional education. Employers and donors who work with CFREs know they are getting a professional who is committed to the best outcomes for their organization and has the requisite knowledge and skills. The CFRE certification signifies a confident, ethical fundraising professional. Since 1981, CFRE has set standards for fundraising professionals. As the only globally-recognized fundraising certification, CFRE indicates professionalism, confidence, and ethics. It is how today’s fundraiser shows accountability, service, and commitment to making a difference for good. The CFRE certification program is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and is the only accredited certification for fundraising professionals. The CFRE designation is endorsed and supported by the world’s leading professional and philanthropic associations, including: • Association for Christian Fundraising (ACF) • Association of Fundraising Consultants (AFC) • Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) • Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) • Association of Philanthropic Counsel (APC) • Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (BBB) • Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) • Boy Scouts of America (BSA) • Brazilian Fundraisers Association (ABCR) • Canadian Association of Gift Planners—Association Canadienne des Professionnels en Dons Planifies (CAGP-ACPDP) • Educate Plus • European Fundraising Association (EFA) • Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) • Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ) • The Giving Institute • Habit for Humanity International (HFHI) • Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) • International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC) • Japan Fundraising Association (JFRA) • Kenya Association of Fundraising Professionals (KAFP) • Korea Society of Philanthropy (KSoP) • National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers (NACCDO) • National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) • Nepal Center for Philanthropy and Development (NCPD) • New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (NEAHP) • North American YMCA Development Organization (NAYDO) • Shanghai Jing’an Fundraising Social Charity Innovation Development Center (FIDC) • Texas Association of Community College Foundations (TACCF) • Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance (TVNPA) • United Negro College Fund (UNCF) • Virginia Association of Fund Raising Executives (VAFRE) CFRE International congratulates Sarah Marie Thomas and Alecia Panuski for achieving the CFRE designation.
Johnson College Earns Designation by Pennsylvania Department of Education The Pennsylvania Department of Education has designated Johnson College as a “Hunger-Free Campus.” This pilot program, spearheaded by Pennsylvania First Lady, Frances Wolf, aims to build a coalition of colleges and universities focused on addressing hunger and other basic needs for their students. Johnson College received the designation in October before becoming eligible to apply for grant funding through the Department of Education to support student initiatives to address food security. “We know that food and other basic need insecurities act as barriers that hamper our students’ abilities to focus on their education,” Amy Driscoll McNulty said. Amy is currently the Associate Director of Student Success at Johnson College and will lead the campus-wide initiative. “With this designation and related efforts moving forward, our goal is to lessen or remove those barriers, increase awareness of resources, and provide healthy food options so that students spend less time worrying about their next meal and more time pursuing their educational goals.” According to national studies, over one-third of students know someone who dropped out of college due to food insecurity during the pandemic, and roughly 52 percent of students who faced food or housing insecurity in 2020 did not apply for support because they did not know how. Colleges and universities across the country are taking steps to address these issues. Students who may need assistance at Johnson College may stop into the Office of Counseling and Disability Services in the Moffat Student Center on campus to access the student food pantry and to discuss other options and resources such as local food banks and the State’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). For more information about this initiative, visit www.education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/PAHungerFreeCampus.
Johnson College Earns 2021-2022 Military Spouse Friendly® School Designation Johnson College announced today that it has earned the 2021-2022 Military Spouse Friendly® School designation. Institutions earning the Military Spouse Friendly® School designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey, with 747 schools earning the designation as a Military Friendly School, of which 194 were selected for the Military Spouse Friendly Schools list. Johnson College was designated as a Military Spouse Friendly® School for their leading practices, outcomes, and effective programs for military spouses. The 2021-2022 Military Spouse Friendly® Schools list will be published in Military Spouse magazine’s May issue and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com. Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and government/agency public data sources within a logic-based scoring assessment. We measure the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer), and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans. “Military Friendly® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to evolve and invest in their programs consistently and with purpose. Schools who achieve designation show true commitment and dedication in their efforts. Our standards assist schools by providing a benchmark that promotes positive educational outcomes, resources, and support services. Focusing on the betterment of the educational landscape and providing positive outcomes and economic opportunity for the Military Community.” – Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly®. For more information about Johnson College’s student veteran programs, visit Johnson College’s website at https://johnson.edu/future-students/veterans/.
