The Wright Center President/CEO Appointed to National Committee Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been appointed to serve a three-year term on the Partnership for Quality Measurement’s (PQM) Endorsement & Maintenance Committee Advisory Group on Cost and Efficiency. The federally funded, consensus-based PQM brings together leaders and experts from across the health care spectrum to evaluate and endorse performance measures. Its mission is to ensure that measures are evidence-based, patient-centered, fair, and effective in driving quality improvement nationwide. Dr. Thomas-Hemak will contribute her clinical and leadership expertise to the Endorsement & Maintenance Cost and Efficiency Committee’s 45-member advisory group in evaluating and refining measures that assess total health care spending, resource use, and efficiency, ensuring they drive higher quality, lower cost care, improve value, and promote better use of health services across the U.S. health system. A quintuple board-certified primary care physician in internal medicine, pediatrics, addiction medicine, obesity medicine, and nutrition, Dr. Thomas-Hemak sees generations of patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley in Jermyn, her hometown, alongside her executive leadership. She is recognized nationally for her work in advancing community-based primary health care models, access to care, and interprofessional health care workforce development. An alumna of Scranton Preparatory School and the University of Scranton, she earned her medical degree as a Michael DeBakey Scholar from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston before completing Harvard’s Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program in Boston. She returned to Northeast Pennsylvania to practice medicine, driven by a profound commitment to the community that shaped her. She joined The Wright Center in 2001, rose to president in 2007, and assumed the role of CEO in 2012. Guided by a people-over-profit philosophy, Dr. Thomas-Hemak has built The Wright Center into one of the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums, shifting physician training from hospitals to community-based health centers and preparing nearly 450 learners each year, many of whom remain to serve locally. She has expanded a network of 13 community health centers and a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, delivering compassionate, high-quality, whole-person primary health services in rural and underserved populations. Under her leadership, The Wright Center has integrated primary care, behavioral health, dental, school-based, and advanced health information services to ensure accessible, coordinated care for all. Under Dr. Thomas-Hemak’s leadership, The Wright Center has garnered numerous accolades, including designation by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike; a Pennsylvania Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence and Coordination Center for Medication-Assisted Treatment; a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Top 30 Site for National Primary Care Innovations; recognition as both a University of California, San Francisco, Center of Excellence in Primary Care and an American Association of Medical Colleges’ Premier Primary Care Residency; membership in the prestigious 2024 American Medical Association ChangeMedEd Consortium; and leading partner in the Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support (Healthy MOMS) program for pregnant women and new mothers with substance use disorder. Following the Patient-Centered Medical Home Model, The Wright Center for Community Health’s Clarks Summit, Mid Valley, Scranton, and Wilkes-Barre locations achieved National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home certification. Dr. Thomas-Hemak also leads The Wright Center’s engagement in the Keystone Health Information Exchange and its catalytic role in a public television-based education campaign aimed at accelerating the wide-scale adoption of local, regional, and national health information interoperability. A founding member of the consortium that established the Scranton-based Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Dr. Thomas-Hemak is the governor for the Eastern Region of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians (PA-ACP), the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization, and is vice president, as well as a founding board member, of the American Association of Teaching Health Centers, which represents community-based Teaching Health Centers that train primary care physicians. She serves on numerous local, regional, and national health care and medical education nonprofit governing boards, cross-sector committees, and workgroups, including HRSA’s Council on Graduate Medical Education, a federal advisory committee that assesses and recommends actions on physician workforce trends, training issues, and financing policies. She is also the governing board chair and executive committee member of the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (NEPA AHEC), a member of the National Association of Community Health Center’s (NACHC) New Health Center CEO Affinity Group, Women Leaders, and an advisory board member of the Health Federation of Philadelphia’s Health Center Controlled Network. Additionally, she serves as a board member of the National AHEC Organization; the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s Undergraduate Medical Education-Graduate Medical Education (GME) Task Force: GME Growth in Action Group; the Pennsylvania Patient-Centered Medical Home Advisory Council; Keystone Accountable Care Organization; The Institute; and the Center for Health and Human Services Research and Action. Dr. Thomas-Hemak has received several prestigious state and national awards for her leadership, mentorship, and advocacy initiatives, including: the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce 2025 Athena Award for career excellence, service, and women’s empowerment; the 2024 Wilford Payne Health Center Mentor Award from PACHC; the 2024 Hometown Scholars Advocacy Award from NACHC and A.T. Still University; the 2022 Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award from NACHC for her efforts in engaging Congress and expanding grassroots advocacy; and the 2020 Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award from the PA-ACP for advancing women’s leadership in medicine. City & State Pennsylvania has also named her a Trailblazer in Health Care and one of Pennsylvania’s 100 most powerful and influential female leaders. She and her husband, Mark, have three children, Mason, Maya, and Antoinette. Dr. Thomas-Hemak is the daughter of the late William Thomas and Johanna Cavalieri Thomas, who lives in Archbald.
The Wright Center Interns Gain Hands-on Experience The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education hosted 26 high school and college interns over the summer, providing hands-on experience for students following multiple career paths. The interns were assigned to several departments, including administration, clinical, finance, legal, and marketing and communications. Their experience was capped off with an Internship Poster Capstone event, which board members, executives, and employees attended to hear students discuss their projects and answer questions about their findings, internship experience, and future plans. Attendees at the annual event cast ballots for the scholarly posters. Prizes were awarded to the top three vote-getters: First place: Katherine Mena Pereyra, of American University in Washington, D.C., created the scholarly poster, “Advocacy Coffee Connections: Understanding the Big Beautiful Bill. She was mentored by Aimee Wechsler, director of government affairs at The Wright Center. Second place: Noah Lynch of Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, for his research poster, “Increasing the Uptake of PrEP Among Women.” The project focused on educating providers and women in the community about the importance of pre-exposure prophylaxis, commonly known as PrEP, which can significantly reduce the risk of contracting HIV. Melissa Bonnerwith, grants administrator at The Wright Center’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic, was his mentor. Third place: Shane Cegelka, of King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, showcased his poster, “The Importance of Proper Informed Consent in Healthcare.” Cegelka was mentored by Jennifer Walsh, Esq., senior vice president and chief legal and governance officer, and Courtney Kuschke, paralegal, at The Wright Center. To learn more about internship opportunities, visit TheWrightCenter.org/internships.
The Wright Center Resident Presents at National Cardivovascular Conference An Internal Medicine resident physician at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education presented research at a national conference for cardiovascular innovations. Dr. Shehroze Tabassum, a first-year medical resident based in Scranton, Pennsylvania, attended the Cardiovascular Innovations Meeting in Austin, Texas, in July. At the three-day conference, which focused on state-of-the-art therapy for peripheral, coronary, and structural heart disease, Dr. Tabassum presented research on peripheral artery disease (PAD) mortality trends in patients 25 and older with metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of developing heart disease and other chronic illnesses. He led a research team, which included Dr. Douglas Klamp, the Internal Medicine Residency Program director, chief medical education officer, senior vice president, and physician chair of resident and fellow talent acquisition at The Wright Center, and Wright Center Internal Medicine resident physician Dr. Aroma Naeem, that analyzed data using a free, online public health information system maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The team examined data collected between 2000-2019 about patients’ gender, race and ethnicity, state, census region, and metropolitan status. “We found a decline in PAD-related mortality among patients with metabolic syndrome,” Dr. Tabassum said. “However, notable disparities persist across demographic and regional groups, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and further research.” Dr. Tabassum, a native of Faisalabad, Pakistan, developed an interest in cardiology through a combination of clinical exposure and academic curiosity. “It was a pleasure and an honor to represent The Wright Center on a national stage,” Dr. Tabassum said. “Attending a conference with so many like-minded professionals was a great opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from leading experts, and stay updated on the latest advancements in cardiovascular care.” The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education was established in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency program. 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. Together with consortium stakeholders, The Wright Center trains resident and fellow physicians in a community-based, community-needs-responsive workforce development model to advance its mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s residency and fellowship programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-866-3017.
Johnson College to Host Free Community Resource Fair Johnson College will host a free Community Resource Fair for all local college-bound students on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, inside the Moffat Student Center Gymnasium at its Scranton campus. The event is open to the public and is designed to connect current and prospective college students with local resources and support services. The fair will feature a variety of community organizations offering guidance and assistance on topics such as education, employment, health, and wellness. “The Community Resource Fair is an opportunity for all students attending any of our region’s colleges and universities to learn about local services available to them,” 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: ACE of NEPA Educational Opportunity Centers of PA Friends of the Poor/Catherine McAuley Center Geisinger Marworth Greater Scranton YMCA Goodwill Industries of Northeastern Pennsylvania Susquehanna County Interfaith The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement For more information, please contact Sam Lehman at slehman@johnson.edu or 570-702-8341.
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.
