The Wright Center for Community Health Project PROGRESS The Wright Center for Community Health, along Luzerne County Community College, The Institute, the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center and the Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance have joined together to reduce the stigma associated with substance use disorder by connecting people in recovery with recovery-friendly employers in the new community-based, recovery-to-work program, Project PROGRESS. Project PROGRESS is an acronym for Providing Recovery Opportunities for Growth, Education and Sustainable Success, which serves Northeast Pennsylvania counties, including Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming. Project PROGRESS is funded in part through a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission along with financial support from the five partner organizations. “The goal of the project is to reduce the impact of stigma related to recovery on employees, employers and the region. Often people connect recovery and substance use, which is true, but think bigger. Recovery is about coming into healthy ways of being. The impact of being in recovery is incredible and demonstrates hard work. Whole communities benefit when people are in recovery,” said Meaghan Ruddy, Ph.D., senior vice president of Academic Affairs, Enterprise Assessment and Advancement, and Chief Research and Development Officer for The Wright Center for Community Health. In November 2020, Gov. Tom Wolf renewed for the 12th time his declaration that the opioid epidemic has placed Pennsylvania in a state health emergency. From 2015 to 2018, 1,149 people are reported to have died from opioid overdoses in the project’s six-county service area, according to OverdoseFreePA. “A community’s capacity to create anything at the community level will in large part rely on the robustness of that community’s understanding of a need and commitment to creating solutions to meet that need. Leadership and innovative organizations in the six counties of focus for Project PROGRESS are painfully aware of the impact the opioid crisis is having on our friends and neighbors,” said Dr. Ruddy. Yet, according to Dr. Ruddy, many community members lack an understanding of addiction as a chronic illness. In addition, health care workers default to stigmatizing the language of addiction when treating patients and many employers refuse to hire people in recovery. “This is all part of a structural misunderstanding of the tragic complexity of individuals struggling with addiction, and a lack of knowledge of the fact that individuals in recovery create communities in recovery,” she said. Olyphant resident and deejay makes recovery his business Earning money came easily for Jason McConnell from the time he was a teen, pulling in hundreds of dollars per night at area hotspots as a popular deejay. The Olyphant native’s prospects sank fast, however, as a substance use disorder that first surfaced in high school began destroying his business relationships, his credit rating and his life. The lucrative weekend gigs declined, until finally one night the college dropout found himself playing music at one of the few spots that would still agree to hire him: a strip club. Humiliated and dejected, he quit, left the club and drove straight to a liquor store. Before his Saturday night ended, McConnell, then in his mid-20s, had been charged with a DUI offense. “That was really the turning point,” says McConnell, now 30 and sober for nearly six years. “The day after that DUI, I remember sitting in a rocker at my parents’ house, beneath the deck, and I felt so empty inside. That’s when I was like, ‘Let’s do whatever we have to do. I can’t live like this anymore.’” For people like McConnell who are intent on overcoming a substance use disorder and leading a healthier life, the challenge often goes beyond dealing with the physical and psychological addiction. They also face financial hurdles, often because social stigma and other barriers prevent them from vying for desirable jobs or even entering quality educational and training programs. Their road to recovery becomes blocked, potentially resulting in poor outcomes, even relapse. The Wright Center for Community Health – a Scranton-based provider of primary care, medication-assisted treatment and recovery-related services in Northeast Pennsylvania – recognizes how difficult it can be to get and stay sober, especially if a person struggles to find and maintain well-paying employment. That’s why The Wright Center and multiple partners began a regional initiative called Project PROGRESS. The project, which was publicly launched in September 2022, aims to expand opportunities for people living in recovery to find meaningful and family-sustaining employment, including careers in the health care field. Fueled by grant funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the project’s promoters will engage with business owners and leaders across multiple industries to reduce the unfair stigma associated with substance use disorders and remove obstacles that prohibit workplace participation. In McConnell’s case, his ability to earn money immediately after treatment – and while living in the vulnerable stage of early recovery – was hobbled by the lack of a college degree. But he had an entrepreneurial drive. He managed to slowly revive his deejay operation while also launching a cellphone repair service. Then, during a checkup at The Wright Center for Community Health, another job prospect emerged. Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, The Wright Center’s president and CEO, who also had been McConnell’s longtime physician, knew about the impressive strides he had made toward changing his life for the better. “She said that I would be great for a position as a certified recovery specialist,” he recalls. McConnell suspended business at his cellphone shop for two weeks so that he could complete the required training, then began work as a certified recovery specialist – a person who has gone through the recovery process and can serve as a mentor, role model and motivator. “When I meet a new patient, I try to explain to them that I’ve been where they’re at,” he says. “The job involves a lot of talking about your personal experience and giving suggestions.” Through the Project PROGRESS program, training to become a certified recovery specialist has been provided by Luzerne County Community College to dozens of individuals. More trainees are expected to soon enter the pipeline. Similarly, the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center offers preparation to become a community health worker. Thanks to McConnell’s support network and his steady employment, he was able after completing treatment to put his life on a whole new trajectory. He gradually restored his credit rating. He even turned his once-tarnished deejay business into a thriving moonlighting enterprise. “When I got sober, I realized it was a second chance at being happy, being everything that I ever wanted to be,” he says. “And with a clear mind, you can go a long way.”
The Wright Center for Community Health promotes McAndrew to marketing manager The Wright Center for Community Health has named Ryan McAndrew of Scranton as community health marketing manager. He previously served as the graphic designer in the marketing and communications department. An employee of The Wright Center since 2020, McAndrew will be responsible for developing and maintaining marketing strategies and campaigns to meet strategic growth and community relations objectives for the network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties. McAndrew received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from Marywood University. McAndrew will raise public awareness about The Wright Center for Community Health’s medical home model, which offers patients access to nondiscriminatory, high-quality, affordable integrated care that includes medical, dental, behavioral, addiction and recovery, and other supportive services at one location. With a sliding-fee discount available, The Wright Center reduces barriers to care by ensuring health care is affordable for everyone regardless of a person’s ability to pay. The Wright Center treats patients of all ages, income levels and insurance statuses. No patient is turned away for lack of health insurance or an inability to pay. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 to find the most conveniently located community health center in the region or make an appointment.
The Wright Center’s Road to Recovery Car Show The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, in collaboration with Lackawanna College, is relocating the “Road to Recovery” Car Show on Saturday, Aug. 6 from Lackawanna College to Nay Aug Park, 500 Arthur Ave., Scranton, due to water damage on the college campus. Registration, which costs $10 per vehicle and $5 per motorcycle, begins at 8 a.m., with the show operating from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The “Road to Recovery” Car Show will be located on the stage immediately past the pool area at the summer concert venue at Nay Aug Park. Participants are asked to enter at the Olive Street side of the park in front of the pool area. The family-friendly fundraiser also features prizes, music, raffles, food trucks, games and more. Proceeds from the program are used to offset transportation costs for patients of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence. For more information, contact Kara Seitzinger, director of public affairs/advisor liaison to the president and CEO at The Wright Center, at seitzingerk@thewrightcenter.org or 570-591-5170. Pennsylvania designated The Wright Center for Community Health as an Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence in 2017 – one of 50 in the state. The program helps individuals in recovery reshape their lifestyles from the comfort of their own communities. Patients visit any of The Wright Center’s primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne or Wayne counties to connect with supportive certified recovery specialists, case managers, social workers and medical providers who collectively help them break the cycle of addiction through outpatient care. More information about the center and its addiction and recovery services is available at thewrightcenter.org/coe. The Wright Center for Community Health’s Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support program, known simply as Healthy MOMS, is also linked to the Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence. Established in 2018, the program was co-founded with multiple agencies to assist women who are pregnant and have a substance use disorder. Healthy MOMS provides prenatal, perinatal and postpartum care, including medication-assisted treatment, to women coping with a substance use disorder. It strives to break stigma while building the self-esteem of participating mothers during and after their pregnancies, ideally engaging them in recovery support services for about two years. More information about the program is available at healthymoms.org.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Resident Physicians Present Scholarly Works at 71st American College of Cardiology Scientific Session Internal medicine resident and cardiology fellow physicians at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education recently presented scholarly abstracts at the 71st Annual American College of Cardiology Scientific Session & Expo in Washington, D.C. The global conference enables the cardiology community to connect with peers and top experts in the field to learn about the latest practice-changing research and cutting-edge education that can transform cardiovascular care for doctors, health care team providers and patients. Dr. Sanskriti Shrivastava, the lead author, presented three research abstracts and a meta-analysis. His scholarly works included, “Long Story Short: Long-Term Outcomes in Alcohol Septal Ablation vs. Septal Myectomy in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy,” “Outracing Cancer: Analyzing Racial Differences in Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes in 270 Patients with Primary Malignant Cardiac Tumors from the Seer Database,” and “Characteristics and Survival Outcomes in Primary Malignant Cardiac Tumors Based on Histology: Insights from the Seer Database.” She also presented the meta-analysis, “Gender-Based Differences in Cardiovascular Outcomes Associated with COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” The lead author on three abstracts, Dr. Chaitanya Rojulpote presented “Effects of Prednisone Use on Cardiac Function and Outcomes in Patients with Sarcoidosis,” “Temporal Trends of Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicating Atrial Fibrillation Hospitalizations in the United States,” and “Temporal Trends of Heart Failure Complicating Atrial Fibrillation in the United States.” Dr. Pooja Kharbanda was the lead author on the scholarly abstract, “Dynamic Assessment of Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction Using Cardiac Catheterization.” Dr. Raza Naseer offered, “Rate vs. Rhythm Control for Atrial Fibrillation in the Modern Era: A Systematic Review and Mata-Analysis.” “Monitored Anesthesia Care vs. General Anesthesia Outcomes in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, was presented by Dr. Humza Hanif, the lead author. Co-authors included Drs. Muhammad Affan, Najam U. Saqib, Muhammad Siddique Pir, Shrivastava and Naseer. “Double Firing AV Node,” a case report, was presented by Dr. Sujithraj Dommaraju. Dr. Saqib presented his case reports, “The Bread and Butter and Beyond” and “Robotic PCI,” which he co-authored with Dr. Samir Pancholy. Overall, resident physicians in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education have had 115 scholarly abstracts, written on a wide array of topics in medicine, accepted for presentation at professional conferences since the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year.
The Wright Center Holds COVID-19 and Routine Vaccination Clinics The Wright Center for Community Health is holding Driving Better Health Mobile COVID-19 and Routine Vaccination Clinics in Lackawanna County in April, May and June from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at each location. Driving Better Health is a 34-foot mobile medical unit that brings high-quality health care services directly to the underserved communities of Northeast Pennsylvania. The mobile medical unit has been serving populations of special concern since 2020. It is regularly deployed to senior living centers, regional schools, homeless shelters and other community gathering spots. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available for anybody age 5 and up. A guardian must accompany patients who are younger than 17. Walk-up appointments are welcome depending on vaccine availability, but appointments are encouraged for the convenience of patients. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment. The Wright Center for Community Health clinical staff will also offer COVID-19 testing and routine vaccines at the clinics. The Wright Center for Community Health is offering the following vaccination clinics in Lackawanna County: Thursday, April 28: The Recovery Bank, 120 Wyoming Ave., Scranton; Friday, April 29: Scranton Healthy Aging Campus, 1004 Jackson St., Scranton, (10 a.m.-noon); Thursday, May 12: Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service, 441 Wyoming Ave., Scranton; Thursday, May 19 and Thursday, June 16: St. Francis Commons, 504 Penn Ave., Scranton; Friday, May 20 and Friday, June 17: Community Intervention Center, 445 N. 6th Ave., Scranton; Friday, May 27 and Friday, June 24: St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, 500 Penn Ave., Scranton; Tuesday, June 14: Carbondale Public Library, 5 N. Main St., Carbondale; Guests are asked to observe public safety measures, including masking and social distancing, during the clinic and bring identification and insurance cards.
The Wright Center Launches Women’s Health Initiative Dr. Erin McFadden The Scranton Practice for The Wright Center for Community Health is launching a weekly initiative beginning in May to enable patients to catch up on their regularly scheduled women’s health care screenings. The program begins Friday, May 6 and is available every Friday through Friday, July 29 from 1-4 p.m. at the Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave. The 30-minute women’s health care screenings will be under the direction of Dr. Erin McFadden, medical director of the Scranton Practice. The initiative will enable current patients to receive pelvic exams, breast cancer screenings and cervical cancer screenings, as well as referrals for mammograms. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of our patients have fallen behind on their regular women’s health care screenings,” said Dr. Supriana Bhandol, a resident physician in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Family Medicine Residency. “We are offering this special program to ensure that every one of our patients can schedule a convenient appointment to catch-up on these potentially life-saving screenings.” Dr. Supriana Bhandol Women between the ages of 21 and 29 should receive a cervical cancer screening every three years with a Pap smear, provided their last test was normal. A Pap smear can detect the presence of cervical cancer or cell changes that may lead to cervical cancer. Between the ages of 30 to 65, women should have a cervical cancer screening every five years. The painless examinations include either a Pap smear and high-risk HPV test or a high-risk HPV test. The test can detect the presence of human papillomavirus, which are abnormal cells that can lead to cervical cancer and sexually transmitted infection. To make an appointment for the women’s health initiative at the Scranton Practice, please call 570-941-0630. More information about The Wright Center is available at TheWrightCenter.org.
Wright Center’s North Pocono Practice Hosts Open House An open house program and ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Wright Center for Community Health North Pocono Practice on Sunday, April 24 from noon-2 p.m. will introduce regional residents to the family medicine services available at the new community health center in Covington Township. The North Pocono Practice, 260 Daleville Highway, Suite 103, in the North Pocono 502 Professional Plaza, officially opens its doors to patients in Moscow Borough, Elmhurst, Jefferson, Roaring Brook, Thornhurst, Spring Brook, Clifton, Covington and Madison townships, and nearby communities on Monday, April 25. It will be open four days a week, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will provide health care services to children and adults of all ages, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. Services include sick visits for the entire family, routine examinations and screenings, behavioral health and substance use disorder services, and the treatment of any illnesses or injuries that do not require a trip to the emergency room. The North Pocono Practice is the ninth community health center in The Wright Center for Community Health’s network that serves Northeast Pennsylvania. Together, they provide a safety net of comprehensive primary and preventive care to medically underserved populations in rural and urban areas. Patients who are uninsured or underinsured may be eligible for the sliding-fee discount program that allows The Wright Center to reduce fees for eligible patients depending on household size and family income. During the open house program, representatives from the region will join The Wright Center’s executive leadership team in the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially welcome the primary health care practice to the community. The Wright Center for Community Health’s Driving Better Health mobile medical unit will offer COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters during the open house program. In addition, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement will distribute free masks, at-home COVID-19 test kits and care bags. Children can also address their creative side by participating in arts and crafts activities with Allison LaRussa, director of health humanities at The Wright Center. WKRZ-FM 98.5 will provide music and offer special giveaways, while tours of the primary care practice will be available to guests. The Wright Center for Community Health’s community practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties provide comprehensive health care services to more than 47,000 patients annually in Northeast Pennsylvania. To make an appointment at the North Pocono Practice, call 570-230-0019 or go to TheWrightCenter.org
The Wright Center Names Vice President for Quality and Assurance Constance S. Sixta The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education has named Constance S. Sixta as vice president for quality and assurance. Sixta is very familiar with the mission, vision and core values of The Wright Center after serving as a quality improvement consultant for population health, care management, referral management and care compacts at the regional health care and workforce development provider for more than 10 years. She initially acted as director of the Pennsylvania Chronic Care Initiative in which she collaborated with executive leadership at The Wright Center in successfully implementing chronic disease management. Over the next couple of years, she worked more directly with The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and the American Medical Association Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement and the state Department of Health on the first national collaborative directed at closing the referral loop between primary care and specialist practices. Known as the “Closing the Referral Loop,” the initiative improved referral timeliness and report receipts between specialists and primary care providers in community practices throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. Most recently, Sixta worked in partnership with The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education in the implementation of quality improvement strategies, care management implementation, and the Resident and Fellow Population Management Course. In this new role, she will work collaboratively across departments and services to ensure that clinical practices and clinical education are operating at the highest level of quality. The vice president will co-create workflow improvements and educational opportunities with executives in the clinical and educational pillars of the Wright Center and own innovations and sustainable improvement efforts, particularly around issues relating to continuum of patient care, enterprise-wide training in quality processes, quality oversight, population health and enterprise quality improvement, including Plan Do Study Acts (PDSAs) and safe reports. “I have witnessed the great work being done by administration, management, providers, staff, residents and fellows across the organization, as we care for populations of special concern that experience disparate socioeconomic status,” Sixta said. “I have enjoyed working with everyone here. Most importantly, though, I have the utmost respect for The Wright Center’s mission of improving the health and well-being of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.” A well-recognized leader in quality improvement activities, Sixta’s experience ranges from the improvement of patient flow in large hospital systems to transformation of primary care practices to the enhancement of practice referral systems for specialty and primary care practices. She has worked with private primary care practices and graduate medical education primary care practices, including Federally Qualified Health Centers. She has also directed improvement collaboratives sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges, American Medical Association, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, state governments and more. Most recently, Sixta worked on the transformation of primary care practices to include the development of system infrastructure, change packages and tool kits that support population management. Sixta holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in nursing from the University of Nebraska in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as an MBA from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a doctorate in nursing from UTH Health Science Center, School of Nursing, in Houston, Texas. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, please lot on to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education receives Gold Advocacy Center of Excellence Designation The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has recognized The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education as a Gold Advocacy Center of Excellence (ACE) – the first community health center in Pennsylvania to achieve the gold standard. The ACE designation from the national body shows The Wright Center is dedicated to advocating for and supporting community health centers that provide comprehensive primary and preventive health services to medically underserved populations in rural and urban areas. “It is an incredible honor to be recognized by NACHC with the Gold ACE designation,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “Our advocacy efforts extend throughout our organization, as our 625 dedicated employees live and deliver our shared mission to improve the health and welfare of the communities we are privileged to serve. I am very proud of their collective service efforts to ensure high-quality primary and preventative care are available for all of our patients.” An ACE is a community health center that creates a culture of advocacy to ensure that policymakers at all levels of government commit to investing in affordable, equitable and innovative care that health centers provide. ACE levels recognize consistent engagement, success and demonstrated ongoing commitment to making advocacy an organization priority. ACEs are actively engaged with NACHC and forums addressing federal policy issues, as well as their state primary care association and platforms to address key state and local-level policy issues that impact community health centers and their patients. NACHC awards three levels of ACEs: bronze, silver and gold. Each designation is valid for two years. In order to earn ACE status, a community health center must complete a checklist of activities and accomplishments as outlined by NACHC. Wright Center employees, for example, develop and write guest editorials that raise awareness and address important public health issues that affect community health centers and patients. An in-house advocacy committee offers training, while the organization also hosts elected officials at its regional primary care practices. The executive leadership team participates in important meetings at the local, state and national levels that promote responsive solutions to important health care delivery issues and health outcomes. For more information about The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org .
Wright Center’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Family Support Group Returns to In-person Monthly Meetings The Wright Center for Community Health’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Family Support Group, a collaborative program with the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, will return to in-person monthly meetings at the Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, beginning Monday, May 2. The monthly meetings will be held the first Monday of the month from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Mid Valley Practice. The professionally led group is for caregivers, individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, family members and others personally affected by the disease. “Our support group offers comfort and reassurance for those who are living with the disease and individuals who are actively providing care or have loved ones afflicted with it,” said Nicole Lipinski, director of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Geriatric Service Line. “Support groups can also be a good source of practical advice, camaraderie and emotional support for everyone involved in this journey.” Guests are asked to observe public safety measures due to COVID-19, including masking and social distancing, during the meeting. To register for the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Family Support Group, please call 1-800-272-3900. For more information about The Wright Center, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. The support group falls under the umbrella of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program. The Wright Center is one of only eight health systems in the country to adopt the award-winning model that was created at UCLA. The clinic helps patients and their families with the complex medical, behavioral and social needs of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Advanced practice providers and dementia care specialists collaborate with the patient’s primary care physician to create and implement a personalized care plan that builds in medical needs, solutions for caregiver stress and cultural traditions unique to each individual and their family. The support group and program are components of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Geriatric Program, recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System. The program provides a full spectrum of comprehensive primary health and support services for seniors and serves as a trusted primary health advisor for seniors and their families in support of independent living. The Wright Center for Community Health’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Family Support Group, a collaborative program with the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, will hold in-person monthly sessions from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the first Monday of the month beginning May 2 at the Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn. Call the Alzheimer’s Association at 1-800-272-3900 to register.
