Treasurer Stacy Garrity Celebrates 529 Day with Awards for Families Treasurer Stacy Garrity celebrated 529 Day – May 29, or 5/29 – by encouraging families across Pennsylvania to save with the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program for a chance to win awards, including three top awards of $5,529 – enough to pay for a year’s tuition at a Pennsylvania community college. May 29, 2024, has also been designated as College and Career Savings Day in Pennsylvania by the General Assembly, with resolutions sponsored by Senator Scott Martin (R-13) and Representative John Schlegel (R-101). “I’m excited to celebrate 529 Day and very pleased that the General Assembly is supporting our efforts by proclaiming this as College and Career Savings Day,” Treasurer Garrity said. “Saving for education is an important step families can take to help make their child’s dreams come true, no matter what career path they take. Treasury is offering some fantastic promotional awards to encourage more families to take advantage of our PA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan, which is a great savings tool. Saving now, means less to borrow when a child embarks on their technical career training, apprenticeship or college degree.” “We all share a common interest in supporting strong postsecondary educational opportunities and career preparation programs to help young people chart a course toward a brighter future here in Pennsylvania,” said Senator Martin. “I am proud to partner with Treasurer Garrity to make more Pennsylvanians aware of the benefits of PA 529 accounts and the key role they play in helping students achieve their dreams.” “The PA 529 College and Career Savings Program has helped many Pennsylvanian families save money for their child’s postsecondary education for more than three decades,” said Rep. Schlegel. “I encourage all families to consider this savings option.” Treasury’s 529 Day promotion has been running since May 1, and families have until May 31 to save to be eligible for awards with the PA 529 GSP. The PA 529 GSP allows families to save at today’s tuition rates to meet tomorrow’s tuition costs. Families can choose the tuition level they wish to save at – from community colleges up to Ivy League universities. Families who open a new PA 529 GSP and contribute at least $10 until May 31, will be eligible to win one of two statewide awards of $5,529, or one of six regional awards of $2,529. Last year, more than 1,000 families started saving during our 529 Day promotion. New for this year, families who had a PA 529 GSP account prior to May are eligible to win one statewide award of $5,529 if they make an additional contribution of at least $10 to their child’s account before the end of the month. The PA 529 program has been helping families save and pay for education for more than 30 years. Saving with PA 529 accounts comes with significant state and federal tax advantages. PA 529 accounts can be used for a wide variety of qualifying technical, collegiate, and apprenticeship expenses like tuition, fees, books, equipment, room and board, and more. Saving with PA 529 does not impact a student’s eligibility for Pennsylvania state financial aid. Families with young children, born January 1, 2019, or later, already have a $100 Keystone Scholars account to jumpstart their education savings. This automatic deposit is available to every baby born in Pennsylvania, and the program uses no taxpayer dollars. Families are encouraged to claim their Keystone Scholars accounts online at pa529.com/keystone and open their own companion PA 529 account to continue saving for their child’s future.
The Wright Center Launches New ‘Care Team’ Approach The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have launched an innovative program to enhance patient care while nurturing the skills of tomorrow’s physician workforce. Medical residents at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education are now members of “care teams” that provide whole-person primary health services to people of all ages, income levels, and insurance statuses. The novel initiative elevates the standard of care provided at The Wright Center’s nine community health center locations in Northeast Pennsylvania while providing a platform for residents to refine their skills as compassionate healers. By seamlessly integrating hands-on experience with comprehensive training, the program embodies The Wright Center’s mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. “Patients get two sets of eyes – the resident and the doctor,” said Dr. Timothy Burke, a primary care physician at The Wright Center for Community Health – Mid Valley in Jermyn, Pennsylvania, and the associate program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency. “Seeing the same resident and the same doctor each time means the patient doesn’t have to repeat their medical history over and over. Both know who you are, the care you’re receiving, and the obstacles you face.” Patients will benefit from building personal relationships with The Wright Center’s resident physicians, according to Dr. Erin McFadden, a primary care doctor who also serves as deputy chief medical officer and medical director of The Wright Center for Community Health’s locations in Scranton, North Scranton, and the Scranton Counseling Center. “That’s the beauty of primary care. It’s not just learning the medicine, it’s learning how to develop the relationship with the patient,” Dr. McFadden said. “It’s important to build that patient-doctor trust so you can see how their health is changing and, hopefully, improving.” Dr. McFadden, for example, said a resident physician will prescribe a patient with diabetes a particular drug to help with blood sugar levels. Now, as part of the patient’s care team, they can monitor how effective that medication is – and what side effects the patient may or may not experience – at subsequent appointments. “We’re giving an opportunity to our patients and our resident physicians to build a relationship,” she said. “If you want to take care of a disease and improve health, you need multiple pictures over time to watch cause and effect.” The care team concept is not new at The Wright Center for Community Health, which typically integrates medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services, at a single location for the convenience of patients. To ensure residents could become more involved in patient care teams, The Wright Center collaborated with its Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendor to redesign the scheduling of patient appointments to honor patient continuity. The program also means changing the way resident physicians are scheduled for rotations, which are completed at The Wright Center’s community health centers, local hospitals, and other medical settings in the region. Typically, resident physicians cycle through a number of assignments, each lasting a few weeks to a month. Now, the residents who are part of the new care teams are assigned to their doctor’s clinic location once a week. “That came from a buy-in across the medical residency program leaders that continuity was important and a priority, so no other rotations were going to supersede their regularly scheduled continuity clinics,” said Tiffany Jaskulski, vice president of health innovation and strategic initiatives at The Wright Center. First-year Internal Medicine resident Dr. Ketaki Pande sees patients at The Wright Center for Community Health – North Scranton on Fridays with Dr. McFadden. She’s enjoyed getting to know patients on a deeper level and says the team approach is helping her become a more effective physician. “One of the big parts of primary care is managing chronic conditions,” Dr. Pande said. “For example, not everyone responds to a particular medication the same way. So, I prescribe something, and now I can follow up weeks and months later, to see how it’s working and if something else is needed.”
Wayne Bank Welcomes New Vice President and Manager Jim Donnelly, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Bank, is pleased to introduce Deborah Kennedy as Vice President and PA Retail Banking Market Manager. According to Mr. Donnelly, “We are incredibly excited to welcome Deb to our team. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the banking industry which will be invaluable as we continue to expand our footprint and enhance our services. I am confident that Deborah’s leadership and vision will play a crucial role in driving our growth and providing exceptional customer service.” In this role, Mrs. Kennedy will direct and drive the Bank’s profitability, development, and growth in the PA Market. She will manage and coordinate the delivery and support of all bank services, including loans and other banking products. Mrs. Kennedy has over twenty years of banking experience and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Kings College and a Master’s in Business Administration from Capella University. She is very passionate about giving back to her community and is a Board Member of the Rotary Club of Scranton and the Abington Heights Civic League, as well as a Co-Chair of the Scranton Diocese Catholic Women’s Conference. Mrs. Kennedy resides in South Abington Township with her husband, John. They have three children and five grandchildren.
Outreach Center Receives Robert H. Spitz Foundation Grant Outreach’s programs and services awarded $15,000 for The Robert H. Spitz Foundation grant to support Outreach’s programs and services to the regional community. Outreach Center for Community Resources delivers a variety of programs to promote family stability and economic self-sufficiency. Outreach improves the lives of over 4,900 adults and children each year, and evidence-based family development programs support individuals as they navigate life’s challenges.For over 35 years, Outreach has made helping families thrive our highest priority. Outreach builds strong families and communities by offering resources for employment training, parenting, early childhood education, youth mentoring, community reentry, adult GED services, wrap-around case management, and more. Outreach is very grateful to the Robert H. Spitz Foundation for its continued support. This funding has helped Outreach advance its mission of assisting families in our region.The Robert H. Spitz Foundation awards grants to nonprofit organizations, providing support for programs that aim to break the cycle of poverty, remove economic barriers, and encourage independence in adults and children through access to safe, affordable housing, transportation, and education to Northeastern Pennsylvania. Robert H. Spitz was born in Scranton and was a 1955 graduate of Scranton Central High School and the University of Miami, Florida. Before retirement, Mr. Spitz had been employed by the U.S. Department of Labor and owned several local Arby’s restaurants. Since 2015, the Robert H. Spitz Foundation has provided over $4.6 million in funding to the community. The Scranton Area Community Foundation serves as the administrator of the Robert H. Spitz Foundation.
Johnson College Receives Grant from Robert H. Spitz Foundation Johnson College has been awarded an $8,000 grant from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation’s 2023 grant cycle to support recycling and sustainability enhancements throughout its Scranton campus. The funding will be used to update the College’s current recycling receptacles with more user-friendly containers. The College displayed the new receptacles to the campus community during an Earth Day celebration on Monday, April 22, 2024. The event featured environmental-themed games and activities throughout campus including a scavenger hunt to introduce students to the locations where the new recycling containers will be located. The new, three-stream receptacles will be placed in heavily traveled areas of the Scranton campus. They will be more consistent in appearance than previous receptacles and feature vibrant, color-coded bins to improve recycling practices at Johnson College. The new recycling bins will support the College’s campus-wide recycling and sustainability plan reducing the College’s environmental footprint. Supported efforts include reducing the amount of recyclable material going to the landfill and dumpsters currently used on campus, and turning some of the College’s highly recyclable educational program materials like lumber, copper, and wiring back to the community for use where possible.
The Wright Center Explains Alzheimer’s and Dementia Complex The Wright Center states there’s a pretty good chance that someone close to you has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is indeed a devastating condition with profound impacts on those afflicted and their families. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6.7 million people 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s dementia in the United States, including more than 280,000 Pennsylvanians. The disease’s impact goes beyond those diagnosed, affecting their families significantly. In Pennsylvania, for example, there were an estimated 404,000 family caregivers statewide in 2022. These caregivers often provide extensive and demanding care, facing emotional, physical, and financial challenges as they support their loved ones through the progression of the disease. Medical progress on the disease has been frustratingly slow, but awareness campaigns like Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in June certainly help the cause. The observance educates people about the disease’s risk factors, signs, and symptoms and the importance of early detection and diagnosis. It’s also a vehicle for raising funds geared toward much-needed Alzheimer’s research. The month is also known for the Alzheimer’s Association’s The Longest Day, the June 21 observance when people from around the world come together to “fight the darkness” of Alzheimer’s through a fundraising activity of their choice. The Wright Center is doing its part via their Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program, which is based on the award-winning model established at UCLA and designed to help patients and families with the complex medical, behavioral, and social needs of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. First launched in 2020, the program is led by a dedicated group of geriatricians, advanced practitioners, and dementia care specialists who collaborate closely with patients’ primary care physicians to ensure care is comprehensive and coordinated for both the patient and their caregivers. ADC has several core components, including a 90-minute in-person visit with a dementia care specialist; a personalized care plan developed with the primary/referring physician; follow-up phone calls and/or in-person visits to ensure the plan is implemented or modified as needed; 24/7, 365-day-a-year access to caregivers for assistance and advice in order to avoid emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and ongoing patient monitoring with at least one annual in-person visit to ensure that ongoing and emerging needs are being met. The Wright Center is proud to announce that the program recently received some major visibility when it was listed in Best Programs for Caregiving, a partnership between the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and Family Caregiver Alliance, a free, searchable, and interactive database that helps families and caregivers find the right program for their loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The website includes descriptions of the program, whether it is offered in-person or online, information on providers, eligibility criteria, how to enroll, languages offered, and more. ADC is part of the comprehensive list of services we provide under the Geriatric Care service line, geared to aging adults who may find themselves unfairly categorized as frail or not being listened to by other doctors. The Wright Center employs a holistic, whole-person approach to every patient at every age, giving them the tools and care to live a full and healthy life. The approach has been recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System Partner for providing a full spectrum of whole-person primary health and support services for our patients who are young at heart. The Wright Center is hopeful that as awareness increases and more families seek testing and treatment early, they may see some real breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s and dementia care treatment within the next few years. Nonetheless, they will continue to ensure that their patients are getting exemplary care and that caregivers are receiving the tools and support needed to get through this difficult experience. Tanureet Kochar, M.D., is a dual board-certified internal medicine and geriatric physician at The Wright Center for Community Health. She also serves as a core faculty member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency and Geriatric Fellowship programs. In addition, Dr. Kochar is the regional director of medical education for A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona.
Keystone College Signs Letter of Intent for Strategic Alliance On May 24, 2024, Keystone College announced that it has signed a letter of intent with a strategic partner to form a new alliance that provides Keystone with a more secure roadmap for a long-term path forward. Both parties have agreed to keep the name of the partner and details of the agreement private at this time. The letter of intent creates the means for both parties to move expeditiously to a definitive agreement, which will require the approval of the College’s accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE has been notified of the parties’ intentions. Approvals from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the United States Department of Education, as well as the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, will also be necessary. During the review period, which is expected to take up to a year, Keystone intends to continue operation of classes, as well as all other college activities and intercollegiate sports, and continues to accept and enroll freshman and transfer students for the Fall 2024 semester. The executed agreement stipulates that day-to-day operations of the College and its academic mission will remain essentially unchanged. Additional details of the agreement will be made available after reviews by the necessary accrediting and regulatory agencies. “Keystone College is very fortunate to have secured this letter of intent with a committed strategic partner as we navigate the future of the College in this highly competitive education marketplace together,” said Keystone President John F. Pullo, Sr. “The entire College community is grateful to our partner for the shared commitment to Keystone’s future. Over the past two months, our talks have solidified a collective determination to secure a path forward for Keystone, which will continue to offer a quality education at an affordable cost to our students while also seeking to expand opportunities for a diverse array of learners across the ever-changing landscape in higher education.” Pullo continued, “While this newly executed letter of intent creates a renewed path forward, there is still a significant effort ahead to create a more durable future for the College. At the same time, we are delighted and energized by this opportunity. We have shared these documents with Middle States and will work very closely with them on these items as well as the information required for submission at the beginning of August.” On May 15, the College submitted all of the necessary components of an “implementable teach-out plan” and a Supplemental Information Report (SIR) as requested by MSCHE. While both submissions are currently under review by MSCHE, Keystone did submit additional information to notify MSCHE of the secured letter of intent. “We are aware that there will be additional requirements to work through with Middle States as they review these documents and request additional information on the proposed alliance. We intend to be in frequent communication with them and to provide all of the necessary documentation,” Pullo added. The agreement brightens the future for the College. “While we understand the necessary work going forward, we are grateful for this commitment to continue the 156-year legacy of Keystone. The challenges that face many colleges and universities across the country are well-reported and are causing disruption within the industry. Keystone is extremely fortunate to be bolstered by this strategic alliance as we look forward to continuing to offer all of the opportunities and benefits of a Keystone education,” said Tim Pryle, Keystone’s Vice President of Enrollment, Institutional Advancement, and Marketing.
HNB Hamlin Office Promotes Jessica Gay to Branch Manager The Honesdale National Bank and Thomas E. Sheridan Jr., President, and CEO, announced Jessica Gay as Branch Manager of the Bank’s Hamlin Office. In making the statement, Sheridan noted, “Jess has been a thought leader as she has grown through our management trainee program.” He continued, “Her leadership skills will be providing a great foundation to connect our team and provide great service to our customers at our Hamlin Office.” Gay is a graduate of Honesdale High School and received an associate degree from Lackawanna College. Currently residing in Beach Lake, PA, she started her career at a local pharmacy as a pharmacy sales associate. She then started her now five-year banking career as a teller at another local financial institution. She was then promoted to Universal Banker in a few short years. In 2022, she accepted a position at HNB as a Management Trainee and is now promoted to Branch Manager. In this role, she is responsible for promoting and developing new customer relationships, managing new employees and customer expectations, and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Hamlin Office. In describing her time with HNB, Gay said, “Working at The Honesdale National Bank has given me so many opportunities to grow not only professionally, but also personally. The knowledge I have been able to gain from my time at HNB has been unmatched by anything I have ever experienced before.” She continued, “I am honored to be part of such a phenomenal community bank, and I can’t wait to see what this next chapter of my career holds.” Gay is the secretary for The Beach Lake Fire Company’s Auxiliary. She is also a member of the Wayne County Business & Professional Women’s Club.
The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Resident Wins Award for Case Study A Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education resident physician’s chance meeting with a patient at a local hospital led to the opportunity to present a winning scholarly abstract about a medical rarity at the American College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Maimona Chaudhary, an Internal Medicine resident physician, first encountered the subject of the abstract, a 25-year-old woman, while on rotation at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The patient arrived at the emergency department with lesions on her legs. What medical personnel initially diagnosed as second-degree burns ended up being a rare symptom of biclonal multiple myeloma – a cancer that only affects people under the age of 40 in about 2% of cases. “Upon follow-up, the lesions were diagnosed as paraneoplastic pemphigus, which is rare in itself,” said Dr. Chaudhary. “But then they found she had multiple myeloma, without any of the usual symptoms, without any family history. There were a lot of oddities in this case.” Dr. Chaudhary, a first-year resident physician from Hamilton, Ontario, followed the patient’s case over the next several months and produced a case report with colleagues from The Wright Center, including Drs. Ali Shah and Lehka Yadukumar, Internal Medicine residency physicians; Dr. Milos Babic, associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency; and medical student Omaima Chaudhary, who received her medical degree from the University of Limerick School of Medicine and will join The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency in July. The researchers submitted the case report, “Paraneoplastic Pemphigus as the Presenting Sign of Biclonal Multiple Myeloma in a 25-Year Old Female: A Case Report,” to the ACP’s resident/fellow national abstract competition, which receives several hundred entries annually. The abstract was one of 20 awarded a certificate of merit by the ACP. Dr. Chaudhary delivered the five-minute presentation on the case. “It was difficult to cover everything in five minutes,” she said. “I think this case really stood out to the ACP judges because it was so unusual.” Dr. Chaudhary monitored the patient’s case, although she is not involved in her ongoing treatment. The woman’s cancer treatment was delayed for months as doctors worked to heal the skin lesions caused by paraneoplastic pemphigus, along with other complications. She recently began chemotherapy, and all signs point to a positive outcome. As for Dr. Chaudhary’s future, she’s still deciding what type of medicine to pursue. “I’m still exploring,” she said. “I want to do something I really enjoy. We get to pick electives in our second year, so I can start to see where I want to go from here.”
Misericordia Introduces Expressway Social Work Program The Mission of Misericordia University’s Social Work Program is to prepare students for entry-level generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations. The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Accelerated Degree Program prepares students for professional practice with a curriculum that integrates theory with practical experience in a Social Welfare Agency. Graduates are eligible for licensing in Pennsylvania and many other states
