Geisinger Community Medical Center among seven Geisinger hospitals that received Gift of Life Donor Program recognition

Seven Geisinger hospitals were recently awarded Titanium and Platinum Gift of Life Donor Program (GLDP) designations for their efforts to raise awareness and educate employees, patients and communities about the importance of organ donation through the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP).

Geisinger Community Medical Center, Geisinger Medical Center and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center received Titanium GLDP designations. Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital, Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, Geisinger Medical Center Muncy and Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital received Platinum GLDP designations.

“Organ donation has the power to transform lives and give hope to patients waiting for a lifesaving transplant,” said Jason Mitchell, M.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer, Geisinger, and a member of the HAP Board of Directors. “These recognitions reflect the dedication of our teams to raising awareness about the importance of organ donation and supporting patients, families and communities throughout the donation and transplant journey. Every donor leaves a legacy, and we’re proud to help advance a culture that encourages people to consider giving the gift of life.”

The annual HAP Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge encourages hospitals across the commonwealth to increase awareness of organ, eye and tissue donation. HAP partners with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the state’s two organ procurement organizations, the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) and Gift of Life Donor Program, to support the challenge.

A full list of winners can be found at haponline.org.

To learn more about organ donation or to become a living donor, visit geisinger.org/transplant.

The Wright Center for Community Health earns federal recognition for health quality measures 

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recognized The Wright Center for Community Health for quality and access improvements that enhance patient care.  

HRSA annually reviews the performance data of health centers across the United States to highlight organizations that meet or exceed its goals in categories of special focus, including quality, access, and health information technology, using data from the Uniform Data System (UDS). During National Health Center Week, HRSA awarded Community Health Quality Recognition (CHQR) badges for excellence in clinical quality to more than 1,200 health centers across the country.   

HRSA first awarded CHQR badges in 2021. Since then, The Wright Center has earned more than a dozen badges. For 2026, HRSA awarded The Wright Center with the following badges:   

  • Improving Health Care Access, which recognizes health centers that have increased the total number of patients and the number of patients receiving comprehensive services – including mental health, substance use disorder, dental, and other services – by at least 5% between calendar year 2024 and 2025, the two most recent UDS reporting periods. 
  • National Quality Leader – Heart Health, which recognizes health centers that demonstrate outstanding performance in clinical quality measures related to heart health, including screening patients for tobacco use and offering help to quit, preventing heart disease, using the proper medications to improve heart health, and helping patients control high blood pressure. 
  • Advancing Health Information Technology, which recognizes health centers that use technology to improve healthcare and make it easier for patients to access care. This includes increasing access to telehealth, helping patients stay involved in their care, sharing information between health systems, and collecting data to better meet patients’ health needs. 

In January, HRSA awarded The Wright Center for Community Health a 2024 Operational Site Visit Badge, after a virtual Operational Site Visit that determined The Wright Center demonstrated full compliance with all Health Center Program requirements. The Wright Center has also maintained HRSA’s annual Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) badge since 2022, which recognizes health centers that prioritize a commitment to continuous quality improvement and a patient-centered approach to care. 

HRSA-funded health centers, which include The Wright Center, provide comprehensive, whole-person primary and preventive health services at more than 16,000 service sites nationwide to one in eight children, one in five rural residents, and one in 15 adults 65 and older. Information about badge recipients can be found on an online dashboard at hrsa.gov. 

The Wright Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026. Founded in 1976, The Wright Centers for Community Health, Graduate Medical Education, and Patient & Community Engagement is a physician-led, community-owned nonprofit and a cornerstone of health care in the region. The enterprise employs nearly 680 professionals – including nearly 200 resident and fellow physicians – and trains more than 200 interprofessional health care learners each year.  

In fiscal year 2025-26, The Wright Center served more than 39,000 unique patients across all care settings in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. As a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and safety-net provider, The Wright Center serves all patients, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.   

Regional Hospital of Scranton receives nationwide recognition

Commonwealth Health Regional Hospital of Scranton has been named one of only 100 hospitals nationwide to receive the American College of Cardiology (ACC) HeartCARE Center designation. This is ACC’s highest recognition for hospitals and health systems that provide cardiovascular care.

The HeartCARE Center designation was established in 2018 and recognizes hospitals that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to delivering high-quality, patient-centered cardiovascular care.

“This recognition is a testament to the expertise and commitment of our entire cardiovascular team,” said Michael B. Clark, President and CEO of Commonwealth Health. “Their dedication to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care continues to make a meaningful difference for patients and families throughout our region.”

Regional Hospital of Scranton’s inclusion on this national list reflects its ongoing dedication to advancing cardiovascular care through evidence-based practices, coordinated treatment and continuous performance improvement.

Geisinger Hospitals Recognized For Caring For Individuals With Diabetes

Five Geisinger hospitals were among just 37 hospitals to be named Recognized Leaders in Caring for People Living with Diabetes, a designation bestowed by The Leapfrog Group in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

The national designation program is in its third year and evaluates hospitals based on their care for patients with diabetes during admission, hospital stay and discharge. The program recognizes hospitals aligned with the ADA’s Standards of Care in Diabetes and Leapfrog’s standards for excellence in hospital safety and quality.

Geisinger hospitals receiving the recognition were:

· Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital

· Geisinger Medical Center

· Geisinger Community Medical Center

· Geisinger Lewistown Hospital

· Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital

“This recognition is truly an honor. It represents the culmination of our collective efforts to improve the lives of our patients with diabetes through a multidisciplinary approach. We remain committed to making sure our patients get the same high-quality care, regardless of where at Geisinger they got it,” said Brian Jameson, D.O., Geisinger director of endocrinology. “I’d like to thank our colleagues in departments across Geisinger for making the programs and practices to improve diabetes care part of the Geisinger culture.”

Recognized hospitals provide safe, high-quality care for people living with diabetes through blood glucose (blood sugar) testing and hypoglycemia protocols, specialized preparation for inpatient surgery, meals and insulin regimen planning, and robust discharge planning for high-risk people with diabetes. Hospitals are assessed in how they implement these processes and structures, and on how well they execute on the standard of care delivered to a random sample of patients.

Geisinger Doctor Named EMS Physician Of The Year

Geisinger’s Chris Berry, M.D., has been named the 2026 EMS Physician of
the Year by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Health
Services Council, an independent advisory committee to EMS agencies across the state.


Dr. Berry has been a physician in Geisinger Medical Center’s emergency room since 2024 and
is the associate medical director for Geisinger EMS. He personally responds to emergencies
using the Geisinger Physician Response Vehicle, working alongside EMS crews when not in the
emergency room, and is the medical director for multiple central Pennsylvania EMS agencies
and fire departments.


“I’m deeply grateful to receive this award from a community that means so much to me,” said
Dr. Berry. “EMS professionals provide lifesaving care and are a cornerstone of our community,
and it’s a real honor to be recognized by my colleagues in this way.”


The EMS Physician of the Year award is chosen through peer nomination and an EMS voting
committee. After reviewing nominations from across the state, the committee makes their final
choice based on the nominee’s contributions to the delivery of EMS, clinical leadership and
mentorship of EMS providers.


Mark Bertollo, emergency medicine services coordinator and award nominator, says, “Chris is
very good at what he does and is very involved — he does trainings and education, he will work
with EMS on his day off and he often invites hospital residents to join him to further their
education.”


Dr. Berry was honored at a ceremony at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville on May 5 and will
also be recognized at the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg during EMS Week,
May 17 to 23.


This year’s award is in honor of Deno Gualtieri, D.O., a Pennsylvania EMS physician, agency
medical director and emergency department director who passed away earlier this year.

University of Scranton Rated Among Best Values in U.S.

Spring 2022 photo shoot by Nathan Cox

Money magazine gave The University of Scranton its second highest star rating in its selection of the 2023 “Best Colleges in America” based on value. The University of Scranton received a four and one-half star rating based on the magazine’s analysis of dozens of data points to evaluate affordability and student outcomes.

Just 34 colleges in the nation received Money’s highest rating of five-stars, which included many the nation’s ivy league and near-ivy league schools. Scranton was among 189 schools in America to receive the second-highest, four and one-half star rating, which included highly-regarded Jesuit schools like Boston College and the College of the Holy Cross and prestigious schools in Pennsylvania such as Carnegie Mellon University and Villanova University.

Money rated less than 800 colleges in the nation with two and one-half to five stars. Colleges not included in its listing failed to meet Money’s initial screening requirements, such as having at lease 500 in-person undergraduate students or 150 full-time faculty members, having sufficient data to analyze, and other criteria. According to Money magazine, “the most common reason colleges don’t make the cut is that their six-year graduation rate is too low.”

The factors Money used in assessing the value of the education provided by colleges included an analysis of the schools’ quality (30 percent) and affordability (40 percent) and the outcomes of graduates (30 percent).

The factors Money analyzed to determine a college’s “academic quality” included the six-year graduation rate, the standardized test scores of incoming students, the student-faculty ratio, financial stability and the graduation rate of Pell Grant recipients, among other factors. The analysis also included “value” assessments that looked at a school’s predicted graduation rates based on the academic and economic profile of its student body versus its actual graduation rates.

The criteria used to assess “affordability” included an estimate of the “net price of a degree,” which assessed tuition, the time it takes for students to graduate, and the school’s average financial aid offered to students. The “affordability” criteria also looked at student debt, student loan default rates, and student loan default rates adjusted for the economic and academic profile of a school’s student body, in addition to other factors.

The factors Money used to assess “outcomes” included the average salaries of students ten years after enrollment based on data from U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard as well as salaries of graduates adjusted by major. In addition to other factors, the “outcomes” criteria looked at socio-economic mobility data from Think tank Third Way that measures a college’s share of students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds as well as the cost and payoff of a degree for those students.

Money’s 2023 “Best Colleges in America” rating was published online July 12.

This is the eighth consecutive year that Money included Scranton in its published list of America’s best values in college education.

Crystal President Named Queens Power Leader

The success and growing prestige and influence of Crystal Window & Door Systems and its top executives continue to be recognized by the press and public.  Recently, Steve Chen, President of Crystal Windows, was included by City & State New York Magazine in its notable Queens Power 100 List for 2023.  The list, published in the magazine’s May 22, 2023, print and online editions, highlights the top 100 movers and shakers in the New York City Borough of Queens.  Queens is home to almost 50,000 businesses and 2.4 million people, making it the fourth largest city in America if ranked separately.

In selecting Chen for the auspicious list, City & State editors noted the size of the company’s Queens workforce, product compliance with new aggressive energy codes, and the company’s community, philanthropic, and educational support.  Crystal’s headquarters and production facility in Queens employs 350 workers, with 99% residing in New York City or State, and 98% are minorities.  Crystal supports many local educational, art, and charitable institutions and programs such as the Queens Museum, Queens Theatre in the Park, and Queens Library Foundation.  The company recently established a $1.1 million endowment for Queens College School of the Arts for art exhibits and scholarship programs.

“At Crystal Windows, we are always focused on doing what’s best for our customers, our employees, and our community,” said Steve Chen.  “It is very rewarding to see these corporate values recognized.”

City & State New York, a weekly publication, is the leading political and public policy publication for New York City and New York State.  The annual Queens Power 100 List includes numerous elected officials, key government agency heads, major non-profit and advocacy group leaders, and a select group of business leaders based in Queens.

Geisinger Recognized as Top Employer by Military Organizations

Geisinger has been recognized as a top employer for its continued support of military veterans and active service members with two recent designations. The Pennsylvania-based health system was recognized by Military Times on its 2022 Best for Vets: Employers rankings and earned the 2023 Military Friendly® Employer with Gold distinction designation by VIQTORY.

This is the fourth consecutive year Geisinger has been recognized with a Military Friendly® Employer designation, however, this is the first time the system has received the gold distinction.

Both honors recognize Geisinger’s commitment and efforts to building programs and opportunities for military veterans. 

The Military Friendly® Employer with Gold distinction signifies that an employer is setting the example for veteran and service member inclusivity with their programs and initiatives.

Companies earning the Military Friendly® Employer designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,000 organizations participated in the 2023 Military Friendly® survey.

Final ratings were determined by combining an organization’s survey score with an assessment of the organization’s ability to meet thresholds for applicants, new hire retention, employee turnover and promotion and advancement of veterans and military employees.

For the Best for Vets recognition, Military Times evaluates the areas of greatest importance to transitioning service members, veterans and their families when looking for an employer. Recruitment and employment practices, along with retention and support programs were given the most weight in scoring and final rankings.

“Our military veterans have done so much for us. That’s why we’re committed to providing care options and career opportunities to them in their local communities,” said Kim Drumgo, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for Geisinger. “We know that employing talented and dedicated people, like those from our veteran community, helps us make better health easier for our members and patients — including more than 48,000 veteran patients.”

Geisinger employs more than 800 veterans and active-duty service members throughout the system. As part of its commitment to the military and its veterans, Geisinger offers a paid military leave benefit, which allows service members employed by Geisinger to be paid for time at annual trainings, encampments and drills. It also is part of a military fellowship program that eases the transition of active-duty service members looking to move into a civilian career.

To learn more about Geisinger’s veteran programs and career opportunities, visit jobs.geisinger.org/veterans.

Tobyhanna’s Latest Employees of the Quarter

Although many different things go into running a world class business, at the end of the day, it is the people that matter the most. That is why every three months, Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) chooses two employees to be named their Employees of the Quarter (EoQ).

On a depot of about 3,500 people, there are many great candidates to choose from. This quarter, Shana Fields of the Production Management Directorate and Raymond Loewenthal of the C4ISR Directorate have been selected as the junior and senior honorees respectively.

Fields currently serves as a secretary and has been a member of Team Tobyhanna for about six and a half years. During her time at TYAD, she has provided high levels of service and support at both branch and division levels. She is responsible for maintaining communication with all 70 divisional personnel members across both the C4ISR Integration & Fabrication Division and Avionics & Sensors Division. She has been credited for her exceptional accuracy when tracking personnel pay and leave, managing government travel and purchase requirements, and ensuring requests are processed through the approval chain to meet required time and documentation suspense.

Chief of the C4ISR Integration and Fabrication Program Management Division, Mike Monroe, lauded Fields for her drive and professionalism.

“Shana’s service has consistently epitomized initiative, professionalism, endurance, competence, efficiency and accuracy,” said Monroe. “Those attributes, combined with her infectious, positive attitude have made her a leader within the division that all personnel come to for advice, clarity and support.”

Fields is also known for trying to find new, efficient ways to achieve her work. Despite having to manage many different tasks, she has maintained a “Six Sigma” reputation for her remarkable accuracy, meaning she has the skills to find, fix and finalize efficiencies to save time and money and improve our nation’s ready forces at the best value. This laser focus is directly credited for the division’s seamless record in meeting suspense dates on all tasks and correspondence.

Monroe said that Fields’ selflessness is one of her most admirable qualities.

“Shana is known for her willingness to take on further work and responsibility,” said Monroe. “Her attitude and work ethic consistently bring great credit upon herself and are recognized across the organization as someone who always puts her fellow employees, and the mission to support the Warfighter, ahead of herself.”

Fields said that receiving this honor only solidifies the appreciation she has felt ever since she started at TYAD.

“One great thing about my job is that I have never felt unappreciated,” said Fields. “It feels great to receive this honor. I feel as though it reinforces the acknowledgement I have received here for a while.”

Known for his ability to take initiative and work diligently, Loewenthal is an Electronics Mechanic and has been a member of Team Tobyhanna for 18 years. When his team recently experienced a failure to the MSS AN/TRC-194 terminal that prevented them from performing final testing and inspection of assets, Loewenthal sprang into action and was able to determine the failed component, work with engineers to find a replacement, and work proactively with his teammates to install it. His hard work and ingenuity restored the terminal to full mission capable status.

Chief of the MILSATCOM Branch, Christian Cognigni, commended Loewenthal for not only setting a great example for his teammates, but also living the Army Values.

“Mr. Loewenthal set a great example for new employees and seasoned co-workers alike. His actions demonstrate taking ownership of his workload, identifying priorities, good problem solving skills and excellent communications skills. He also displayed initiative, focus, diligence and attention to his assigned duties,” said Cognigni. “His example in this effort reinforces the Army Values and has been recognized by other departments within the TYAD organization.”

Loewenthal’s efforts benefitted TYAD in both the near and long term. Not only was the MSS AN/TRC-194 Satellite Terminal restored to full operational status in a timely manner, but the attention brought to this failing part has ensured no down time will be incurred if it is a problem again in the future.

Cognigni said that he appreciates Loewenthal’s willingness to do something that is outside of his usual responsibilities.

“This entire effort was outside his ‘comfort zone,’” said Cognigni. “Ray needed a degree of courage to take on this responsibility for us and we appreciate him stepping up.”

Loewenthal has also been selected as the CECOM Employee of the Quarter. He said that he appreciates being recognized for his hard work.

“It feels great to have received this honor,” said Loewenthal. “Although I have had a long career, it takes time to earn great things so I couldn’t be happier that the work has paid off.”