The Wright Center Welcomes Alumnus as Graduation Speaker The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s 45th graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 22, at Mohegan Pennsylvania Convention Center in Wilkes-Barre will feature an alumnus who works as a University of Pennsylvania hospitalist and clinical instructor as the keynote speaker. The Wright Center’s graduation ceremony will honor and recognize 67 resident physicians from seven disciplines: 32 in Internal Medicine; 14 in Regional Family Medicine; 16 in National Family Medicine; one in Psychiatry; one in Cardiovascular Disease; two in Geriatrics; and one in Gastroenterology. Keynote speaker Dr. Humza Quadir of Philadelphia graduated from The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Residency in 2022. He joined the staff of Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and is also affiliated with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. At The Wright Center, Dr. Quadir served in several leadership roles, including chief resident during the final year of his three-year residency. He also served as vice president of the house staff council, a voting member of the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), and a member of GMEC’s Quality and Safety Committee. Dr. Quadir received his medical degree from Ziauddin University in Karachi, Pakistan, in December 2014. “Dr. Quadir is a leader who understands the importance of our mission to improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, senior vice president of education and designated institutional official for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. “He’s carried those same values to his roles as a hospitalist and clinical instructor. We’re looking forward to hearing the wisdom he will impart to our graduates as they embark upon the next chapter of their careers.” The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education was established in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency. 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 residents and fellows in a community-based, community-needs-responsive workforce development model to advance their shared mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.
The Wright Center Launches New ‘Care Team’ Approach The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have launched an innovative program to enhance patient care while nurturing the skills of tomorrow’s physician workforce. Medical residents at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education are now members of “care teams” that provide whole-person primary health services to people of all ages, income levels, and insurance statuses. The novel initiative elevates the standard of care provided at The Wright Center’s nine community health center locations in Northeast Pennsylvania while providing a platform for residents to refine their skills as compassionate healers. By seamlessly integrating hands-on experience with comprehensive training, the program embodies The Wright Center’s mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. “Patients get two sets of eyes – the resident and the doctor,” said Dr. Timothy Burke, a primary care physician at The Wright Center for Community Health – Mid Valley in Jermyn, Pennsylvania, and the associate program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency. “Seeing the same resident and the same doctor each time means the patient doesn’t have to repeat their medical history over and over. Both know who you are, the care you’re receiving, and the obstacles you face.” Patients will benefit from building personal relationships with The Wright Center’s resident physicians, according to Dr. Erin McFadden, a primary care doctor who also serves as deputy chief medical officer and medical director of The Wright Center for Community Health’s locations in Scranton, North Scranton, and the Scranton Counseling Center. “That’s the beauty of primary care. It’s not just learning the medicine, it’s learning how to develop the relationship with the patient,” Dr. McFadden said. “It’s important to build that patient-doctor trust so you can see how their health is changing and, hopefully, improving.” Dr. McFadden, for example, said a resident physician will prescribe a patient with diabetes a particular drug to help with blood sugar levels. Now, as part of the patient’s care team, they can monitor how effective that medication is – and what side effects the patient may or may not experience – at subsequent appointments. “We’re giving an opportunity to our patients and our resident physicians to build a relationship,” she said. “If you want to take care of a disease and improve health, you need multiple pictures over time to watch cause and effect.” The care team concept is not new at The Wright Center for Community Health, which typically integrates medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services, at a single location for the convenience of patients. To ensure residents could become more involved in patient care teams, The Wright Center collaborated with its Electronic Health Record (EHR) vendor to redesign the scheduling of patient appointments to honor patient continuity. The program also means changing the way resident physicians are scheduled for rotations, which are completed at The Wright Center’s community health centers, local hospitals, and other medical settings in the region. Typically, resident physicians cycle through a number of assignments, each lasting a few weeks to a month. Now, the residents who are part of the new care teams are assigned to their doctor’s clinic location once a week. “That came from a buy-in across the medical residency program leaders that continuity was important and a priority, so no other rotations were going to supersede their regularly scheduled continuity clinics,” said Tiffany Jaskulski, vice president of health innovation and strategic initiatives at The Wright Center. First-year Internal Medicine resident Dr. Ketaki Pande sees patients at The Wright Center for Community Health – North Scranton on Fridays with Dr. McFadden. She’s enjoyed getting to know patients on a deeper level and says the team approach is helping her become a more effective physician. “One of the big parts of primary care is managing chronic conditions,” Dr. Pande said. “For example, not everyone responds to a particular medication the same way. So, I prescribe something, and now I can follow up weeks and months later, to see how it’s working and if something else is needed.”
The Wright Center Explains Alzheimer’s and Dementia Complex The Wright Center states there’s a pretty good chance that someone close to you has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is indeed a devastating condition with profound impacts on those afflicted and their families. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6.7 million people 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s dementia in the United States, including more than 280,000 Pennsylvanians. The disease’s impact goes beyond those diagnosed, affecting their families significantly. In Pennsylvania, for example, there were an estimated 404,000 family caregivers statewide in 2022. These caregivers often provide extensive and demanding care, facing emotional, physical, and financial challenges as they support their loved ones through the progression of the disease. Medical progress on the disease has been frustratingly slow, but awareness campaigns like Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month in June certainly help the cause. The observance educates people about the disease’s risk factors, signs, and symptoms and the importance of early detection and diagnosis. It’s also a vehicle for raising funds geared toward much-needed Alzheimer’s research. The month is also known for the Alzheimer’s Association’s The Longest Day, the June 21 observance when people from around the world come together to “fight the darkness” of Alzheimer’s through a fundraising activity of their choice. The Wright Center is doing its part via their Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program, which is based on the award-winning model established at UCLA and designed to help patients and families with the complex medical, behavioral, and social needs of Alzheimer’s and related dementias. First launched in 2020, the program is led by a dedicated group of geriatricians, advanced practitioners, and dementia care specialists who collaborate closely with patients’ primary care physicians to ensure care is comprehensive and coordinated for both the patient and their caregivers. ADC has several core components, including a 90-minute in-person visit with a dementia care specialist; a personalized care plan developed with the primary/referring physician; follow-up phone calls and/or in-person visits to ensure the plan is implemented or modified as needed; 24/7, 365-day-a-year access to caregivers for assistance and advice in order to avoid emergency department visits and hospitalizations; and ongoing patient monitoring with at least one annual in-person visit to ensure that ongoing and emerging needs are being met. The Wright Center is proud to announce that the program recently received some major visibility when it was listed in Best Programs for Caregiving, a partnership between the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging and Family Caregiver Alliance, a free, searchable, and interactive database that helps families and caregivers find the right program for their loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The website includes descriptions of the program, whether it is offered in-person or online, information on providers, eligibility criteria, how to enroll, languages offered, and more. ADC is part of the comprehensive list of services we provide under the Geriatric Care service line, geared to aging adults who may find themselves unfairly categorized as frail or not being listened to by other doctors. The Wright Center employs a holistic, whole-person approach to every patient at every age, giving them the tools and care to live a full and healthy life. The approach has been recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System Partner for providing a full spectrum of whole-person primary health and support services for our patients who are young at heart. The Wright Center is hopeful that as awareness increases and more families seek testing and treatment early, they may see some real breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s and dementia care treatment within the next few years. Nonetheless, they will continue to ensure that their patients are getting exemplary care and that caregivers are receiving the tools and support needed to get through this difficult experience. Tanureet Kochar, M.D., is a dual board-certified internal medicine and geriatric physician at The Wright Center for Community Health. She also serves as a core faculty member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency and Geriatric Fellowship programs. In addition, Dr. Kochar is the regional director of medical education for A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona.
The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Resident Wins Award for Case Study A Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education resident physician’s chance meeting with a patient at a local hospital led to the opportunity to present a winning scholarly abstract about a medical rarity at the American College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Maimona Chaudhary, an Internal Medicine resident physician, first encountered the subject of the abstract, a 25-year-old woman, while on rotation at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The patient arrived at the emergency department with lesions on her legs. What medical personnel initially diagnosed as second-degree burns ended up being a rare symptom of biclonal multiple myeloma – a cancer that only affects people under the age of 40 in about 2% of cases. “Upon follow-up, the lesions were diagnosed as paraneoplastic pemphigus, which is rare in itself,” said Dr. Chaudhary. “But then they found she had multiple myeloma, without any of the usual symptoms, without any family history. There were a lot of oddities in this case.” Dr. Chaudhary, a first-year resident physician from Hamilton, Ontario, followed the patient’s case over the next several months and produced a case report with colleagues from The Wright Center, including Drs. Ali Shah and Lehka Yadukumar, Internal Medicine residency physicians; Dr. Milos Babic, associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency; and medical student Omaima Chaudhary, who received her medical degree from the University of Limerick School of Medicine and will join The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency in July. The researchers submitted the case report, “Paraneoplastic Pemphigus as the Presenting Sign of Biclonal Multiple Myeloma in a 25-Year Old Female: A Case Report,” to the ACP’s resident/fellow national abstract competition, which receives several hundred entries annually. The abstract was one of 20 awarded a certificate of merit by the ACP. Dr. Chaudhary delivered the five-minute presentation on the case. “It was difficult to cover everything in five minutes,” she said. “I think this case really stood out to the ACP judges because it was so unusual.” Dr. Chaudhary monitored the patient’s case, although she is not involved in her ongoing treatment. The woman’s cancer treatment was delayed for months as doctors worked to heal the skin lesions caused by paraneoplastic pemphigus, along with other complications. She recently began chemotherapy, and all signs point to a positive outcome. As for Dr. Chaudhary’s future, she’s still deciding what type of medicine to pursue. “I’m still exploring,” she said. “I want to do something I really enjoy. We get to pick electives in our second year, so I can start to see where I want to go from here.”
The Wright’s Center Ryan White Clinic Presenting the Annual Pridefest Parade The Wright Center for Community Health’s Ryan White HIV Clinic will be the presenting sponsor for the Northeast Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance’s annual Pridefest Parade and Celebration in downtown Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, June 23. The parade begins at noon, with the celebration to follow on Public Square until 4 p.m. The Northeast Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance provides education, support, and advocacy for individuals and families who are LGBTQ+ while working to advance fairness and equality. The Rainbow Alliance envisions a future where all people in the region can live openly and free from fear, and where individuals, organizations, and businesses work collaboratively to build an equal, inclusive community. The formation for the parade begins at 11 a.m., near East South and South Main streets, two blocks off Public Square. The program includes more than 75 vendors, drag performances, and more. For more information, go to RainbowAlliance.org/Pridefest. For almost 25 years, The Wright Center for Community Health’s Ryan White HIV Clinic has been providing comprehensive whole-person primary health and support services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS, including integrated primary care, medication assistance, case management, mental health, and other support services. The Ryan White Clinic offers services at The Wright Center for Community Health locations in Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave., and Wilkes-Barre, 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave., and serves Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Wayne, Pike, Susquehanna, and Monroe counties.
The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education Staffer Leaders Provide Workshop at National Conference Two staff leaders at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education led a workshop during the Andrus Sanctuary Institute’s annual Network Days Conference in Armonk, New York. Shannon Osborne, project manager at The Wright Center for Community Health, and Ann Hart, director of the graduate and undergraduate medical education experience at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, presented, “Brave Spaces: Going Slow to Go Fast,” during the April 17-19 conference at the IBM Learning Center. They joined presenters from around the country, promoting practices that aligned with this year’s conference theme: “Repairing Culture, Reimagining Trauma-Informed Care.” The event attracted hundreds of national and international attendees. The Sanctuary Institute, of Yonkers, New York, offers training and consultation services to more than 275 organizations worldwide using its evidence-supported Sanctuary Model. Among its Pennsylvania clients are The Wright Center and the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. The Sanctuary Model, which originated in the Philadelphia area in the 1980s through the pioneering work of Dr. Sandra Bloom and her colleagues, offers trauma-informed approaches to clinical and organizational development. The model calls for acknowledging the impact of trauma on individuals, organizations, and systems and delivering services in a manner that does not re-traumatize individuals and treats the underlying trauma that prevents progress. Its guiding principles stem from four pillars, one of which consists of seven commitments: democracy, non-violence, social responsibility, open communication, social learning, growth and change, and emotional intelligence. Organizations that successfully implement the Sanctuary Model can attain certification from the Sanctuary Institute, a process that can take three to five years. The Wright Center embarked on its journey to certification in August 2022 and would become the first certified organization in Northeast Pennsylvania, and one of just a few in the state. “We’re committed to this model for the betterment of our workforce and the communities we serve,” said Osborne, a dual-certified mental health first aid instructor and integrative community therapy facilitator and trainer. With more than half of The Wright Centers’ 650-plus employees working directly with patients, prioritizing patients’ needs over Sanctuary Model training remained imperative, Hart said. Taking a deliberate, slower pace to achieve certification ensures thorough training for all staff members without sacrificing patient care. This approach also allowed for the organic emergence of The Wright Center’s Whole-Person Wellness initiative, which includes Sanctuary, Mental Health First Aid, a thorough review of health benefits, environmental, social, and governance programming, and other actions that align with the Eight Dimensions of Wellness. In their workshop, Osborne and Hart, who holds a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling, shared insights into The Wright Center’s ongoing efforts to obtain Sanctuary Model certification. Osborne emphasized the importance of patience, strategic pacing, and remembering that the model is a framework — all of which were highlighted during their presentation. “By proceeding slowly and deliberately, leaders emerge, trust is cultivated, and engagement with staff deepens,” Osborne said.”It’s not a light switch or overnight process. You have to do what’s best for your organization, and that takes time.”
The Wright Center for Community Health’s Healthy MOMS Program Benefitted by Local American Legion Fundraiser The Wright Center for Community Health’s Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support (Healthy MOMS) program received dozens of baby items and a monetary donation, thanks to a bingo fundraiser organized by the Michael Steiner American Legion Jessup Post 411 Ladies Auxiliary. Co-founded by The Wright Center five years ago, Healthy MOMS assists pregnant women and new mothers with substance use disorders and aims to lower the incidence of babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Since October 2018, the program has helped more than 467 moms and 274 babies across nine counties in Northeast Pennsylvania: Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Carbon, Wyoming, and Schuylkill. Accepting the donations, from left, are Healthy MOMS Case Manager Michele Coyle and Maria Kolcharno, MSW, LSW, director of addiction services at The Wright Center for Community Health and a key leader of the Healthy MOMS program. Donations included more than 30 packs of diapers, 50 packs of wipes, 30 packages of baby formula, four homemade blankets, and plenty of other baby supplies. For more information about the Healthy MOMS program, visit www.healthymoms.org/.
The Wright Center for Community Health Welcomes New Students to Training Program The Wright Center for Community Health welcomed two students into a unique training program that allows aspiring medical assistants to gain hands-on experience alongside flexible online training provided by the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA). Over 29 weeks, the students will be immersed in various aspects of the profession, including maintaining patient medical records, assisting during examinations, and ensuring the security of medical records. They will work closely with physicians, patient care teams, and medical assistants at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Scranton and Mid Valley practices. Additionally, they will participate in skill labs led by experienced medical assistants, providing them with comprehensive training. The workforce development partnership has trained four students, two of whom are employed as certified medical assistants at The Wright Center. Daileen Morales of Scranton expressed her enthusiasm for the program, citing her passion for helping people and the valuable learning experiences she has already gained during the early part of the program. Her sentiment aligns with the growing demand for medical assistants, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 14% growth in employment over the next decade. “I thought this would be a great way to start,” said Morales, who is also joined in the training program by Judy Hanvey of Dickson City. “I have been in the program for two weeks and have already learned a lot.” Amber Bello, co-manager of medical assistants at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, highlighted the program’s significance in providing a realistic job preview for aspiring medical assistants. She, Nicole Munley, certified medical assistant manager; Laura Sweeney, co-manager of medical assistants; and Lida Kiefer, certified medical assistant II; supervise and train the students. “It’s a great way for them to get some hands-on experience and really get a feel for the job,” Bello said. “The Wright Center provides the space, supplies, and the expertise for them to learn.” The Wright Center operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. Together, these clinical locations provide whole-person primary health services, offering a safety net for the region’s residents and ensuring everyone in The Wright Center’s eight-county service area can access integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. NIMAA is a nonprofit education institute that trains medical assistants to work effectively in today’s high-performing primary care settings. NIMAA’s fully accredited, affordable programming offers students hands-on education and prepares graduates to work in high-performing, team-based practices. Applications for the Medical Assistant Training Program are being accepted through May 29, offering interested individuals the opportunity to pursue a rewarding career in the health care sector. For more information or to apply, visit NIMAA.edu.
The Wright Center for Community Health Names VP of Strategic Marketing and Communications The Wright Center for Community Health named Bob Adcroft as vice president of strategic marketing and communications. Adcroft has four decades of experience in network TV, radio, digital, and print advertising. His skill set encompasses motivational leadership, strategic media planning, purchasing and negotiation, mentoring, and coaching. At The Wright Center, Adcroft will lead the development, planning, and implementation of a marketing and communications strategy integrating the approach across all service lines, initiatives, programs, and activities to advance the enterprise’s mission and vision. The Scranton native was inspired to pursue opportunities in the health care field after successfully fighting cancer in 2019. Five years ago, Adcroft underwent a successful bone marrow transplant at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City. The experience sparked his journey towards a healthier lifestyle and inspired him to seek opportunities to promote wellness initiatives and improve the local health care landscape. Adcroft is deeply familiar with Northeast Pennsylvania, having been a proud partner in a family-owned local franchise for more than 50 years. In 2019, he received the American Advertising Federation’s Silver Medal Award, which recognizes individuals who make significant contributions to the regional advertising market and advance industry standards, creative excellence, and social responsibility. He’s also the creator and host of the podcast, “Be Real Now,” which features special guests from around the region sharing their stories. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center Shares Tips for Stress Awareness Month Below is a health column written by Dr. Aditi Sharma, a psychiatrist at The Wright Center for Community Health, in which she provides tips to reduce and/or cope with stress in everyday life. We live in a world where many things can cause us great stress, whether it be things close to home (family, job, finances) or farther afield (politics, wars, global pandemics). Yes, it’s a lot to cope with, and over time it can be incredibly detrimental to our health, both mentally and physically. So, I’m happy there are awareness campaigns like National Stress Awareness Month. The annual observance focuses on combating the harmful effects of chronic stress. While stress is an unavoidable part of life and can be experienced in situations that are both positive and negative in prolonged form, it can lead to a variety of health issues, including fatigue, anxiety, depression, headaches, muscle tension, and, when it’s particularly serious, cardiovascular disease. But with some focus, stress can be managed in relatively simple ways, allowing us to live happier, healthier lives. Here are a few helpful stress-reduction tips you might consider: Improve your diet: Eat whole foods, and curtail or completely eliminate stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Exercise: Increased exercise can lower your blood pressure, boost your endorphins and just make you feel a whole lot better, whether you join a gym or just go out for a walk or run a few times a week. Sleep more: Lack of sleep and the ensuing fatigue can lead to a plunge in overall well-being and eventually lead to increased anxiety and depression, so it’s important to establish a calming vibe every night before you go to bed – and to curtail your screen time significantly. Relax: In our go-go-go lives, simply taking time to relax can be difficult, but a daily regimen that includes meditation or mindfulness – or good, old-fashioned daydreaming – can substantially decrease stress levels. Prioritize your schedule: Cramming too much stuff into a day inevitably causes stress, so check off the things that need to be done before pursuing the smaller-scale items. Do something fun: Make time for enjoyable activities, such as hobbies, movies, concerts, dinners with friends, sporting events – really anything that puts you in a good mood. Talk to someone: Sometimes, the best de-stressor is just talking about your problems with a trusted family member, friend, colleague, or licensed professional therapist. Speaking of therapy, here at The Wright Center, stress prevention is a significant component of our behavioral health services for adults, children, and adolescents. Our first-rate team of experts can help you identify the causes of behavioral issues and provide solutions via comprehensive therapy services, psychological assessments, and psychiatric care. We also provide specialty services for children with severe mental illness as well as those who have experienced abuse or violence. Managing chronic stress is also a core mission of our Lifestyle Medicine practice, which works with individuals and families to improve their health and quality of life through lifestyle modifications such as stress relief techniques, eliminating tobacco use, improving diet, increasing physical activity, strengthening personal relationships and connections, and adjusting sleep habits. Our team is trained in conventional and lifestyle medicine and can work with you to create a personalized lifestyle self-care plan that’s sustainable for the long haul. I can confidently say that if you proactively work to reduce your stress levels, eventually, you’ll feel better mentally, physically, and emotionally. And you’ll improve your overall health – what could be better than that? Aditi Sharma, M.D., MPH, is a psychiatrist at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice. An alumna of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Psychiatry Residency, she treats adults experiencing depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, providing consultations and evaluations to develop personalized behavioral health and medicinal care plans.
