The Wright Center Becomes Training Site for Life Support Longtime paramedic Carmen Passaniti knows that saving the life of a person in cardiac arrest often depends on what happens even before emergency responders arrive on the scene. “If someone doesn’t start CPR,” he says, “the chance of a successful outcome is very, very small. Without that early intervention – without basic life support – nothing really matters.” Passaniti recently joined The Wright Center for Community Health, where he is leading an effort to provide various levels of life support training to anyone in the region who wants or needs it, ranging from hospital and health center employees to people with no connection to the medical field. The Wright Center recently became an American Heart Association (AHA) training site, allowing it to begin delivering important services to the communities it serves in Northeast Pennsylvania. For professionals who are required to get certifications and recertifications, it will provide affordable trainings in Basic Life Support, Heartsaver CPR, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition and Stabilization (PEARS). For beginners, Passaniti will cover topics such as how to identify the signs of sudden cardiac arrest and how to use an automated external defibrillator, the device used to jolt a heart back into rhythm. All trainings will adhere to the AHA’s training site guidelines, which are widely considered the gold standard. By establishing the new training site, The Wright Center will be able to efficiently certify and recertify its own employees, including physicians, nurses, and other clinicians, while addressing broader community needs. A well-established AHA training center in Lackawanna County recently ended operations, leaving emergency responders, college students enrolled in health care programs, daycare workers, pharmacists, and others searching for options. The debut of The Wright Center’s training site also coincides with a surge in public interest in CPR certification programs. A high-profile incident involving NFL player Damar Hamlin, who was resuscitated on the football field during a nationally televised game in January, brought the reality of cardiac arrest into people’s living rooms. “When it happens in a very public venue such as a Monday Night Football game with millions of people watching, it kind of brings more people to the classroom,” says Passaniti. “They say, ‘Maybe I should learn how to do that.’ Because it can truly make a difference.” Hamlin, who survived the incident and has since resumed playing, has partnered with the AHA to issue a social media challenge, the “Damar Hamlin #3forHeart CPR Challenge.” The campaign urges participants to do three things: learn “hands-only” CPR, donate to AHA in support of CPR education and training, and encourage three friends to do the same. Any first-timers who attend Passaniti’s basic-level training courses are coached in not only the skills they need but also the confidence. Many novices are understandably concerned that if they help a stranger in an emergency, they might do more harm than good. Others worry they might expose themselves to legal liability. Passaniti explains there are Good Samaritan laws in each state to protect helpers, and intervention is crucial for these life-and-death situations. “Anything you do is a positive,” he says. “People may be worried about doing the technique wrong, they’re worried about causing injury. But it’s better to try. Some CPR is better than no CPR.” More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospital settings each year in the United States, according to the AHA. Yet in only about 40 percent of those cases do the victims get the immediate help they need before the arrival of emergency responders. CPR, if administered immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival, according to the AHA. That’s why people like Passaniti are eager to spread training throughout the community, increasing the odds that life-saving help might be close at hand when needed at homes, houses of worship, workplaces, sports fields, and other social spaces. ‘Chain of survival’ Passaniti, 65, seems perfectly suited for his new role at The Wright Center, where he works among many familiar faces. “I’ve known Carmen for years,” says Sheila Ford, vice president of quality, safety, and enterprise policy compliance and integrity. “All of our doctors know him. For decades our physicians and residents, as well as clinical staff, have received BLS, ACLS and PALS training with Carmen.” “Carmen, has just been a pillar of the community” she adds, “Our clinicians value his expertise with the American Heart Association’s gold standard for life support certifications. Creating a clinical community gold standard is important for the patients and the communities we serve.” In 1972, at age 14, he became a junior firefighter for the Dalton Fire Company, where he continues to serve to this day as ambulance captain. In both volunteer and paid capacities, he has devoted decades to protecting lives and property. He served as a paramedic in Lackawanna County during the pioneering days of the profession. In addition to responding to calls, he then became active in managing training programs to properly prepare others who work in the emergency response field throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. Passaniti now holds the title of director of employee health and continuing medical education coordinator at The Wright Center. His duties include overseeing the health aspects of the new employees’ onboarding requirements and ensuring employees remain up to date on health mandates such as vaccinations. He will also spearhead a two-year effort to have The Wright Center’s new training site designated as an AHA training center, a distinction earned by training a certain number of people annually and meeting other standards. “Carmen is so passionate and committed to it,” adds Ford. “And he’s done this before. This is not a road he hasn’t traveled.” Passaniti was deeply involved in managing the former Community Life Support ambulance company and the recently closed Commonwealth Health EMS (CHEMS) training center, where he had been clinical manager. Even as he reaches an age at which many people opt to retire, the West Abington Township resident feels compelled to continue to conduct trainings, so he can teach and inspire younger generations. “It’s something I truly enjoy doing,” Passaniti says. He also knows that, for some of the people he trains, there will be more at stake than a feeling of accomplishment or a certification. A life will hang in the balance. A fast-acting family member or bystander will step in, use their training, and forge the first link in a so-called “chain of survival” that begins with basic life support and connects to skilled emergency responders and, finally, to hospital professionals. The outcome, while never certain, can be spectacular. “Someone is going to see their family again,” says Passaniti. “They’ll leave the hospital neurologically intact and go home with the same quality of life.”
Wright Center Doctor Receives Writing Award Maureen Litchman, M.D., the medical director of The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre Practice and a board-certified family medicine physician, was recently presented with a Family Medicine Education Consortium (FMEC) award for creative writing in the prose category. She received the award during FMEC’s Annual Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, on Oct. 13-15. FMEC seeks to identify and recognize individuals who have demonstrated significant contributions to family medicine and primary care. The award is for her story, “Not Knowing,” which occurred when Dr. Litchman delivered a baby in the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital Emergency Room. The mother had received no prenatal care and, at the time, the hospital had no obstetrics department. Dr. Litchman was among four individuals who were honored in the category. Dr. Litchman graduated from Hahnemann Medical College and completed her family medicine residency training at United Health and Hospital Services (now The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Family Medicine Residency Program). She recently earned her master’s degree in creative writing from Wilkes University. FMEC works to improve health communities by strengthening family medicine, primary care, and medical education. It serves 14 states and the District of Columbia, working with 60 medical school departments of family medicine, 190 family medicine residency programs, and thousands of family physicians, and other health care providers in community settings. To learn more about The Wright Center for Community Health’s primary and preventive care services and convenient locations, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. 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. Certain patients may be eligible for the sliding-fee discount program that is based on family size and income.
The Wright Center to Host Wonderful Women Breast Cancer Support Group The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., will host a Wonderful Women Breast Cancer Support Group program on Wednesday, Nov. 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Family and friends are invited and light refreshments will be served. Special guests include Julie Rutkowski of the Strong and Coura’Jess Foundation and Tiffany Carroll and Kaitlyn Carroll of The Salted Pixie. Dolly Woody, the former director of the Susan G. Komen Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania, will serve as the keynote speaker. The program is free, but you must RSVP by calling Holly Przasnyski at 570-209-3275 or emailing her at przasnyskih@TheWrightCenter.org. For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Wright Center Employee Receives Statewide Honor Kara Seitzinger, executive director of public affairs and advisor liaison to The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education’s president and CEO, was named by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers as the recipient of a 2023 Award for Primary Care Excellence (APEX) in recognition of her work as a community ambassador. The association annually bestows its APEX awards in 10 categories to recognize the outstanding efforts of dedicated individuals and teams who work or volunteer for Pennsylvania’s community health centers. An APEX represents the pinnacle of service, quality, innovation, and achievement in primary health care. The association awarded two Community Ambassador Awards this year. A Scranton resident, Seitzinger received the award on Oct. 11 at the association’s Annual Conference and Clinical Summit in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “Kara is truly worthy of this prestigious award. I cannot think of anyone who is a stronger advocate for the patients, families, and communities we serve,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “She embodies the mission of The Wright Center 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. “Thanks to her efforts, our patients and families struggling with food insecurity receive nutritious foods; community members who need warm clothing are given winter garments; and those who need transportation to doctor’s appointments receive travel vouchers. Her monumental public service efforts are honestly hard to quantify, but our communities are healthier and safer because of her reliable and tireless efforts.” The Community Ambassador Award is “presented to an individual who champions the community health center mission through a steadfast commitment to build relationships, enact change, and promote awareness and bring positive attention to their health center,” according to the association. Seitzinger works to expand The Wright Center’s visibility and public health impact throughout the region, often identifying and joining forces with mission-aligned community partners to conduct outreach programs that support vulnerable populations and medically underserved communities. As part of a collaboration with the CDC Foundation, she coordinated with government, business, and nonprofit leaders at the height of the coronavirus pandemic to launch a public health campaign in the Hazleton area to expand access to COVID-19 education, testing, vaccines, and treatment. Later, the campaign also succeeded in delivering CDC-recommended childhood vaccinations to more than 700 school-aged children, enabling their uninterrupted participation in the classroom. Seitzinger has also played a key role in the planning and execution of fundraising events that allow The Wright Center to provide goods and services to patients and community members in need. For example, the “Road to Recovery” car show in Scranton helps to offset transportation costs for certain individuals who are served by The Wright Center’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence and Healthy MOMs program so they can get to and from their medical appointments. Seitzinger often serves as the health center’s point person for high-profile community impact projects, such as sponsoring the region’s annual PrideFest Parade, most recently held in Wilkes-Barre. The Wright Center’s participation in the event helps to raise awareness of its Ryan White HIV Clinic and to reach community members who might otherwise not have the resources needed to seek care. The Wright Center currently operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, including a mobile medical vehicle called Driving Better Health. Its practices offer integrated whole-person care, meaning patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services. It accepts most major health insurance plans, including Medical Assistance (Medicaid), Medicare, and CHIP, noting that no patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. To learn more about The Wright Center’s mission and many services, call 570-230-0019 or visit TheWrightCenter.org.
Wright Center Leader Selected To Sit On Pennsylvania Mental Health Planning Council Scott Constantini, associate vice president of primary care and recovery services integration for The Wright Center for Community Health, has been named to a three-year term on the Pennsylvania Mental Health Planning Council’s (MHPC) Adult Advisory Committee. The Adult Advisory Committee is one of three MHPC committees under the direction of the deputy secretary of the state’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS). Before he was promoted to his current role in 2022, Constantini served for six years as the director of behavioral health at The Wright Center for Community Health. In his current role, he collaborates with hospitals, school districts, public health agencies, government entities, and other community partners to expand access to and improve behavioral services across the region. He also sits on the Lackawanna County Overdose Fatality Review Committee under the direction of county District Attorney Mark Powell. Constantini has a strong track record of developing sustainable projects in the recovery and primary care realms, working with the state Department of Health Services, Department of Health, and Department of Drug and Alcohol programs through The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence program, the Pennsylvania Coordinated Medication Assisted Treatment Program and a variety of other key programs designed to improve the behavioral health of Pennsylvanians. He also oversees various federal grants to expand addiction services, such as medications for opiate use disorder, to address the opiate overdose crisis. “I will represent The Wright Center for Community Health, our patients, and the region with integrity and pride to help guide the state on the future of mental health services across Pennsylvania,” he said. “As we know, there is a lot of work to be done.” The MHPC consists of three committees: The Children’s Advisory, Adult Advisory, and Older Adult Advisory committees. They aim to advise on a broad behavioral mandate that includes mental health, substance misuse, behavioral health disorders, and cross-system disability.
The Wright Center’s: Health Literacy Goes A Long Way Toward Long-term Wellness Here at The Wright Center, we’re big proponents of our patients serving as their own best advocates for their long-term health. So, naturally, we’re happy to promote awareness campaigns like Health Literacy Month. Observed throughout October, Health Literacy Month was started in 1999 by health communication expert Helen Osborne as a way for organizations and the general public to spread awareness on the need for patients to more efficiently process, analyze, and evaluate the information they are receiving from their health care providers. Through better health literacy, people can overcome challenges that result in bad health outcomes and in the process, create a more equitable world “where everyone can access high-quality care and achieve positive health outcomes,” according to the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA), the group that oversees Health Literacy Month. According to IHA, studies have shown that a large number of patients have significant difficulty reading, comprehending, and acting on the health information provided to them, often due to the complexity of the information and a lack of clear, plainspoken communication on the part of the provider. In addition, basic literacy skills, language differences, age, disability, cultural context, and emotional responses can also hinder a patient’s health literacy, which can negatively affect health outcomes and costs. Thankfully, efforts like Health Literacy Month are helping to bridge that gap. In recent years, the event has become a worldwide initiative with numerous health care organizations, government agencies, literacy programs, colleges, professional organizations, businesses, social service organizations, and community partnerships hosting and collaborating on various health literacy events every October. Fitting into that theme, earlier this year The Wright Center joined an impressive list of organizations across the country when it was designated by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), an office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as a Healthy People 2030 Champion, affirming our longtime commitment to improving the health and well-being of all people. Applicants are selected on the basis of possessing a demonstrated interest in and experience with disease prevention, health promotion, health equity, well-being, and health literacy. One of the main focuses of the Healthy People initiative is addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH). These social conditions impact people in the places where they live, learn, work, and play and can affect their quality of life and health. Examples of SDOH include exposure to polluted air and water, exposure to racism and violence, and an individual’s level of access to things such as nutritious foods, educational attainment, job opportunities, safe housing, and outlets for physical activity. The Wright Center has made SDOH a critical part of our mission, and we’re firmly committed to providing exceptional integrated primary and preventive health care services to our diverse patient population throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. That means giving patients the tools they need to become their best advocates, including spending as much time as needed with them and their families and delivering information with clarity, purpose, and empathy. Our resident physicians also partnered with community organizations to address SDOH. For example, we delivered educational programming at the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary for regional children about the importance of healthy eating habits and collaborated with Child Hunger Outreach Partners to package nutritious food for regional children experiencing food insecurity. It is important to know that a little knowledge goes a long way. My colleagues and I at The Wright Center for Community Health are adamant about providing patients with the right information so they can make the right decisions about their health. For more information about Health Literacy Month, visit https://healthliteracymonth.org. Ayushi Jain, M.D., is a resident physician in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency program and serves as the chief resident liaison for The Wright Center for Patient and Community Engagement Board.
The Wright Center’s Mobile Medical Clinic to Offer Routine Physicals for Students The Wright Center for Community Health’s medical clinic on wheels, Driving Better Health. To promote the health of school-aged children and teens, The Wright Center for Community Health will begin offering a new service next month aboard its mobile medical and dental unit known as Driving Better Health. The Driving Better Health clinician team will provide students with routine physicals, piloting this expanded service in the Hazleton Area School District. The first event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, at the Hazleton Area School District Administration Building, 1515 W. 23rd St., Hazle Township. A second event at the same location, and during the same time span, is scheduled for Oct. 25. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Appointments are required. Please bring student’s identification and insurance cards, if available. The Wright Center will never turn anyone away due to inability to pay. For more information or to make an appointment for a student physical, call 570.230.0019 or visit TheWrightCenter.org. The Wright Center’s traveling clinicians noticed a need for this service as they conducted an ongoing series of back-to-school vaccination clinics at multiple school districts in Northeast Pennsylvania, said Christine Wysocky, co-director of certified nurse practitioner and physician assistant services for The Wright Center for Community Health. “In Hazleton, there’s a large pediatric population that has fallen behind in obtaining their vaccines and their yearly physicals,” she said, noting that Pennsylvania requires physicals for every child entering kindergarten, sixth and 11th grades, as well as any new students enrolling from out of state. “With our mobile unit, we can take these services to them.” In addition to physicals, participants at the Driving Better Health clinics on Oct. 17 and Oct. 25 will be able to get routine childhood vaccines for which they are eligible, including chicken pox; measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); polio; pertussis; tetanus, diphtheria and tetanus (DTaP); hepatitis B, meningitis; and the flu. COVID-19 vaccines and tests may also be available. For vaccine-only visits, appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are accepted. For these appointments, children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and should have identification, vaccination records and insurance information, if applicable. Uninsured children can be vaccinated under the federally funded Vaccines for Children program. For more information or to schedule a vaccine-only appointment, call 570.230.0019 or visit TheWrightCenter.org. A medical clinic on wheels, Driving Better Health allows The Wright Center for Community Health to treat patients where they are in Northeast Pennsylvania – from traditionally underserved city neighborhoods to rural areas. The 34-foot vehicle includes two fully equipped exam areas, which can be used either for health care services or dental services. The vehicle also has a wheelchair lift. Since it was put into service in late 2020, Driving Better Health has repeatedly been deployed to area schools, senior living centers, homeless shelters and other community gathering spots. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provided a grant that enabled The Wright Center to acquire and outfit the custom-built vehicle, which initially served to help populations of special concern during the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding access to coronavirus testing and vaccines.
The Wright Center News Read below to discover what Maria Kolcharno from the Wright Center says about The Healthy MOMS program. Maria Kolcharno, L.S.W., serves as director of addiction services for The Wright Center for Community Health. She supervises the daily operations of addiction-related services and grant-funded clinical operations, including the Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence. It’s hard for me to believe that it’s been five years since The Wright Center and a number of other regional community organizations launched the Healthy MOMS program as a way to meet the needs of families affected by substance use disorder. “The Healthy MOMS – it stands for Maternal Opiate Medical Support – program was established in 2018 to help pregnant women and new mothers overcome addiction and embrace a life in recovery. Participants are offered blanket services that include medication-assisted treatment and addiction services, counseling, primary health care, OB-GYN care, parenting tips, legal advice, and numerous other forms of support. It’s all about providing mothers with the strong foundation they’ll need for them and their children to enjoy a happy, healthy life. Named after a program of the same name in Ohio, Healthy MOMS was initially introduced as a pilot program in two counties, with initial grant funding secured by the Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Today, the program assists women in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of community partners representing Northeast Pennsylvania’s health care, legal, housing, and social service organizations, the program has proven to be nothing less than a resounding success. Over the past five years, we’ve touched the lives of more than 430 babies and mothers. I’m very proud of the number of people our program has been able to assist, but I know we must continue working hard to reach more people in need. As we know too well, even under the most idyllic circumstances, it takes a village to raise a child. Adding the complex struggles surrounding opioid addiction to the equation can make pregnancy an even tougher time. With that realization in mind, our team focuses on our clients’ health, financial, legal, and personal needs. The program provides medication-assisted treatment, behavioral health, case management, and social services, ideally engaging mom and baby all the way up until the child’s second birthday. The evidence suggests that mothers who join the program and participate in recovery services well before their delivery dates are less likely to give birth to babies who experience neonatal abstinence syndrome, a potentially painful and costly medical condition caused when a newborn withdraws from opioids or other drugs that the baby had been exposed to in the womb. While Healthy MOMS has served mothers as young as 14, the program mostly works with women in their 20s and 30s. Many of our moms have said the program gave them a stronger sense of optimism and an increased self-confidence, and several others have noted that it led them to wanting to obtain their GED and pursue their education even further. Obviously, the program depends on solid funding to carry out its mission, and thankfully we’ve been fueled by generous grant support from private, state, and federal entities, including the AllOne Foundation, Robert H. Spitz Foundation, Direct Relief, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. And, of course, our many community partners are hugely integral to our continued success. Five years in, we’ll keep that momentum going, continuing to build upon Healthy MOMS’ services and partnerships. It’s truly a privilege to be involved with a community program so worthwhile.” For more information on the Healthy MOMS program, call 570-955-7821 or visit www.healthymoms.org. Read below to discover what Maureen Litchman from the Wright Center says about healthy aging. Maureen Litchman, M.D., a board-certified family medicine physician, is the medical director of The Wright Center Wilkes-Barre Practice, where she sees patients of all ages. Dr. Litchman also serves as associate program director of the Regional Family Medicine Residency Program at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. “I walked into my kitchen. Mail strewn on the counter. There it was. An envelope posted from AARP addressed to me. It was 2005. Reality struck. I was old enough to be eligible for membership. The good news is there are lifestyle changes we can make to lead healthier lives and positively impact our longevity. Each of us can take a proactive approach in adjusting and supporting our changing bodies. This can be done gracefully by making healthier choices. I am happy to share with you some behaviors each of us older citizens can do to improve the quality and quantity of our lives. And if you’re not quite in an “older age group,” it’s never too early to start adopting some of these changes. Please consider sharing them with someone you love so they can start making some positive changes. Please allow me to promote September’s observance of Healthy Aging Month, whichbegan more than 30 years ago to encourage people to focus on their physical and mental health in a positive way. There are several ways each of us can live healthier lives. Many healthy practices are well within our reach with the right amount of motivation and encouragement. Engaging with others in your pursuit of better health creates supportive relationships. This increases your chances for success. Below are a few tips to consider. I suggest following one or two behaviors to start and incorporate additional changes every few weeks. Maintain a healthy diet: Increase your intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, and water. Alcohol may be consumed in moderation. Get up and move! Treat yourself to a walk and enjoy the scenery. If the weather is inclement, find an indoor site such as a local mall and get some steps in. Try increasing how long you walk over a few weeks with a goal of walking for 30 minutes, three days a week. Ways you can increase your activity include: park further away from your destination, use steps instead of an elevator, and walk into drive-in places such as a bank. See your doctor: Schedule regular preventive and primary care checkups with your primary care physician to reduce disease occurrence or to detect it early enough so treatment may be more effective. Get a good night’s sleep: Some adults may struggle to get adequate sleep. Your strive to goal would be to sleep seven to nine hours per night. This may increase your level of alertness and improve your mood and memory. Avoid using tobacco products to include smoking, vaping, and chewing: Please know there are several effective options to assist you in quitting. Have your primary care physician be a member of your team to help you battle this health challenge. Monitor your brain health: Our brains may change as we get older. The good news is, dementia is not a normal part of the aging process. We can improve brain health by performing activities which challenge our brains: crossword puzzles, Wordle, Sudokus, etc. Please notify your doctor if anything related to your memory or overall brain health has occurred. We at The Wright Center are trained to help you with your health challenges. We offer a full range of geriatric services that promote good health, prevent disease, treat afflictions, and manage disabilities. We firmly believe that our holistic, whole-person approach to treatment and care is especially beneficial to aging adults who may be categorized as frail or not being listened to by other doctors. We provide them with the tools to live a full and healthy life thanks to our specialized services, which include Alzheimer’s and dementia evaluation and testing; well visits with providers; ongoing care for chronic conditions; caregiver support; preventive care and health education; case management; and linkage to community resources and support services. That approach is paying big dividends, as evidenced by our geriatric program being recognizedby the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System Partner forproviding a full spectrum of primary health and support services for our patients who are youngat heart. We’re all aging – but with a lot of personal effort and the assistance of our health care providers,we can age well and continue to enjoy our lives. Whether you refer to getting older as “the golden years” or “the silver tsunami,” let’s all strive to make them the best years of our lives because they are precious.”
The Wright Center Celebrates Community Health Worker Awareness Week One of the fastest-growing careers in health care has nothing to do with direct medical care. Using their encyclopedic knowledge of local resources, community health workers (CHWs) help people meet various basic needs, including housing, utility bills, nutritious foods, clothing, insurance, transportation to and from medical appointments, and more. “Community health workers, they’re pretty much the foundation,” said Amanda Vommaro, CCHW, director of patient-centered services and supervisor of the community health workers at The Wright Center for Community Health. “We make sure the patients are getting their social needs met so that they’re able to address their health.” For example, a patient with financial difficulties may have to choose between buying food or medication, according to Vommaro. Connecting to a food pantry could help that patient afford the life-saving medication a doctor prescribes. “If you don’t have your basic needs met, you’re not really able to do anything else,” she said about patients. “When they’re not buying medication and taking care of their health, that’s where we come in.” As the health care world celebrates National Community Health Worker Awareness Week from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, the need for CHWs is greater than ever. Employment of community health workers across the United States is projected to grow 12% between 2021 and 2031 – much faster than the average for other occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the demand for CHWs, according to Chelsea Wolff, a health educator with the Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Thousands of people lost their jobs and found themselves navigating an often-overwhelming system to apply for unemployment, food stamps, rent and mortgage relief, and other aid from government entities and local social service agencies. President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan called for hiring 100,000 CHWs over 10 years starting in 2021 to support the prevention and control of COVID-19. But many entities that employ CHWs are having trouble filling the jobs, including The Wright Center for Community Health. It’s partly because people are not familiar with the position. “People are starting to know about it, but we have a long way to go,” Wolff acknowledged. AHEC hopes to help fill the need locally through training courses, some of which are held virtually for community members. The center began offering CHW courses in 2009, Wolff said. Since then, demand has soared for these specialty workers. The course covers the basics of what a CHW needs to know, from building an understanding of different cultures and health literacy to learning how to complete documentation and how to avoid job burnout. CHWs live in the communities they serve, so they become experts in knowing what resources are available and how best to connect clients to them, Vommaro and Wolff said. The AHEC classes feature many guest speakers, so trainees can begin building a list of local resources that provide help. “It’s helping to connect the dots and really building those contacts,” Wolff said. Vommaro said clients are often more comfortable talking to CHWs because of their shared community roots. “It’s just a different level of comfort when you’re talking to a community health worker because sometimes we’ve been in the same situation they are in; we’re people who live in their community,” she said. “It’s a little less intimidating than talking to their doctor.” For more information about the course, visit the AHEC’s website at NEPA-AHEC.org. AHEC also offers monthly informational sessions about CHWs every second Monday of the month. To learn more, go to PACHW.org/upcoming-sessions.
