The Wright Center’s Dr. Sheth Named 2025 Healthcare Trailblazer Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, senior vice president and enterprise chief operations and strategy officer at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, was selected as a 2025 Trailblazer in Healthcare by City and State Pennsylvania. The multimedia news organization recognized Dr. Sheth for his bold, forward-thinking leadership at The Wright Center, where he has championed the expansion of telemedicine, the modernization of clinical systems through advanced health information technology, and the advancement of Pennsylvania’s public health infrastructure. He is among a distinguished group of 2025 Trailblazers in Healthcare that includes physicians, lobbyists, educators, entrepreneurs, attorneys, and nonprofit leaders who are driving meaningful change across the commonwealth. “It’s an honor to be recognized among leaders who are working to solve some of health care’s toughest challenges,” Dr. Sheth said. “This recognition reflects the dedication of our entire team at The Wright Center to modernize care, expand access, and deliver meaningful, measurable impact for the communities we proudly serve.” City & State also acknowledged Dr. Sheth’s leadership in remote patient monitoring and his role in securing The Wright Center’s 2019 designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look-Alike. Dr. Sheth has spearheaded transformative initiatives that have significantly elevated care quality across Northeast Pennsylvania and beyond: Pioneered a cutting-edge telemedicine model that brings care directly into patients’ homes, especially in rural areas, through remote monitoring of vitals like heart rate, blood pressure, and steps. By integrating Humhealth technology into electronic health records (EHR) at The Wright Center, he ensured seamless data transfer and empowered patients to take an active role in their care. Reengineered The Wright Center’s EHR system into a powerful data platform that drives precise clinical interventions, supports population health management, and strengthens grant applications through actionable insights. Launched advanced business analytics tools that enhanced operational performance, ensured federal compliance, and supported The Wright Center’s FQHC Look-Alike designation. Introduced innovative patient-facing technologies, including a service that provides real-time interpreter services that support more than 350 languages, and “Neo,” an interactive, HIPAA-compliant chatbot that helps patients navigate services, schedule visits, and manage care online at TheWrightCenter.org. Modernized vaccine and medication management with a secure, automated system that tracks inventory to the dose level, safeguards patient safety, and improves regulatory compliance. Streamlined clinical workflows and strengthened strategic planning through the deployment of advanced technologies, including an AI-powered digital scribe; tools that focus on data visualization and business intelligence by providing real-time care analytics; and a centralized grant inventory management system that enhanced organizational efficiency and accountability. Dr. Sheth earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with honors in biochemistry, medicine, and public health in 2004 from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Wardha, India. He later received a Master of Public Health with a specialization in health promotion in 2006 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. After completing his internal medicine residency in 2009 through the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, now The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, Dr. Sheth joined The Wright Center as an internal medicine primary care physician and lead physician for population management and reporting. Over the years, Dr. Sheth has pioneered innovative approaches that have significantly enhanced patient wellness and health care delivery. His impactful contributions have led to a series of leadership promotions at The Wright Center, beginning with vice president for patient safety and quality in 2013, followed by senior vice president and chief medical and information officer in 2018, and culminating in his current role as senior vice president and enterprise chief operations and strategy officer. Dr. Sheth has been honored with numerous national and state awards in recognition of his leadership, innovation, and contributions to advancing health care. In 2024, Dr. Sheth was recognized nationally and statewide for his visionary leadership and impact on community health. He received the Outstanding Primary Care Clinician Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers and the Innovative Research in Primary Care Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers, honoring his contributions to clinical innovation, care coordination, and public health. He was also named a 2024 Trailblazer in Building and Infrastructure by City & State Pennsylvania for transforming 10 facilities across three counties into The Wright Center’s state-of-the-art primary health care centers, dramatically improving access and outcomes for patients and medically underserved communities. In April 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro selected Dr. Sheth to serve as a member of the state’s newly formed Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Related Disorders Advisory Committee. Established in October 2024, the Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Related Disorders Advisory Committee is tasked with advising the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and other state agencies on the development and implementation of a state plan for Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other related disorders. Dr. Sheth and his wife, Hetal Sheth, live in Clarks Summit with their children, Zian, 10, and Jiaa, 6. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-866-3017.
The Wright Center: Hepatitis C, A Dangerous but Highly Treatable Disease By Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth I’m here today to talk about a disease of grave seriousness — hepatitis. In recent years, the medical community has made significant strides in combating this global scourge. Still, much work remains, so I’m happy there are awareness events like World Hepatitis Day, which is celebrated on July 28. The day brings attention to viral hepatitis, which each year claims more than a million lives. Put simply, hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. There are five main types of hepatitis: A, B, C, D, and E. The one that gets the most attention is hepatitis C, an especially pernicious form of the disease that is contracted through the blood of an infected person. More than 4 million people in the U.S. have hepatitis C, with half of those cases undiagnosed. Hepatitis C can be contracted in several ways, including through sharing needles, equipment used for preparing or injecting drugs, sex, sharing personal items, or unregulated tattoos or piercings. A small percentage of infants are infected through their mothers. Most people with hepatitis C are saddled with a lifelong infection, which left untreated can cause severe health problems including chronic liver disease, liver failure, liver cancer and, in the worst cases, death. The trick is catching it in time, which can be difficult, since the disease tends to develop almost imperceptibly at first. When symptoms do take hold, they include jaundice, lack of appetite, vomiting, stomach pain, fever, dark urine, light-colored stool, joint pain, and fatigue. They usually appear within two to 12 weeks, but can take up to six months to develop. Given the severity of the disease, all adults ages 18 and older should be screened for hepatitis C at least once in their lives through a simple and easily available blood test. Among those at elevated risk who should be screened are baby boomers; people who had blood transfusions before 1992; people who have undergone long-term dialysis treatments; people who have used illicit drugs; people living with HIV; babies born to mothers diagnosed with hepatitis C; and sexual partners of anyone diagnosed with the disease. I want to emphasize that hepatitis C is a very treatable — even curable — disease, and I’m proud to say that we at The Wright Center are one of Northeast Pennsylvania’s leaders in treatment. People who test positive for the disease are treated with oral medications that help clear the virus from the bloodstream. About 90% of patients are cured after eight to 12 weeks of treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And there are many healthy habits patients can adopt to mitigate the disease’s progression, including reducing alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy weight, being careful with over-the-counter medications, and receiving regular medical care that includes monitoring for liver cancer. Besides incorporating testing, prevention, care, and treatment into our patient-centered medical home model approach, we also provide essential services like outreach, patient education, case management, and care coordination as a means of improving the health outcomes for patients living with the disease. Even if you don’t think you have hepatitis C, please make it a point to get tested sometime in the near future. Be proactive — it really can make all the difference. Jignesh Y. Sheth, M.D., FACP, MPH, is senior vice president and enterprise chief operations and strategy officer at the Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. He is dually board-certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine.
