President/CEO at The Wright Center receives inaugural national award for graduate medical education leadership Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, received the inaugural 2026 Program Leader of the Year Award from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research’s ShepsGME (Graduate Medical Education) Technical Assistance Center, which runs two federal technical assistance centers supporting the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Residency Planning and Development and Teaching Health Center programs. Dr. Thomas-Hemak accepted the award during the 2026 Rural and Health Center National GME Conference, held Aug. 31-Sept. 2, 2026, at Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Rockville, Maryland. The award recognizes an exemplary leader in graduate medical education who demonstrates exceptional leadership, advances innovation and continuous improvement, and shows an unwavering commitment to developing the physician workforce and expanding training opportunities. 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 generations of patients and families at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley in Jermyn, which is her hometown and the Birthplace of First Aid in America. 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. Dr. Thomas-Hemak has transformed The Wright Center’s approach to graduate medical education while advancing community-based physician training nationally. Under her leadership, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has grown from the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a single Internal Medicine residency established by Dr. Robert Wright and others in 1976 through a $1 million federal Bureau of Health Manpower grant, into an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited Sponsoring Institution with seven residency and fellowship programs and a foundational partner in one of the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums. Today, The Wright Center trains nearly 200 resident and fellow physicians annually, along with more than 200 interprofessional learners, who help deliver comprehensive, affordable, compassionate, whole-person primary and preventive health services to more than 39,000 patients annually across The Wright Center for Community Health’s 15 Teaching Health Centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties and through its mobile medical and dental unit, Driving Better Health. Under Dr. Thomas-Hemak’s leadership, The Wright Center for Community Health earned full Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designation in August 2026, which unlocks significant federal resources for the region and vastly improves access to high-quality, whole-person primary and preventive health services for patients and families. Central to Dr. Thomas-Hemak’s work has been the development of The Wright Center’s Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium, a proven, scalable, and replicable community-owned and community-governed model that integrates physician and interprofessional healthcare workforce development with the delivery of healthcare services in underserved communities. The model is built on the principle that communities should be empowered to develop and sustain the healthcare workforce they need while strengthening the systems of care in which those professionals train and ultimately serve. “Dr. Thomas-Hemak has spent her career challenging us to think differently about what graduate medical education can and should accomplish,” said Scott E. Schermerhorn, Esq., chair of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors. “Her legacy is not simply measured by the programs she has built or the physicians she has trained. It is measured by the capacity she has created in communities to build, sustain, and steward their own healthcare workforce. She has demonstrated that graduate medical education can be more than a system for training physicians. It can be an instrument for strengthening communities, expanding access to care, and changing the trajectory of health for generations.” One of the clearest examples of that approach was The Wright Center’s National Family Medicine Residency, a pioneering multistate residency program launched in 2013 in collaboration with A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona and Federally Qualified Health Centers: El Rio Health in Arizona, HealthPoint in Washington State, HealthSource of Ohio, and Unity Health Care in Washington, D.C. The program connected geographically dispersed community health centers through shared educational standards, resources, and a commitment to training family physicians in underserved communities. The National Family Medicine Residency concluded in June 2026 after producing 167 family physicians, 74% of whom practice in medically underserved communities, and expanding primary care access for more than 392,000 patients nationwide. Its legacy continues through FQHC partners that have developed or are developing their own graduate medical education capacity, demonstrating the scalability and sustainability of community-based physician training. HealthPoint and El Rio Health became independent ACGME-accredited Sponsoring Institutions with their own Family Medicine Residency Programs; HealthSource achieved accreditation for a new Family Medicine Residency under The Wright Center’s Sponsoring Institution; and Unity Health Care continues developing similar capacity. Dr. Thomas-Hemak has also helped advance the Teaching Health Center movement nationally through her leadership, advocacy, federal service, scholarly work, and presentations focused on physician workforce development and the social mission of graduate medical education. She is a founding board member of the American Association of Teaching Health Centers, which represents community-based teaching health centers that train primary care physicians, and serves as governor for the Eastern Region of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians (PA-ACP), the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization. In March 2026, she was appointed to serve a two-year term on the 18-member Healthcare Advisory Committee, convened by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to help guide national health policy and program innovation to strengthen care delivery and financing, improve quality, reduce administrative burden, and focus healthcare on patients. She was also appointed in 2026 to serve on the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) Board of Directors. She serves on numerous local, regional, and national healthcare and medical education nonprofit governing boards, cross-sector committees, and workgroups, including the federally funded Partnership for Quality Measurement’s Endorsement & Maintenance Committee Advisory Group on Cost and Efficiency, which brings together healthcare experts to evaluate and endorse performance measures. She is a founding member of the consortium that established the Scranton-based Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, the immediate past chair and executive committee member of the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (NEPA AHEC), co-chair of the Community Health Hub, and an advisory board member of The Institute. She and her husband, Mark, have three children, Mason, Maya, and Antoinette. She is the daughter of the late William and Johanna Cavalieri Thomas. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
SWB to Announce New Team Name at PNC Field Fall Festival on November 7 Join the celebration on Saturday, November 7, at PNC Field as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre announces its new identity! The Adventure Begins Fall Festival will begin at 1 P.M., and the team will unveil its new moniker at approximately 5 P.M. “We are excited to host The Adventure Begins Fall Festival, brought to you by the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, as we introduce the new brand,” said Shawn Reilly, Team President & General Manager. “The day will be filled with fun for the whole family, food, and so much more. We know the whole area wants to know that new name, and this is the day we make the big reveal to tell the world!” The Adventure Begins Fall Festival will feature food trucks, craft & domestic brews, live music, a petting zoo, activities for kids, and guest appearances. Admission is free, and all ages are welcome! At 5 P.M., Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will take its baseball team down its new path as the brand is announced. After the name, uniforms, and more are unveiled, a drone show will light the sky above PNC Field. “Coming off an amazing 2026 season,” Reilly continued, “we are ready to take the future to another level. Wesaw an incredible team filled with Yankees’ top prospects and top MLB rehabs, tremendous events and momentsthroughout the year like Banana Ball and Cosmic Baseball, plus key ballpark and entertainment upgrades. TheAdventure Begins Fall Festival is an opportunity to come celebrate the region in all its glory and be a part of ourhistory as it happens.” More details regarding The Adventure Begins Fall Festival, presented by the Pennsylvania Army NationalGuard will be announced in the weeks leading up to November 7. Learn more about the rebrand or purchase 2027 season tickets at swbrailriders.com.
John Cleese Coming to the Scranton Cultural Center on April 10 Comedy legend John Cleese, is coming to the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple on April 10 for “John Cleese: Still Not Dead (Yet) – Celebrating ‘The Holy Grail’ at 50.” The event will begin at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the theater opening at 6:30 p.m. The evening will feature a theatrical screening of the immortal classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, followed by a live question-and-answer session with Cleese. Tickets start at $65.20, including fees, with a limited number of post-show VIP packages also available for purchase. Tickets go on sale October 9 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased in person at the Fidelity Bank Box Office, by calling 570-344-1111, or through Ticketmaster.
Geisinger Community Medical Center to implement entrance security screenings Oct. 5 As part of a phased implementation of entrance security screenings at each of Geisinger’s hospitals, Geisinger Community Medical Center will introduce security screenings on Monday, Oct. 5. These public-entrance screenings are intended to keep the hospital safe for all who work, receive care or visit their loved ones in the facility. Weapons of any kind, including firearms and knives, are prohibited from all Geisinger facilities. People should not bring these items with them when entering a Geisinger hospital or clinic for an appointment or visit. Any weapon found through the entrance screening will not be allowed to enter the facility and must be returned to the owner’s vehicle. Beyond the screening already in place at the emergency room, Geisinger Community Medical Center will screen patients and visitors at all public entrances on the medical center campus. Screening will take place from the time each entrance opens to 8 p.m. when visiting hours are over. After 8 p.m., all visitors must enter the hospital through the emergency room. When the screenings begin, the hospital’s public entrance on Colfax Avenue will become an employee-only entrance that requires proxy badge access. Patients and visitors arriving for Women’s Health appointments will need to use the hospital’s main entrance on Mulberry Street to reach the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Guest Services team will help guide patients during the transition. Because they will pass through metal detectors similar to those at airports and courthouses, everyone using public hospital entranceswill be asked to remove metal objects from their pockets. If the detector activates, a security officer will conduct a scan with a handheld device. Geisinger has used a similar process with metal detectors at all emergency room entrances since 2021, preventing thousands of weapons and other dangerous items from entering its facilities. “Our hospitals are places of healing,” said Sean McGinley, associate vice president of police and security operations for Geisinger. “We take security seriously and are continuing to improve and enhance our tools and training. This is yet another investment we’re making for the safety of our employees, patients and visitors.” Since March, the Pennsylvania-based health system has implemented entrance screenings at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, Geisinger Shamokin Area Community Hospital, Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital and Geisinger Medical Center Muncy. All Geisinger hospitals are expected to adopt the security measure by the beginning of 2027.
The Wright Center for Community Health recognizes the power of nursing with new quarterly award A licensed professional nurse at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley received the inaugural Nursing Excellence Award for her exceptional dedication, unwavering commitment, and continuous demonstration of what it means to be an outstanding nurse. Taylor Spencer accepted the award from David Hall, vice president and enterprise chief operating officer at The Wright Center, at a ceremony at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton on Wednesday, Sept. 30. “The idea for this award came from recognizing the important role nursing leadership plays in the success of our enterprise,” Hall said. “Nurses are often at the center of patient care, team development, and day-to-day operations, and strong nursing leadership has an impact that extends far beyond one department or one shift.” The Wright Center will present the Nursing Excellence Award quarterly to celebrate nurses who set the standard for exceptional leadership. Kari Machelli, chief nursing and community engagement officer at The Wright Center; Marianne Linko, deputy chief operating officer at The Wright Center; and Tiffany Richmond, nurse manager at The Wright Center, nominated Spencer. Their nominations cited her meticulous attention to detail, including her chronic care management duties, and the support she provides to new nurses during their training. Spencer, who began working at The Wright Center in November 2024, said she was grateful for the recognition. “I feel honored to be the first person to receive the Nursing Excellence award,” she said. “All of the nurses at The Wright Center go above and beyond for our patients and our clinical care teams every day, and this award recognizes that hard work.”
HNB Celebrates 190 Years with Community-Wide Sweepstakes and “Feed the Need” Initiative – For 190 years, The Honesdale National Bank (HNB) has been privileged to grow alongside the people, businesses, and communities it serves. As the Bank marks this historic milestone in 2026, HNB is inviting customers, employees, and community members throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania to join in a celebration centered on giving back, strengthening connections, and making a meaningful impact together. The Bank’s 190 and Counting Sweepstakes serves as the centerpiece of the anniversary celebration, giving participants the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a $1,900 grand prize while also supporting HNB’s Feed the Need Food Drive. Through the initiative from October 1 – November 21, 2026, HNB aims to collect 190 boxes of food for local pantries, helping neighbors facing food insecurity across the communities the Bank proudly calls home. “Reaching 190 years is a remarkable achievement, but this milestone is about much more than our history,” said Kate Bryant, President and CEO of The Honesdale National Bank. “It is a celebration of the people who have made HNB what it is today. Our employees, customers, shareholders, and community members are at the heart of our longevity and overall success. For generations, we have been fortunate to build meaningful relationships throughout our region, and we believe the best way to honor that legacy is by giving back together. Through the 190 and Counting Sweepstakes and Feed the Need Food Drive, we are turning our anniversary into an opportunity to support our neighbors and strengthen the communities we proudly serve. The anniversary campaign reflects HNB’s core values of Heart and Humanity, Nurturing Community, Brave Integrity, Meaningful Relationships, and Elevating Together. These values have guided the Bank for nearly two centuries and continue to shape how HNB serves its customers and supports local organizations, businesses, and families. Community members can participate in multiple ways, including submitting a sweepstakes entry by contributing food donations at local HNB offices. Every food donation helps advance the Bank’s goal of providing 190 boxes of food to area pantries, demonstrating the power of collective action and community partnership. “Whether someone has banked with us for decades, joined us recently, works for our organization, or simply lives in one of the communities we serve, this celebration belongs to all of us,” Bryant added. “Together, we can make our 190th anniversary a meaningful reflection of the relationships that have sustained HNB for generations and will continue to shape a strong future for our communities.” To learn more about the 190 and Counting Sweepstakes, view official rules, and submit an entry, visit: www.hnbbank.bank/190
Geisinger goes pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month This October, in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Geisinger is doing its part to raise awareness about the importance of early detection. Geisinger hospitals across central Pennsylvania will be lit up in pink, and the mobile mammogram bus will bring screenings to patients in underserved communities. “Finding breast cancer early can make a meaningful difference in outcomes,” said Robin Skrine, M.D., director of breast surgery for Geisinger. “That’s why we encourage women to begin annual mammograms at age 40 and stay up to date with recommended screenings. For those at higher risk, earlier screening or additional imaging may be appropriate.” Patients who choose Geisinger for breast care have access to nationally recognized programs accredited by the Commission on Cancer and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, as well as Breast Imaging Center of Excellence-designated imaging services. Staffed by specialty-trained breast surgeons and breast radiologists, Geisinger’s breast team provides expert, coordinated care at every stage of a patient’s journey. Each breast care site throughout northeast and central Pennsylvania has a dedicated nurse navigator who guides patients from diagnosis through treatment, providing education, resources and support. These distinctions highlight Geisinger’s high-quality screening, diagnosis, treatment and support services close to home. Geisinger’s pink mobile mammogram bus will be available at the following locations: Monday, Sept. 28 – Friday, Oct. 2: 35 S. Mountain Blvd., Mountain Top Monday, Oct. 5 – Friday, Oct. 9: 201 Roosevelt Blvd., Selinsgrove Monday, Oct. 12 – Friday, Oct. 16: 426 Airport Beltway, Hazle Township Monday, Oct. 19 – Friday, Oct. 23: 529 Terry Reiley Way, Pottsville Monday, Oct. 26 – Friday, Oct. 30: 35 S. Mountain Blvd., Mountain Top Patients can schedule mammograms through MyGeisinger or by calling 570-271-6000. Appointments on the bus are limited. Most screening mammograms are covered by insurance. Contact your insurance provider for details about your specific coverage and any potential costs. Geisinger will also participate in Pink Out Day at Bloomsburg University’s home football game on Saturday, Oct. 10. Attendees can learn about breast health and breast cancer risk through educational resources and activities featuring the pink mammogram bus, breast surgery coordinators and personal and family history-based risk assessments. Dr. Skrine encourages everyone to learn more about their breast cancer risk with Geisinger’s online assessment tool at geisinger.org/my-breast-cancer-risk. To learn more about cancer care at Geisinger, visit geisinger.org/cancerinstitute.
Wright Center – sponsored concert in Scranton wins national award for colorectal cancer prevention efforts The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education-sponsored concert at The Theatre at North in Scranton, aimed at spreading the word about the importance of colon cancer screenings, won an award from the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). The one-of-a-kind community concert, “Louder Than Cancer!,” was organized by Dr. Vikas Khurana, program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s (TWCGME) Gastroenterology Fellowship Program, and TWCGME Gastroenterology fellows Drs. Peter Iskander and Udit Asija, who are also graduates of TWCGME’s Internal Medicine Residency Program. About 200 people attended the concert, which featured an hour-long performance by Rocdoc and the Healers, led by gastroenterologist Dr. Stephen Eskin. All songs, including cover songs with rewritten lyrics and original songs, included information about the importance of colon cancer screening and gastroenterological health. In addition to live music, the evening included educational information tables highlighting the importance of colorectal cancer screenings and connecting attendees with regional providers of whole-person primary and preventive health services. Attendees were also asked to fill out surveys before and after the event to gauge what they learned. The event won a SCOPY Award, which recognizes ACG members’ achievements in community engagement, education, and awareness efforts for colorectal cancer prevention. The award will be presented at a ceremony during ACG’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday, Oct. 12. Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, according to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. In many cases, routine screening can prevent it or catch it early. The Wright Center was the event’s platinum sponsor, reinforcing its commitment to prevention, education, and community well-being. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Marywood to Present War of the Worlds – The Panic Broadcast as Its Fall Theatre Production Nearly 88 years after it was first broadcast in late October 1938, Marywood University’s theatre program presents War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast, a theatrical reimagining of one of the most infamous moments in American broadcasting history. Inspired by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre’s 1938 radio adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, the play takes audiences inside a live radio studio as actors, announcers, shadow theatre artists, and Foley artists create the terrifying story of a Martian invasion before our eyes. What begins as an evening of radio drama quickly blurs the boundary between performance and reality. As fictional news bulletins interrupt the broadcast and reports of destruction spread across the airwaves, audiences witness both the making of a radio play and the cultural panic that became inseparable from its history. Performed as a live stage-and-radio experience, Marywood’s production celebrates the artistry of old-time radio while exploring questions that remain strikingly contemporary: How do we decide what information to trust? What happens when entertainment and news become difficult to distinguish? How quickly can fear spread through a community? The production brings together vintage microphones, live sound effects, Foley work, ensemble storytelling and the visual language of a 1930s/1940s broadcast studio to recreate the excitement and immediacy of radio’s golden age. At once suspenseful, theatrical, and darkly playful, War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast invites audiences to watch a story being constructed in real time – and to consider why, nearly ninety years later, the story of the broadcast itself continues to fascinate us. Performances, which will be held at the Munley Theater in the Sette LaVerghetta Center for Performing Arts, have showtimes from October 22-24 at 7:30 p.m. each evening and a matinee-only performance on October 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the general public. Marywood students, faculty, staff, and IHM sisters are free. Tickets can be purchased in advance by credit card online at https://marywood.universitytickets.com or with cash at the door.
Mt. Carmel native, nationally recognized medical education innovator, named Geisinger College of Health Sciences provost Geisinger College of Health Sciences has appointed Jed David Gonzalo, M.D., MSc, a nationally recognized leader in medical education and health systems science, as its next provost. In this role, Gonzalo will oversee academic programs and strategic educational initiatives across the college, supporting its mission to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals and strengthen the region’s healthcare workforce. Dr. Gonzalo joins Geisinger College from Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, where he most recently served as senior associate dean for medical education and a tenured professor. During his tenure, he led significant efforts in curriculum transformation, faculty development and accreditation readiness. “Dr. Gonzalo brings a distinguished record of advancing innovative, mission-driven approaches to healthcare education,” said Julie Byerley, M.D., MPH, president and dean of Geisinger College of Health Sciences. “His leadership experience, national reputation and deep commitment to preparing future healthcare professionals make him an outstanding addition to our college and community.” A nationally recognized innovator in medical education, Dr. Gonzalo has helped shape the emerging field of health systems science and has collaborated with organizations including the American Medical Association to advance healthcare education and training across the country. Dr. Gonzalo’s connection to Geisinger and northeast and central Pennsylvania is longstanding. Raised in Mount Carmel, he was first introduced to healthcare through volunteer experiences at Geisinger, where he supported care teams and transported supplies as a teenager. He is also a graduate of The University of Scranton. “Geisinger College’s mission resonates deeply with me,” Dr. Gonzalo said. “I am inspired by the college’s commitment to educating healthcare professionals, retaining local talent and addressing the unique healthcare needs of the communities it serves.” At Geisinger College, Dr. Gonzalo will help advance strategic priorities focused on workforce development, interprofessional education and community impact. Dr. Gonzalo earned his medical degree from The Pennsylvania State College of Medicine and a Master of Science in medical education and clinical research from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. He will officially join Geisinger College of Health Sciences on Oct. 5
