The Wright Center, Chelsea Chopko Recognized as ‘Rising Star’ In Pennsylvania Chelsea Chopko, chief of administrative support to the president and CEO at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, was one of 40 individuals under the age of 40 in Pennsylvania to be honored as a “Rising Star” by City & State Pennsylvania during a reception in Harrisburg. Each year, the multimedia news organization honors these individuals who work in Pennsylvania government, politics, and advocacy. “Rising Star” members have already distinguished themselves in the eyes of their colleagues and are on their way to amassing many more noteworthy accomplishments. At The Wright Center, Chopko is the operational engine behind the enterprise’s most critical leadership workflows and mission-driven projects. Whether aligning schedules across numerous departments, coordinating sensitive communications, supervising eight administrative assistants, or supporting community outreach, she performs with poise, precision, and a rare blend of warmth and drive. Since joining The Wright Center six years ago, Chopko’s influence has grown in tandem with her title. What began as a role rooted in executive assistance has blossomed into one of trusted partnership and strategic insight. Her work spans the entire enterprise’s more than 677 employees, and she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure every team member – from physicians, clinicians, physician residents and fellows to administrators and front-desk staff – is supported. “Chelsea Chopko is the exemplary of leader every organization hopes to have – thoughtful, brilliant, kind, inspiring, driven, unflinchingly dependable, and deeply mission-aligned,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “Her well-deserved recognition is a reflection not only of her personal excellence, but also of the high standard she sets for all of us at The Wright Center. We are immensely proud of her and most grateful to have Chelsea on our team.” She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Marywood University. Most recently, she completed the University Scranton Kania School of Management’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program. Chopko and her husband, Craig, live in Greenfield Township with their children, Roman, 9, and Isabel, 2.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Holds Graduation The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education celebrated 68 resident and fellow physician graduates during its 46th annual commencement on Saturday, June 21, at Hilton Scranton and Conference Center. The commencement ceremony honored 36 graduates in The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, 15 in the National Family Medicine Residency Program, seven in the Regional Family Medicine Residency Program, five in the Geriatrics Fellowship, three in the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, and two in the Gastroenterology Fellowship. The graduates join more than 1,000 resident and fellow physicians who have completed their residency and fellowship programs since The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education began educating physicians nearly 50 years ago. Dr. Sharon Obadia, a member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors and the dean of A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), was among the speakers who addressed graduates and guests during the ceremony. She works closely with officials at The Wright Center, which has been a training and educational site for ATSU-SOMA students since 2020. As she spoke about ATSU-SOMA’s and The Wright Center’s shared mission to train the next generation of health care professionals, Dr. Obadia highlighted the Hometown Scholars Program, which targets and recruits future physicians, dentists, and other medical professionals from Northeast Pennsylvania who want to serve the region where they grew up. The training Hometown Scholars receive is unique compared to other medical schools, with students spending their first year on campus at ATSU-SOMA in Mesa, Arizona, followed by three years in Northeast Pennsylvania. Since 2019, four Northeast Pennsylvania students have been selected to participate in the program. Two have graduated with degrees from ATSU-SOMA; the other two are still completing the program. “I have been incredibly proud to work alongside The Wright Center in partnering to educate this next generation of osteopathic physicians who will go into the world providing patient and community-centered primary care to those most in need,” Dr. Obadia said during commencement. “I look forward to growing our Hometown Scholar Program in Northeast Pennsylvania to continue to enable students from this region to return and serve their community.” Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Center, addressed the graduates. She praised their dedication to providing high-quality, whole-person primary health services and urged them to remember what they learned during their time in Northeast Pennsylvania. “You have practiced medicine in our communities that needed you most. You brought compassion to places where bureaucracy too often gets in the way. You brought light to the shadows. You brought love to our noble work and profession,” she said. “And as you did, you helped reshape those communities you proudly served. You did not wait for systems to change; you became the change.” Dr. Hal Baillie, chair of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors, also addressed graduates on Saturday. “Celebrating you as learners, The Wright Center thanks you for embracing our experiential primary care model, joining with us in your continuing education, and your developing efforts to provide care for our local patients,” Dr. Baillie said. “In so doing, you have fulfilled the definition of a profession, combining the development of expertise with service to the community. Every day, you compassionately provided that service to patients, many of whom have struggled to obtain adequate medical care, and you have done so with ever-increasing insight and ability.” Dr. Jumee Barooah, designated institutional official and senior vice president of education at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, reminded the Class of 2025 about the long tradition they joined. “You are now part of a powerful legacy, one that began in 1977 when six internal medicine residents started training to address a critical primary care physician shortage in Northeast Pennsylvania. Nearly half a century later, you join over 1,000 alumni who have carried that mission forward with grace, grit, and heart,” she said. “Our reach has grown far beyond Scranton, shaping training programs across the country – from Arizona to Washington, D.C. – all driven by one singular vision: to improve the health and welfare of our communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all, and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce privileged to serve.” Today, The Wright Center is one of the largest U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums in the nation. Graduates are: Internal Medicine Ahmed Abdellatif Ibrahim Mohamed Algohiny, M.D.; Sanya Badar, M.D.; Salman Abdul Basit, M.D.; Taibah Chaudhary, M.D.; Lokendra Chhantyal, M.D.; Yash Deshpande, M.D.; Sonam Gautam, M.D.; Faryal Haider, M.D.; Sajid Hussain, M.D.; Mohammad Ibrar, M.D.; Mohammad Faisal Iftikhar, M.D.; Aimen Iqbal, M.D.; Nadia Jamil, M.D.; Kanishq Rajan Jethani, M.D.; Jesvin Jeyapaulraj, M.D.; Lavleen Kaur, M.D.; Ravleen Kaur, M.D.; Mohamed Hesham Esmat Ahmed Khorshid, M.D.; Arathi Prabha Kumar, M.D.; Anand Reddy Maligireddy, M.D.; Elmkdad Mohammed, M.D.; Atif Nasrullah, M.D.; Maria Nawaz, M.D.; Ronakkumar Rameshbhai Patel, M.D.; Usman Iqbal Rana, M.D.; Samurna Sabir, M.D.; Sonali Sachdeva, M.D.; Muhammad Hassan Shakir, M.D.; Amninder Singh, M.D.; Gurminder Singh, M.D.; Harmandeep Singh, M.D.; Sapinder Pal Singh, M.D.; Archana Sridhar, M.D.; Ei Ei Tun, M.D.; Muhammad Waqas, M.D.; and Yuexiu Wu, M.D. National Family Medicine Stacey Elizabeth Benben, D.O.; Jacob Matthew Brumfield, D.O.; Sachit J. Desai, D.O.; Vaishnavi Gadicharla, D.O.; Jingyi Gao, D.O.; Daniel Gatazka, D.O.; Hope E. Hardy, D.O.; Justin Kim, D.O.; Sarah Jane Lawson, D.O.; Leah Joy Moorefield, D.O.; Urvashi Pandit, D.O.; Evan James Smith, D.O.; Kent Stanton, D.O.; Andrew Roy Tsai, D.O.; and Kayla Simone Williams, D.O. Regional Family Medicine Cassandra Rose D’Andrea, M.D.; Navaneeth Nambiar Othayoth Ganapathiyadan, M.D.; Renee Frieda Gladilen, M.D.; Justine Carlo G. Guevarra, M.D.; Imran Hamid, D.O.; Deepinder S. Samra, M.D.; and Andrew Sukhu, M.D. Geriatrics Fellowship Richard Michael Bronnenkant, M.D.; Ogochukwu Augustina Ekete, M.D.; Stephanie Farah, M.D.; Ahmad R. Khan, M.D.; and Arun Kumar, M.D. Cardiovascular Fellowship Pranav V. Karambelkar, M.D.; Purveshkumar Patel, M.D.; and Nischay Nikhil Shah, D.O. Gastroenterology William Buniak, D.O., and Vabhave Pal, M.D.
The Wright Center to Host Tinnitus Support Group The Tinnitus Support Group of Northeast Pennsylvania will meet on Friday, July 11, at 2 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn. Virtual meeting options are available for those unable to attend in person. There is no fee to attend. New members are welcome. The support group welcomes individuals living with tinnitus, their loved ones, and anyone interested in learning more about this complex audiological and neurological condition. Participants will have the opportunity to connect, share their experiences, and explore coping strategies in a compassionate and supportive environment. Tinnitus, often described as ringing, buzzing, or whooshing in the ears or head, affects over 50 million adults across the U.S., with many experiencing its effects daily. For some, it can be a temporary nuisance, while for others, it becomes a chronic, life-altering condition. For more information or to obtain the virtual meeting link, contact Nicole Flynn, director of the Geriatrics Service Line at The Wright Center for Community Health, at flynnn@TheWrightCenter.org or 570-230-0019. For more information about The Wright Center, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
The Wright Center for Community Health Welcomes Director of Employee Health The Wright Center for Community Health welcomed a longtime emergency medical technician and vascular technologist to serve as director of employee health and coordinator of continuing medical education. Mark Powell, RVT, NRP, will oversee employee health services and training for The Wright Centers, which is transitioning from an official American Heart Association (AHA) designated training site to an AHA training center, a distinction earned by training a certain number of people annually and meeting other high standards. “By becoming a center, we can develop sites and expand access to these classes that provide these critical training classes, including Basic Life Support, which many people know as CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and more,” Powell said. “These skills are important for everyone to know because they can save lives.” Since The Wright Center launched its AHA training site in 2023, it has completed nearly 3,560 certifications, which include 1,761 in Basic Life Support (BLS), 416 in Heartsaver CPR, 412 in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), 158 in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and several more. Powell has decades of experience as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, and registered vascular technologist in Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland. He has extensive experience directing vascular labs, managing clinical operations, and ensuring accreditation compliance. Before joining The Wright Center, he worked as the technical director and vascular manager at Guthrie Medical Clinic and Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. In addition to being a registered vascular technologist, he is an accredited ACLS/PALS/CPR instructor and a certified intervention team member. Mark Powell, RVT, NRP, helps Taila Avia, a Marywood University student, use a bag valve on a mannequin during a Basic Life Support class at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton. Powell, our director of employee health and coordinator of continuing medical education, is working to have our American Heart Association (AHA) training site designated as an AHA training center, a distinction earned by training a certain number of people annually and meeting other high standards.
The Wright Center Nationally Recognized for Diabetes Care and Prevention The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education has earned national recognition for its continued commitment to improving diabetes care and prevention. Quality Insights, a West Virginia-based leader in health care quality improvement, recognized The Wright Center for its annual review of diabetes and prediabetes care, as well as its targeted launch of the National Diabetes Prevention Program to support individuals at risk. The National Diabetes Prevention Program is a nationally recognized, evidence-based lifestyle change program designed to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk patients. The Wright Center partnered with Quality Insights to assess workflows, documentation, and referrals, driving ongoing improvements in care and cost efficiency. Quality Insights also lauded The Wright Center for achieving stronger glycemic control among its diabetic patients, which helps reduce the risk of serious complications. In 2024, The Wright Center reported a 20.7% rate for NQF 0059 and CMS 122, which is an inverse quality measure that tracks the percentage of diabetic patients ages 18–75 with poorly controlled blood sugar (hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels above 9% or missing data). Since lower rates are associated with better outcomes, The Wright Center’s rate indicates strong performance in managing diabetes and reducing risks of serious complications associated with it. The Wright Center’s consistent focus on this metric underscores its dedication to evidence-based, data-informed care. This recognition reinforces The Wright Center’s commitment to advancing health access, enhancing chronic disease management, and improving the lives of patients across Northeast Pennsylvania. “We are grateful to Quality Insights for this recognition and for its ongoing collaboration in our shared mission to improve chronic disease outcomes,” said Melissa Germano-Ryczak, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian and director of Lifestyle Modification and Preventive Medicine at The Wright Center. “This important milestone reflects the dedication of our interprofessional health care teams and our patients’ commitment to their health. Through evidence-based programs like the National Diabetes Prevention Program, we are helping individuals make lasting lifestyle changes that help reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes and improve their overall well-being.”
The Wright Center: Finding New Ways to Meet Mental Health Needs in the Community By Stephanie A. Gill, M.D., MPH We’ve made significant strides locally and across the nation in reducing the stigma of mental health and people are finally getting the help they need. But we still need to do better, especially when it comes to increasing access for people from underrepresented communities. It just so happens July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, a yearly observance of the mental health challenges faced by racial and ethnic minority groups and the need to expand access to mental health care. Many people simply don’t have easy access to care, particularly those from minority populations. We can attribute this to several factors, including a lack of health insurance, as well as lingering stigmas about mental health care that prevent people from getting the help they need. According to a November 2024 brief issued by the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce, in 2023 approximately 59 million American adults — 23% of all adults — had some form of mental illness, with nearly half of them not receiving treatment. Behavioral health services can be difficult to access due to a lack of providers, high out-of-pocket costs, coverage gaps, and other factors. And the average wait time for services is 48 days, according to HRSA. Health care systems, governmental bodies, and other organizations all need to do a better job of increasing access to mental health treatment services. Fortunately, our mental health services available here in Northeast Pennsylvania continue to improve. At The Wright Center, we offer a variety of behavioral health services, including therapy, psychological assessments, and psychiatric care, for children, adolescents and adults struggling with anxiety, adjustment disorders, depression, ADHD, bipolar and related disorders, substance-related and addictive disorders, bullying, relationship stressors, trauma, loss and grief, and postpartum depression. Our care model continues to evolve. A few months ago, we began participating in a multi-year grant awarded to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) to improve access to whole-person primary health services for people with co-occurring mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The Wright Center is one of multiple primary care sites in Pennsylvania participating in the five-year project to promote the use of collaborative care, an evidence-based model that enhances the coordination of behavioral health services in primary care settings. Meanwhile, we just recently expanded our psychiatry services via two recent hires — Dr. Jean Gauvin and Dr. Evan Silvi. Dr. Gauvin, who earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will provide a full range of services to patients via office-based remote appointments five days a week. Dr. Silvi, a graduate of Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, will also provide office-based remote psychiatry appointments for patients of all ages. Both will work with colleagues across The Wright Center to continue integrating behavioral health and primary health services. We’re thrilled to have Dr. Gauvin and Dr. Silvi on board. Through their office-based remote care, we’re making some significant gains in accessibility for individuals in underserved and under-resourced areas, reducing barriers to behavioral health care. Much work remains to be done in terms of improving mental health care, but with increased advocacy and innovation, we’ll continue to make notable strides toward greater equity. Stephanie A. Gill, M.D., MPH, is a board-certified family medicine physician at The Wright Center for Community Health and the program director and physician faculty member of the Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Regional Family Medicine Residency Program. For more information about The Wright Center’s psychiatry services, go to TheWrightCenter.org/services/psychiatry-services.
Johnson College to Host Free Community Resource Fairs Johnson College will host two free Community Resource Fairs on its Scranton campus this summer. These events are open to the public and are designed to connect current and prospective college students with local resources and support services. The fairs will feature a variety of community organizations offering guidance and assistance on topics such as education, employment, health, and wellness. The fairs will be held on: Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. Both events will take place inside the Moffat Student Center Gym at the Johnson College Scranton campus, located at 3427 North Main Ave., Scranton. “The Community Resource Fair is an opportunity for students to learn about services available to them both on and off campus,” said Dr. Kellyn Williams, Associate Vice President of Special Programs at Johnson College. “We’re proud to bring together organizations that are making a positive impact in our region.” Participating organizations include: Agency for Community EmPOWERment of NEPA American Water Community Services for Children County of Lackawanna Transit System Educational Opportunity Centers of PA Goodwill Industries of NEPA Greater Scranton YMCA Maternal and Family Health Services Inc. Outreach Center for Community Resources PA Careerlink Lackawanna County Parent Pathways of NEPA RISE NEPA Scranton Area Community Foundation The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement And many more For more information, please contact Sam Lehman at slehman@johnson.edu or 570-702-8341.
The Wright Center: A 117-year-old legacy at risk: Why Regional Hospital’s survival matters to Northeast Pennsylvania Since 1908, Regional Hospital of Scranton, including Moses Taylor, remains a NEPA health care ecosystem legacy pillar, delivering lifesaving services to generations of families to promote our health and well-being. Regional’s sustainability is vital for acute care access when patients are most vulnerable. Its obstetrical center of excellence ensures the safe arrival of the vast majority of babies born in our community. The Wright Center is eager to collaborate with new ownership to ensure seamless, forward momentum of community-responsive, high-quality health services and community-based physician and interprofessional health care workforce development. All stakeholders should meaningfully engage to ensure new ownership seeks and values community input, while maintaining and improving access to health care services, employment, and workforce development opportunities. Recently announced potential plans to preserve Regional brings hopeful but cautious optimism to a broad coalition of community members, legacy partners, advocacy organizations, and the health care union. Our collective commitment to collaboratively ensure preserving access to health care services, protecting family-sustaining jobs, upholding crucial hospital partnerships, and empowering our community’s priorities is unwavering. For nearly 50 years, The Wright Center has been deeply mission-intertwined with Regional to improve the health and welfare of our communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. Community benefit impact, health outcomes, and economic vitality generated by our enduring partnership are undeniable. Together, we have cared for countless patients and families; trained over 1,000 physicians, possibly including your doctor amongst many serving NEPA today; and educated innumerable health care students from a dozen academic institutions to understand and serve our unique needs. In 2024, almost half of The Wright Center’s total economic impact of $198,978,143, supporting 1,199 local jobs, was generated by The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, a cherished community asset dependent on its foundational Regional partnership for its existence. My personal connection to Regional runs deep. So much of who I am professionally was determined by my recruitment home 25 years ago as a Mercy physician to join Dr. Tucker Clauss, who delivered me in 1968 at the then Mercy Hospital. The valuable mentorship and learning I received serving patients, families, and communities inside Regional’s walls can never be overstated. My deeply personal, hard-won journey culminated in a historic election as the first female and, as fate would have it, final president of Mercy’s medical staff, a landmark achievement quickly and tragically overshadowed by heartbreak when our cherished hospital transitioned to for-profit ownership. Its turbulent, uncertain future continues today. Faithfully, I continue caring for multigenerational families who depend on Regional for life-saving services. Like many of you, losing Regional would feel like losing family. Stabilizing NEPA’s acute hospital services is undeniably urgent, particularly given our aging population and prevalence of chronic disease. Allowing Regional to close would trigger a devastating, modern-day “Tragedy of the Commons,” immediately crippling access to acute hospital services. The devastating human and economic aftershocks on our community would be long-lasting. Future generations would pay the price for decades. Regional delivers 380,000 encounters annually, including 36,000 emergency visits. Closure would instantaneously create a critical shortage of nearly 30,000 acute hospital “bed days” and longer wait times for everyone in our region’s already overflowing and overburdened ERs. Impact on maternal and newborn care would be equally catastrophic. Over 1,700 expectant mothers and 70% of babies born in Lackawanna County rely on Regional’s services annually. Other area hospitals simply lack capacity to accommodate this volume or the ability to replace Lackawanna County’s only Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The next closest NICU is 45 minutes away – an eternity for newborns struggling to breathe. Beyond patient care, Regional’s major employer contributions are vital to our local economy, providing more than 1,000 family-sustaining, union-supported jobs, injecting $148 million in wages and benefits. Failure to secure Regional’s viable future is simply not an option. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s existence depends on a community solution. All stakeholders, including elected officials, leadership of health systems, educational institutions, labor, and business, and, most importantly, each of us whose lives are on the line, must engage meaningfully to ensure a welcoming transition to new ownership. Together, we need to communicate our expectations to ensure new ownership will truly seek and value meaningful community input to honor our legacies and collective priorities, while steadfastly maintaining and improving access to essential health care services, employment opportunities, and workforce development.
The Wright Center for Community Health to host resource fair for Alzheimer’s, dementia caregivers, and family members The Wright Center for Community Health is hosting a Caregivers Resource Fair for family members and caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The free, public event will be held at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave., from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 29. Agencies from across the region, including Lackawanna County’s Area Agency on Aging, Scranton Counseling Center, Telespond Senior Services, LIFE Geisinger, Lackawanna Pro Bono Inc., Interim Health Care, United Neighborhood Centers, Jewish Community Center of Scranton, Indraloka Animal Sanctuary, and more will provide information about the resources they offer. A legal expert and a local caregiver will give presentations. No registration is required to participate in the Caregivers Resource Fair. Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia, is a progressive brain disorder that gradually impairs memory, thinking abilities, and daily functioning. In Pennsylvania, it affects about 282,000 individuals. About 465,000 family members and friends across the state serve as caregivers, often providing unpaid, around-the-clock care for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, frequently with limited opportunities for respite. The Wright Center’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program provides coordinated, comprehensive support for patients, families, and caregivers. It is part of a collaborative, county-wide effort called Age-Friendly Lackawanna that includes nearly 30 community organizations. Nicole Flynn, director of the geriatrics service line at The Wright Center, said many caregivers have a hard time finding the resources they need for their loved ones. “We’ve heard from so many people who don’t know what is available,” she said. “Since we’re part of this network, we thought we could help by hosting an event where caregivers can come to one place to get information, hear from experts, and better help their loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.”
