Nearly 900 Attend EMPOWER, The Leadership Experience Nearly 900 women from northeastern Pennsylvania gathered for EMPOWER, The Leadership Experience, a premier women’s leadership event hosted by The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and presented by Geisinger. The day-long program at Kalahari Convention Centers and Resort brought together professionals, students, and changemakers for inspiration, connection, and growth. This year’s event featured two keynote speakers, 44 regional leaders, and 90 high school students—making it one of the most impactful EMPOWER programs. The day started with a breakfast keynote speaker, Christina Butler, an executive communication coach, whose presentation was sponsored by Peoples Security Bank & Trust. Butler energized the crowd with a session focused on clear, concise, and confident communication. She encouraged attendees to eliminate filler phrases and distractions from their language and instead focus on their “why” and “how” to deliver messages that resonate with purpose and poise. Dominique Dawes, Olympic gold medalist and trailblazing gymnast, headlined the afternoon session as the lunch keynote speaker, with support from PNC Bank. Dawes inspired the audience with stories from her athletic and professional journey, emphasizing the importance of teamwork over ego. “Leave your ego at the door,” she urged attendees. “Greatness is not achieved alone—it’s about what we accomplish together.” In addition to the powerful keynotes, the event included breakout sessions led by 44 regional speakers representing healthcare, education, finance, media, and entrepreneurship. The sessions covered topics from leadership strategies and mental wellness to business innovation. “The energy in the room was electric,” said Bob Durkin, president of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. “EMPOWER continues to grow in reach and impact every year, and this event truly highlighted the strength and potential of women leaders in our region.” EMPOWER, The Leadership Experience, is part of The Chamber’s ongoing commitment to providing meaningful programming that supports women in leadership and professional development across northeastern Pennsylvania.
Geisinger to Host Sip and Self-Care Breast Bash Free event features breast care information, spa treatments and refreshments Join Geisinger’s breast health team for the Sip and Self-Care Breast Bash on Wednesday, May 14 from 4 – 8 p.m. The free evening of information and personal pampering will be held in the main lobby of Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center at 1000 E. Mountain Boulevard, Wilkes-Barre. Attendees will learn about the comprehensive breast services offered at Geisinger and will connect with members of the breast care team who will discuss the latest in breast health, screenings and genetics. Presentations will happen every hour with the last presentation taking place at 7:15 p.m. There will also be mini-facials and chair massages, available on a first come, first served basis, a sound bath demonstration by The Cancer Wellness center of NEPA, refreshments and mocktails. Limited spaces are available. Register now at geisinger.org/selfcarebash
Geisinger Medical Center Makes Newsweek’s List Geisinger Medical Center has been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2025. The list of 444 leading hospitals was determined through a rigorous evaluation process, which used a nationwide online survey of health care professionals and hospital managers with knowledge about maternity processes, results from patient experience surveys and hospital quality metrics from several sources with a focus on indicators relevant to maternity care. Geisinger Medical Center was one of 182 hospitals to receive five ribbons in the list, which means it received greater than 84% in quality metrics and patient experience scores and greater than 71% in its reputation score. In 2024, 1,850 babies were born at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. “Geisinger Medical Center’s recognition for maternity care is a tribute to our dedicated staff of physicians and caregivers who are working to make our hospital the best,” said Sandra Culbertson, MD, chair of the Geisinger Women and Children’s Institute. “Our maternity teams are committed to delivering the highest quality maternity care every day, and we look forward to continuing to provide this excellent care.”
Geisinger Raises Awareness with Pinwheels for Child Abuse Prevention In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, which raises awareness of child abuse and neglect, staff members from the Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Sunbury planted blue mylar pinwheels at the entrance of Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. The pinwheels represent playfulness, joy and a carefree childhood and serve as a reminder to protect and nurture our children. Pinwheels for Prevention is a national campaign for child abuse prevention. This year the CAC team wore special T-shirts to commemorate the awareness month. The shirts were created by Chelsea Whispell, the daughter of Trisha Whispell, social work educator at the CAC. Chelsea had the idea of creating and selling T-shirts to raise funds for the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA). The fundraiser will help Chelsea earn her Silver Torch in working toward her Girl Scout Cadettes Award. “Chelsea set a goal of raising $1,000 for PFSA, which is equal to selling 200 shirts,” Trisha Whispell said. PFSA works with local community organizations around child abuse prevention efforts and has partnered with local schools and organizations on a statewide art project called Painting for Prevention. Artwork created for the project is displayed in many community organizations all month long, including Geisinger pediatric and family practice clinics. Many members of the CAC staff took part in the pinwheel planting on Monday, including (from left) Paul Bellino, M.D., clinical director of the Geisinger Division of Child Protection and Advocacy; Cameran Gardner, victim advocate; Alaina Johnson, licensed clinical social worker; Hailey Welker, forensic interviewer; Alexis Smith, CAC program manager with Ollie, CAC’s certified therapy dog; Chelsea Whispell, Girl Scout; Melissa Wagner, director of the Geisinger Division of Child Protection and Advocacy; Cheryl Moroz, forensic interviewer and Trisha Whispell, social worker educator.
Geisinger Joins Hospitals in Donate Life Campaign to Promote Organ Donation Each year, Geisinger Health and other hospitals across Pennsylvania participate in the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania’s (HAP) Donate Life Hospital Campaign. This statewide initiative aims to raise awareness about the critical need for organ, tissue, and cornea donations, educating both hospital employees and the community on how they can make a life-saving difference. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration, the campaign seeks to improve organ donation practices and outcomes by encouraging individuals to register as donors. It also builds on existing partnerships between organizations, businesses, and hospitals to educate employees and the general public about the importance of donation. With thousands of people waiting for organ transplants, and 17 individuals dying each day due to the lack of available organs, the need for donors has never been greater. By participating in this campaign, we can help reduce the waiting list and provide hope for those in need of a life-saving transplant. “We are proud to partner with the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania in this vital campaign,” said [Insert Name], [Insert Title] at Geisinger. “We encourage everyone to learn more about our transplant program and consider registering as an organ, tissue, and cornea donor. Every action counts, and together we can make a significant impact.” Geisinger encourages all members of the community to visit Geisinger.org/donors to learn more about the transplant program and take the life-changing step of becoming a registered donor.
Geisinger to Host Free Community Shred Events Across Pennsylvania In observance of Earth Day, Geisinger will host free community shred events across northeastern and central Pennsylvania throughout the month of April. Employees and members of the public are invited to bring any personal or professional confidential documents — such as bank statements, credit card bills and tax forms — to be securely shredded on-site and recycled. Each person is limited to three boxes. Do not use bins for non-paper waste or garbage. For more information, call 570-271-6030. Community shred events: Monday, April 7 – Geisinger Mt. Pleasant, 531 Mt. Pleasant Drive, Scranton, 7 – 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 8 – Geisinger Healthplex State College, 132 Abigail Lane, Port Matilda, 7 – 11 a.m. Friday, April 11 – Geisinger Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, 1175 East Mountain Blvd., Wilkes-Barre, 7 – 11 a.m. Monday, April 14 – Geisinger Hughes Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, 7 – 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 15 – Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital, 1020 Thompson St., Jersey Shore, 7 – 11 a.m. Thursday, April 17 – Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, 400 Highland Ave., Lewistown, 7 – 11 a.m. Friday, April 18 – Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital, 4200 Hospital Road, Coal Township, 7 – 11 a.m. Monday, April 21 – Geisinger Medical Center Muncy, 255 Route 220, Muncy, 7 – 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 22 – Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, 549 Fair St., Bloomsburg, 7 – 11 a.m. Friday, April 25 – Geisinger Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, 1175 East Mountain Blvd., Wilkes-Barre, Noon – 4 p.m. Monday, April 28 – Geisinger Hughes Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, Noon – 4 p.m.
Geisinger Expands with Longtime Local Physician Joining Primary Care Network Nicholas Dodge, M.D., will be affiliated with the Geisinger primary care network beginning on Monday, March 3, and his practice at 414 E. Drinker St. will become Geisinger Primary Care Dunmore. Board certified in internal medicine, Dr. Dodge has cared for patients in the greater Scranton area for more than 30 years. He attended The University of Scranton for his undergraduate work and earned his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in internal medicine through the Scranton-Temple Residency Program. “The opportunity to partner with Geisinger will help us continue to provide the friendly, high-quality personalized care that we’re known for while aligning with a nationally known system with a similar reputation for caring, excellence and quality,” Dr. Dodge said.
Geisinger Facilities Remain Open Due to Strike Geisinger facilities in Luzerne County remain open as SEIU nurses begin 5-day strike Registered nurses affiliated with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Pennsylvania started a 5-day strike at 7 a.m. Monday at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre and Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint after several weeks of negotiations between SEIU and Geisinger failed to produce a mutually agreeable labor contract. Despite any labor actions, those facilities remain open and staffed with experienced, licensed registered nurses. “We have activated a contingency plan that includes bringing in additional staff on a temporary basis so these critical health care resources in Luzerne County can operate business as usual to continue delivering high-quality care to everyone in need during the strike,” said Renee Blakiewicz, R.N., vice president and chief nursing officer for Geisinger’s northeast region. “In addition to nurses, other members of the clinical team, including physicians and advanced practice providers, will care for our patients as they always have. We are fully committed to ensuring continuity of care for our community during the strike.” Geisinger does not expect to postpone any procedures or elective surgeries during the strike. Geisinger values the compassionate work registered nurses do every day for the community and respects the rights of the SEIU-affiliated nurses to collectively bargain. “We have been negotiating in good faith, and a strike is the last thing we wanted to see happen,” said Brion Lieberman, chief human resources officer for Geisinger. “We want to compensate our nurses for their great work, while maintaining the ability to add clinical staff, improve our facilities and grow the services we offer this community. We have offered a starting salary of more than $85,000 per year for fulltime staff with yearly increases and comprehensive health benefits. We hope SEIU will return to the bargaining table so we can reach a mutually agreeable contract.”
Geisinger Hires Hernando Ruiz-Jimenez, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Hernando Ruiz-Jimenez is Geisinger’s new chief marketing and communications officer, a role in which he oversees brand and digital marketing, corporate communications, content creation and service line marketing for the entire system. Ruiz-Jimenez brings more than two decades of marketing leadership experience to Geisinger, including four years as chief marketing officer at NewYork-Presbyterian and three years as chief marketing and communications officer for Triple-S Insurance, a licensee of BlueCross BlueShield. “Hernando’s experience, knowledge, and leadership — from health systems to health insurance and numerous other industries — will be a great asset to the organization and the marketing and communications team,” said Amy Brayford, Geisinger’s executive vice president and chief of staff. While at NewYork-Presbyterian, Ruiz-Jimenez oversaw the transformation of the organization’s marketing department and guided it through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in one of the hardest-hit areas of the country. “As someone with a passion for healthcare marketing, the appeal of being able to tell the Geisinger story and promote this well-known, respected brand was obvious,” said Ruiz-Jimenez. “Geisinger is a leader in the value-based care model that is so critical to improving healthcare in the U.S. It also is a unique system, offering the kinds of facilities and level of care in both rural areas and smaller cities that put it on par with the large academic medical centers people would otherwise have to travel to in Philadelphia, New York or other major metropolitan areas.” In addition to his healthcare experience, Ruiz-Jimenez has held marketing leadership roles for iconic consumer brands including Pepsi and Captain Morgan. He most recently served as general manager and chief marketing officer of Un(Think) Foods, a successful agricultural start-up. Ruiz-Jimenez received an M.B.A. from Stanford University and a B.S. in Business Administration from Villanova University. He is a professor at CCNY’s Branding + Integrated Communications (BIC) Master’s Program, a Member and Governance Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and the Latino Corporate Directors Association.
