The Wright Center, Resident Physician Commits Career on 50th Anniversary When Sandra Rabat, D.O., first arrived in Scranton six years ago, she didn’t realize she was putting down roots for her future. The 30-year-old Erie, Pennsylvania, native spent three years in the Electric City as a member of the inaugural cohort from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), completing her clinical rotations at The Wright Center for Community Health during medical school. She remained in the region to pursue a three-year Internal Medicine residency with The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. As The Wright Center marked its 50th anniversary – celebrating a legacy of preparing highly skilled, compassionate primary care physicians to expand access to care in Northeast Pennsylvania and underserved communities nationwide – Dr. Rabat signed a contract to continue her career there as one of its newest primary care physicians. “I’m so proud to be able to sign my contract on our 50th anniversary. How special is it to be a part of something like that,” said Dr. Rabat, who will graduate from The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency Program on June 20. “Home is where your community is, and I’ve formed a community here in Northeast Pennsylvania.” The Wright Center’s story began in 1976, when a young oncologist named Dr. Robert E. Wright returned home to Scranton and realized the extent of the physician shortage in Northeast Pennsylvania. With community support and a Primary Care Workforce Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Health Manpower and several smaller grants, he established the Scranton-Temple Residency Program on Feb. 17, 1976. The program, designed to attract medical school graduates to the region for internal medicine residencies, welcomed its inaugural class of six resident physicians one year later. Since then, the program, which was renamed in its founder’s honor in 2010, has graduated more than 1,100 physicians in a variety of residency and fellowship programs. Those graduates, who hail from all over the world, have gone on to work across the country – including right here in Northeast Pennsylvania. As part of its mission, The Wright Center has expanded to offer interprofessional training opportunities for a variety of other health care careers, partnering with more than a dozen academic institutions. One such partnership, with ATSU-SOMA, is where Dr. Rabat first became familiar with The Wright Center and the region. “Scranton is where I learned to practice medicine in a way that prioritizes compassion, access, and continuity of care,” Dr. Rabat said. “I have built strong relationships with mentors, colleagues, and patients, and that sense of community is something I value deeply. Staying feels like a way to give back by continuing to serve this community and helping to train future physicians with those same values.” That commitment to patient-centered care is rooted in a personal loss that shaped Dr. Rabat’s path to medicine. After her father’s unexpected death from a heart attack in 2010, when she was a high school freshman, she was inspired to pursue a career focused on helping people live healthier lives. Throughout her journey to become a doctor, she found opportunities to hone her skills and expand her knowledge. As a medical student, Dr. Rabat joined the Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center’s prestigious Scholars Program to strengthen her focus on caring for vulnerable populations, integrating behavioral health services into primary care, engaging communities, and advancing access to health care for everyone. During her medical residency, she became involved in local and federal advocacy, working alongside colleagues and leaders to champion causes such as the vital role of teaching health centers and the needs of rural and underserved communities. In her last year of residency, she served as chief resident of the Internal Medicine Program, acting as a vital liaison between residents and faculty, managing schedules, mentoring junior residents, and facilitating clinical training. She is also a passionate advocate of organ donation awareness and advanced care planning services, both of which encourage patients and families to make informed, proactive decisions about their health. She has also led a community-oriented primary care project to increase rates of routine breast cancer screening, emphasizing preventive care and patient education. “Throughout my training, I developed a deeper understanding of health disparities and the importance of improving how care is delivered,” she said. “I have been especially drawn to prevention and access, whether that is identifying gaps or finding more effective ways to meet patients where they are.” Her enthusiasm and dedication caught the attention of Wright Center leadership, especially President and CEO Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak. “She is an AHEC Scholar, a Pennsylvania resident, and she embodies the idea of mission-driven work,” Dr. Thomas-Hemak said. “Welcoming her as one of our newest primary care physicians is a huge victory for our legacy.” After graduating from The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Residency Program in June, Dr. Rabat is looking forward to fully stepping into the role of a primary care physician and building long-term relationships with patients. “Starting as an attending physician at the same community health center where I trained makes this next step especially powerful,” she said. “It allows me to care for the same communities that shaped me while growing into a new level of responsibility. I feel honored to continue serving these communities and to step into this role with purpose.”
Wright Center for Community Health’s CEO Elected to State Health Board Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers’ (PACHC’s) Board of Directors. PACHC represents the commonwealth’s largest network of primary health care providers that serve nearly 1 million patients annually at more than 475 sites in underserved rural and urban areas in 55 counties. Its 15-member Board of Directors is made up of community health center CEOs from across Pennsylvania, representing a broad spectrum of expertise that spans finance, clinical care, workforce development, advocacy, policy and regulation, nonprofit health care administration, and human resources. “I am deeply honored and profoundly grateful to join the reputable Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers. I am excited for the opportunity to collaborate with dedicated and talented colleagues from across our state as we work together to advance access, affordability, and excellence in community-based primary and preventive health services for all Pennsylvanians,” said Dr. Thomas-Hemak. “Together, we will continue to strengthen the mission-driven voice of community health centers to ensure that the patients, families, and communities we are privileged to serve remain at the forefront of health care conversations and strategies.” Dr. Thomas-Hemak is a quintuple board-certified primary care physician in internal medicine, pediatrics, addiction medicine, obesity medicine, and nutrition. Alongside her executive leadership, she continues to care for multigenerational families at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley in Jermyn, her hometown. She has earned national recognition for advancing innovative community-based primary care delivery models, expanding access to essential health services, and cultivating the current and future interprofessional health care workforce. A proud graduate of Scranton Preparatory School and the University of Scranton, Dr. Thomas-Hemak went on to earn her medical degree as a Michael DeBakey Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, followed by completing Harvard’s Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program in Boston. Guided by a profound sense of service to her community roots, she returned to Northeast Pennsylvania to practice primary care. She joined The Wright Center in 2001, became its president in 2007, and assumed the role of CEO in 2012. She and her husband, Mark, have three children, Mason, Maya, and Antoinette. Dr. Thomas-Hemak is the daughter of Johanna Cavalieri Thomas, who lives in Archbald, and the late William Thomas. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center, Chelsea Chopko Recognized as ‘Rising Star’ In Pennsylvania Chelsea Chopko, chief of administrative support to the president and CEO at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, was one of 40 individuals under the age of 40 in Pennsylvania to be honored as a “Rising Star” by City & State Pennsylvania during a reception in Harrisburg. Each year, the multimedia news organization honors these individuals who work in Pennsylvania government, politics, and advocacy. “Rising Star” members have already distinguished themselves in the eyes of their colleagues and are on their way to amassing many more noteworthy accomplishments. At The Wright Center, Chopko is the operational engine behind the enterprise’s most critical leadership workflows and mission-driven projects. Whether aligning schedules across numerous departments, coordinating sensitive communications, supervising eight administrative assistants, or supporting community outreach, she performs with poise, precision, and a rare blend of warmth and drive. Since joining The Wright Center six years ago, Chopko’s influence has grown in tandem with her title. What began as a role rooted in executive assistance has blossomed into one of trusted partnership and strategic insight. Her work spans the entire enterprise’s more than 677 employees, and she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure every team member – from physicians, clinicians, physician residents and fellows to administrators and front-desk staff – is supported. “Chelsea Chopko is the exemplary of leader every organization hopes to have – thoughtful, brilliant, kind, inspiring, driven, unflinchingly dependable, and deeply mission-aligned,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “Her well-deserved recognition is a reflection not only of her personal excellence, but also of the high standard she sets for all of us at The Wright Center. We are immensely proud of her and most grateful to have Chelsea on our team.” She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Marywood University. Most recently, she completed the University Scranton Kania School of Management’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program. Chopko and her husband, Craig, live in Greenfield Township with their children, Roman, 9, and Isabel, 2.
The Wright Center and WVIA-TV Seeking Audience Members for Panel Discussion The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education and WVIA-TV 44 are collaborating on the panel discussion, “Conversations for the Common Good: Shaping Tomorrow’s Health Workforce,” on Tuesday, June 17, beginning at 6:15 p.m. at Scranton Preparatory High School’s Bellarmine Theater. The free program is open to the public. The program is being recorded and will be aired live on WVIA-TV 44 in June and July. The show explores how education programs and partnerships are transforming the future of health care by training the next generation of health care professionals. Panelists include Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education; Dr. Katie Pittelli, president and CEO of Johnson College; Jill Avery-Stoss, president of The Institute; and Pennsylvania State Representative Bridget M. Kosierowski. Tracey Matisak of WVIA will moderate the panel discussion. The show will air on WVIA-TV 44 on June 26, 9 p.m.; June 27, 2 p.m.; June 29, 1 p.m.; July 10, 7 p.m.; July 11, 4 p.m.; and July 13, noon. To participate in the live recording, you must register for free tickets in advance. Go here for more information or to reserve your ticket.
The Wright Center: A 117-year-old legacy at risk: Why Regional Hospital’s survival matters to Northeast Pennsylvania Since 1908, Regional Hospital of Scranton, including Moses Taylor, remains a NEPA health care ecosystem legacy pillar, delivering lifesaving services to generations of families to promote our health and well-being. Regional’s sustainability is vital for acute care access when patients are most vulnerable. Its obstetrical center of excellence ensures the safe arrival of the vast majority of babies born in our community. The Wright Center is eager to collaborate with new ownership to ensure seamless, forward momentum of community-responsive, high-quality health services and community-based physician and interprofessional health care workforce development. All stakeholders should meaningfully engage to ensure new ownership seeks and values community input, while maintaining and improving access to health care services, employment, and workforce development opportunities. Recently announced potential plans to preserve Regional brings hopeful but cautious optimism to a broad coalition of community members, legacy partners, advocacy organizations, and the health care union. Our collective commitment to collaboratively ensure preserving access to health care services, protecting family-sustaining jobs, upholding crucial hospital partnerships, and empowering our community’s priorities is unwavering. For nearly 50 years, The Wright Center has been deeply mission-intertwined with Regional to improve the health and welfare of our communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. Community benefit impact, health outcomes, and economic vitality generated by our enduring partnership are undeniable. Together, we have cared for countless patients and families; trained over 1,000 physicians, possibly including your doctor amongst many serving NEPA today; and educated innumerable health care students from a dozen academic institutions to understand and serve our unique needs. In 2024, almost half of The Wright Center’s total economic impact of $198,978,143, supporting 1,199 local jobs, was generated by The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, a cherished community asset dependent on its foundational Regional partnership for its existence. My personal connection to Regional runs deep. So much of who I am professionally was determined by my recruitment home 25 years ago as a Mercy physician to join Dr. Tucker Clauss, who delivered me in 1968 at the then Mercy Hospital. The valuable mentorship and learning I received serving patients, families, and communities inside Regional’s walls can never be overstated. My deeply personal, hard-won journey culminated in a historic election as the first female and, as fate would have it, final president of Mercy’s medical staff, a landmark achievement quickly and tragically overshadowed by heartbreak when our cherished hospital transitioned to for-profit ownership. Its turbulent, uncertain future continues today. Faithfully, I continue caring for multigenerational families who depend on Regional for life-saving services. Like many of you, losing Regional would feel like losing family. Stabilizing NEPA’s acute hospital services is undeniably urgent, particularly given our aging population and prevalence of chronic disease. Allowing Regional to close would trigger a devastating, modern-day “Tragedy of the Commons,” immediately crippling access to acute hospital services. The devastating human and economic aftershocks on our community would be long-lasting. Future generations would pay the price for decades. Regional delivers 380,000 encounters annually, including 36,000 emergency visits. Closure would instantaneously create a critical shortage of nearly 30,000 acute hospital “bed days” and longer wait times for everyone in our region’s already overflowing and overburdened ERs. Impact on maternal and newborn care would be equally catastrophic. Over 1,700 expectant mothers and 70% of babies born in Lackawanna County rely on Regional’s services annually. Other area hospitals simply lack capacity to accommodate this volume or the ability to replace Lackawanna County’s only Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The next closest NICU is 45 minutes away – an eternity for newborns struggling to breathe. Beyond patient care, Regional’s major employer contributions are vital to our local economy, providing more than 1,000 family-sustaining, union-supported jobs, injecting $148 million in wages and benefits. Failure to secure Regional’s viable future is simply not an option. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s existence depends on a community solution. All stakeholders, including elected officials, leadership of health systems, educational institutions, labor, and business, and, most importantly, each of us whose lives are on the line, must engage meaningfully to ensure a welcoming transition to new ownership. Together, we need to communicate our expectations to ensure new ownership will truly seek and value meaningful community input to honor our legacies and collective priorities, while steadfastly maintaining and improving access to essential health care services, employment opportunities, and workforce development.
2025 ATHENA Leadership Award Recipient Announced The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FACP, FAAP, the president and chief executive officer of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, is the 2025 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient. The ATHENA Award, sponsored locally by Michael A. Barbetti LLC Certified Public Accountants, honors an exceptional individual who has achieved excellence in their business or profession, has served the community in a meaningful way, and has assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills. Dr. Thomas-Hemak embodies these characteristics wholeheartedly. Dr. Thomas-Hemak joined The Wright Center in 2001, became president in 2007, and CEO in 2012. Concurrent with her responsibilities as an executive, Dr. Thomas-Hemak is also quintuple board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, addiction medicine, obesity medicine, and nutrition and remains a healer at heart. “It is a true privilege to recognize Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak as the 2025 Athena Award recipient,” said Bob Durkin, president of The Chamber. “Her relentless commitment to her patients, hands-on leadership style, and deep dedication to the community set her apart as an exceptional individual. We are proud to honor Dr. Thomas-Hemak for the profound and lasting impact she has made on both healthcare and our community. Congratulations, Dr. Thomas-Hemak!” In the community, Dr. Thomas-Hemak is actively involved in multiple organizations, countless committees, nonprofit boards and workgroups aimed at benefiting the community, generating efficiencies in healthcare delivery, and promoting primary healthcare workforce development, both regionally and nationally. Additionally, she is a founding board member of the Scranton-based Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Dr. Thomas-Hemak promotes the advancement of women by leading boldly and strategically, fostering inclusive opportunities and career advancement, and mentoring opportunities for female leaders to pursue meaningful, transformative careers in health care. The ATHENA Award will be presented to Dr. Thomas-Hemak at The Chamber’s International Women’s Day Breakfast, sponsored by The Honesdale National Bank, on Friday, March 7. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ScrantonChamber.com. The ATHENA Award was first presented in 1982 in Lansing, Michigan, and has grown to include presentations to more than 5,000 individuals in hundreds of cities in the United States as well as in Canada, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The award takes the form of a hand-cast bronze sculpture, symbolizing the strength, courage, and wisdom of the recipient. The ATHENA Award® Program is nationally underwritten by General Motors and National City Bank.
The Wright Center CEO and President named One State’s most Powerful and Influential Female Leaders Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, was named one of the 100 most powerful and influential female leaders in Pennsylvania by City & State Pennsylvania. The multimedia organization debuted its third annual Power of Diversity: Women 100 list on Dec. 23. The list highlights the achievements of women in diverse fields – including government, nonprofits, education, business, labor, and advocacy – who are shaping Pennsylvania’s future with their visionary leadership and significant contributions. Honorees included Kim Ward, president pro tempore, Senate of Pennsylvania; Joanna McClinton, speaker, Pennsylvania House of Representatives; Cherelle Parker, mayor of Philadelphia; Debra Todd, chief justice, Pennsylvania Supreme Court; and Leslie C. Davis, president and CEO, UPMC. This is the second time this year that City & State Pennsylvania has recognized Dr. Thomas-Hemak for her exceptional leadership and achievements. In July, the organization selected her as a 2024 Trailblazer in Health Care. Concurrent with her executive responsibilities, Dr. Thomas-Hemak is also quintuple board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, obesity medicine, addiction medicine, and nutrition. She sees generations of patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley in her hometown of Jermyn. “Dr. Thomas-Hemak’s well-deserved recognition as one of Pennsylvania’s 100 most powerful and influential female leaders reaffirms what we at The Wright Center already know: she is a brilliant, visionary, and inspirational leader, as well as a compassionate, dedicated, and exceptionally skilled physician,” said The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors Chair Deborah Kolsovsky. “She has an infectious passion for helping others and a remarkable ability to inspire a shared vision. She has devoted her entire career to advancing health equity, especially among our region’s most vulnerable populations, improving access to high-quality, nondiscriminatory, whole-person primary health services, and training and mentoring the next generation of health care professionals.” Dr. Thomas-Hemak graduated from Scranton Preparatory School and the University of Scranton. After graduating as a Michael DeBakey Scholar from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completing Harvard’s Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program in Boston, she returned to Northeast Pennsylvania, joining The Wright Center in 2001, becoming president in 2007, and CEO in 2012. Under her stewardship, The Wright Center has expanded its growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. She also guided The Wright Center to achieve numerous prestigious distinctions, including its designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2019, which unlocked essential federal resources for the region and significantly expanded health care access. The Wright Center has also been recognized as a Top 30 Site for National Primary Care Innovations by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and, in 2024, was inducted into the esteemed American Medical Association’s ChangeMedEd Consortium. Dr. Thomas-Hemak also led The Wright Center for Community Health’s transformation into one of the first state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Centers of Excellence in 2016, improving access to substance use disorder treatment. Amid rising obesity rates, she guided physicians in obtaining board certification in obesity medicine to better address critical health needs. She also transformed The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education into one of the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums (GME-SNC). Through inclusive, interprofessional workforce development and targeted initiatives, the GME-SNC model seeks to improve public health by addressing the national primary care physician shortage, misdistribution and related health and health care career access disparities. Dr. Thomas-Hemak also serves as the governor for the Eastern Region of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians, the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization. She sits on numerous local, regional, and national health care and medical education nonprofit governing boards, cross-sector committees, and workgroups, including the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Council on Graduate Medical Education, a federal advisory committee that assesses and recommends actions on physician workforce trends, training issues, and financing policies. She is chair of the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center Governing Board and a governing board member of the Keystone Accountable Care Organization, The Institute, and the Center for Health and Human Services Research and Action. She is also a founding member of the consortium that established the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and a founding board member of the American Association of Teaching Health Centers. Dr. Thomas-Hemak has received several prestigious state and national awards for her leadership, mentorship, and advocacy initiatives, including the 2024 Hometown Scholars Advocacy Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and A.T. Still University for her exemplary leadership in mentoring and inspiring others; the 2024 Wilford Payne Health Center Mentor Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers; NACHC’s 2022 Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award for her efforts in engaging Congress and expanding grassroots advocacy; and the 2020 Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians for advancing women’s leadership in medicine. She and her husband, Mark, reside in Jermyn and have three children, Mason, Maya, and Antoinette. Dr. Thomas-Hemak is the daughter of the late William Thomas and Johanna Cavalieri Thomas, who lives in Archbald.
The Wright Center President Named Governor-Elect for the Eastern Region of the PA-ACP Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been elected governor-elect for the eastern region of the American College of Physicians’ Pennsylvania Chapter (PA-ACP). Beginning in April, she will serve one year as governor-elect concurrently with Dr. Lawrence H. Jones, governor of the eastern region whose term expires in 2023. Her four-year term as governor begins April 2023. Founded in 1915, the American College of Physicians is a national organization of internists, who specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and care of adults. It is the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization, with more than 161,000 members, of which more than 7,800 are members of the PA-ACP chapter. The PA-ACP chapter has three regional governors that represent the eastern, western and southeastern regions of the commonwealth. “I am humbled and proud to represent and advocate on behalf of my physician colleagues we represent, the profession of medicine we embody and the patients, families and communities we serve through the American College of Physicians’ Pennsylvania Chapter,” said Thomas-Hemak, who previously received the prestigious Dr. Ann Preston Women in Medicine and Laureate awards from PA-ACP in 2020 and 2014 respectively. “Our collective mission to improve health care and access has certainly been challenged by the pandemic, but we remain resolute in exceeding the high standards we strive for every day to improve the health and welfare of our local, state and national communities. “I am grateful for and inspired by the incredible honor and leadership opportunity,” she added. Overall, the American College of Physicians works to enhance the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine and promotes quality patient care, advocacy, education and career fulfillment in internal medicine and its subspecialties. The 87-member board of governors is an advisory board, featuring representatives from Alabama to Alberta, Bangladesh to Brazil and Ontario to Pennsylvania. Collectively, the elected board members act as an advisory board to the college’s policy-making body, the board of regents. The board of governors implements national projects and initiatives at the chapter level and represents member concerns at the national level. Born and raised in Northeast Pennsylvania, Thomas-Hemak received her undergraduate degree from The University of Scranton. After graduating as a Michael DeBakey Scholar from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and completing Harvard’s Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency in Boston, Massachusetts, she returned to the region to practice and teach primary care. She joined The Wright Center in 2000 and became president of The Wright Center for Community Health in 2007. In 2012, she was named president and CEO of both The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. Concurrent with her responsibilities as an executive, Thomas-Hemak is also board certified in internal, pediatrics, addiction, and most recently, obesity medicine. Her favorite professional responsibilities are to teach and provide comprehensive primary health services to multigenerational families served by The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice in Archbald and Jermyn, her hometown community where she was born, raised and currently resides with her husband and three children. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-343-2383.
