The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement Supports People Facing Hardships During a community-outreach project, Kara Seitzinger was handing out free back-to-school supplies at the South Side Farmers Market in Scranton on a sunny Saturday when she got an urgent call from a colleague at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice. The caller, a community health worker, explained the still-unfolding situation: A mother, homeless and pregnant, had come into the clinic in Jermyn needing food, diapers, and other essential supplies. The caller asked: Can we help her? Yes, said Seitzinger. Within hours, the woman received what she needed. The same day, Seitzinger and a group of volunteers distributed 85 school backpacks to families visiting the farmers market. It’s all in a day’s work for Seitzinger, executive director of public affairs at The Wright Center, and like-minded employees who volunteer with the nonprofit organization’s subsidiary, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE). Oct. 23 is National Make a Difference Day, an annual observance during which people are encouraged to find ways to improve their communities. Motivated by a similar spirit, many of The Wright Center’s employees and resident and fellow physicians are active year-round, doing impactful projects with PCE to improve people’s health and well-being. PCE’s roots can be traced to an informal auxiliary started years ago by staffers at the Mid Valley Practice and funded by their donations. They sporadically passed the hat to help a patient or family with a pressing need. However, The Wright Center’s leaders soon recognized the profound need it filled in the community and formalized the initiative in 2020 to make it self-sufficient. Mary Marrara, a longtime community champion and a member of The Wright Center for Community Health Board, helped complete the paperwork to establish PCE officially. “The initiative to do patient and community engagement started with little bites, and then we folded in the auxiliary to launch what it is today,” she said. ‘We take care of it’ PCE strives to help people in the region overcome food insecurity and other negative social and economic determinants of health, such as inadequate housing, lack of educational access, and poverty. The Wright Center’s leaders recognize that addressing these basic needs is critical to improving patients’ health over the long term, said Seitzinger, who serves as advisor liaison to The Wright Center’s president and CEO. “Transportation has always been a huge problem for many of our patients,” said Seitzinger. “And, food insecurity has increased exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic began and really rose again in the last six months as SNAP benefits were cut.” PCE seeks grants and conducts several fundraising events to fulfill its mission. The organization hosted its inaugural golf tournament in May, which raised more than $45,000. In August, proceeds from the second annual Road to Recovery Car Show at Nay Aug Park assisted patients of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence with transportation to and from appointments. Similarly, when possible, PCE helps community members get past short-term crises, as it was able to do for the pregnant, homeless woman who needed assistance. “People can come to us without worry,” said Marrara. We have people come to us privately, and we take care of it, but we maintain 100% accurate records. I want people to know – everything we do is checked and double-checked.” ‘The next step’ PCE relies on volunteers to chip in during food distributions, school backpack giveaways, and other events at The Wright Center’s primary care practices and other locations in the community. Seitzinger sees it as a win-win: Employees make a difference in the communities they serve, and they raise public awareness about the affordable, high-quality health care and preventive services available by visiting The Wright Center’s clinics in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties. “The Wright Center is federally funded, so in a sense, the community owns it,” said Seitzinger. “We’re trying to find ways to contribute to the community and get our staff out there to give back.” Looking to the future, Seitzinger envisions building more lasting ways for PCE to help the community, including adding a permanent food pantry and a dedicated clothing closet. “Having the ability to have a food bank or a clothing closet right there in the clinic, that’s the next step,” she said. Marrara echoed Seitzinger’s goals, noting that she’s excited to see how PCE will continue to grow over time. “I’m proud of what we have become,” she said. “And I would venture to say that a year from now, I’ll be even prouder.” For more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
The Wright Center Welcomes Longtime EMT and Educator A longtime emergency medical technician-paramedic and educator joined The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education as director of employee health and continuing medical education coordinator. Carmen Passaniti, EMT-P, will oversee employee health services and training for The Wright Centers in this new role. Earlier this month, the American Heart Association (AHA) designated The Wright Center for Community Health as an official training site. As part of his duties, Passaniti will oversee the process of developing The Wright Center for Community Health as an AHA training center, including developing a curriculum in alignment with AHA guidelines. Additionally, he will build and implement a continuing medical education program for clinical employees. Passaniti began his career as an emergency medical technician-paramedic at Community Medical Center in 1981, where he worked on the first advanced life support unit in Lackawanna County. Since then, the West Abington Township resident has spent decades coordinating training for and managing EMTs and paramedics at Community Life Support, which became part of Commonwealth Health Emergency Medical Services (CHEMS). In addition, he has managed the AHA training for EMTs and paramedics for Community Life Support and CHEMS for more than 20 years, including serving as training center coordinator for seven years. For more information about the locations and services provided by The Wright Center for Community Health, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Wright Center to Host Backpack Giveaway To celebrate National Health Center Week, The Wright Center for Community Health will host backpack giveaways in Hawley and South Scranton. The backpacks, funded by The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, contain much-needed school supplies – including pencils, pencils, notebooks and folders – to give kids a good start to the school year. Sponsored by the National Association of Community Health Centers, National Health Center Week celebrates America’s 1,400 Community Health Centers, which serve as the beacon of strength, service, and care in their communities. The week begins Sunday, Aug. 6 and ends Saturday, Aug. 12. WHAT: Backpack giveaways in Hawley and South Scranton to celebrate National Health Center Week. WHERE/WHEN: Tuesday, Aug. 8, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health Hawley Practice, 103 Spruce St., Hawley; Saturday, Aug. 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., South Side Farmers Market, 526 Cedar Ave., Scranton. A Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, The Wright Center for Community Health is an essential community provider of safety-net primary and preventive health services, a state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, and a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic. The Wright Center for Community Health operates 10 locations in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties include a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health that serve more than 33,0000 unique patients annually and ensure everyone in the service area has access to integrated, high-quality, affordable health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.
The Wright Center Knows That Success in Recovery Takes a Village Substance use disorder affects people in all walks of life, no matter their profession or socio-economic status. No one is immune from substance use disorder impacting their lives, whether it is a family member, friend or themselves. September marks the 30th anniversary of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. This year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger,” could be the theme for The Wright Center for Community Health’s comprehensive recovery programs for people facing alcohol and substance use disorder in a nine-county area of Northeast Pennsylvania. The Wright Center for Community Health was recognized as a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence in 2016, accepting their first patient in February 2017. Since then, about 2,300 people have interacted with the program and 670 patients are currently actively involved in the Center of Excellence “We’ve grown tremendously as an organization and as a recovery community. When you have a village mentality, you are tapping into every resource to meet the needs of patients. It’s about getting them on and keeping them on a recovery journey, regardless of their pathway,” said Scott Constantini, assistant vice president of primary care and recovery services integration at The Wright Center for Community Health. Services to Support People with SUD As an integrated health care organization, the Center of Excellence works with patients to ensure they have the proper medical care and treatments for their recovery to be successful. When a patient who hasn’t seen a doctor in 20 years enters the Center of Excellence program, they are offered access to medical, dental, behavioral health and other supportive service lines. Every patient is connected with a case manager and a certified recovery specialist (CRS) for support. Medication for Opiate Use Disorder (MOUD) treatment is also available. “We offer multiple pathways to recovery; what works for one patient may not work for another. We have grown both our Center of Excellence to expand patient capacity and we’ve also grown our collaborative partners in the community to meet the needs of our patients. It’s about a full circle of services,” said Constantini. Together with these community partners, The Wright Center for Community Health connects patients with multiple recovery supports, treatment, and socioeconomic necessities. The Healthy MOMS program The Healthy MOMS (Maternal Opiate Medical Support) program supports pregnant women and mothers with substance use disorder. Launched in 2018, the program has treated 420 mothers, with 223 babies born during that time. Currently, 168 mothers are active within the program. Healthy MOMS provides intensive case management services for expectant mothers throughout their pregnancy up until their youngest child is two years old. The program aims to stabilize this high-risk population and allows participants to receive the necessary support to manage their chronic condition in conjunction with pregnancy and the postpartum period. “Many mothers in the program are considered high-risk pregnancies because of their prescribed MOUD. Our case management provides many services by connecting this population with resources including family planning, OB/GYN, pediatricians, and social services like transportation, housing and WIC,” said Maria Kolcharno, director of addiction services. Efforts to Reduce the Stigma An important function of the Center of Excellence is to work in the community to reduce and educate the stigma associated with addiction. “We are doing a lot of work around stigma. People are no longer feeling alone in their recovery journey,” said Constantini. “Unfortunately, society doesn’t look at addiction as a chronic health condition. They tend to look at it as a moral failure or choice and we are working to change that narrative.” The Wright Center for Community Health is a part of Project PROGRESS (Providing Recovery Opportunities for Growth, Education, and Sustainable Success), a multi-county recovery-to work program that connects people in recovery with employers in six counties. The program works with employers to educate them about the benefits of hiring people in recovery and coordinates training classes to make more CRSs available in the community. Addiction Affects the Family Families struggle with addiction as it is a family disease. Addiction is very powerful and no different than if someone was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Families are encouraged to also seek support to understand the disease through local Al-anon support groups or other family support organizations. In these groups, families will learn how to offer positive support and understand the symptoms of the disease. For more information about recovery programs at The Wright Center for Community Health, visit TheWrightCenter.org. Best Practices for Getting and Remaining Sober: Sobriety is very personal and may mean different things to different people. By definition, sobriety means not being under the influence of a substance, whether alcohol or drugs. It is estimated that 80% of people who experience long-term sobriety had at least one relapse during their journey to sobriety. Some people experience many setbacks before they find long-term recovery. You have recognized your need for sobriety, which is the very first step. The more strategies you use for your recovery, the higher the chances are that you will remain sober. Below are some best practices to getting and remaining sober. Identify your triggers.The biggest part of preventing relapse is knowing what causes the relapse and avoiding them. Some common triggers include: StressEnvironmental cuesPeople who are still usingRelationship troublesJob or financial problems Recognize warning signs. A relapse can happen when you least expect it. Warning signs of relapse include: Returning to addictive thinking patternsEngaging in compulsive behaviorsSeeking out situations or people involved with drugs or alcoholThinking less rationally Additional strategies for a successful recovery include: Prepare for Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms (PAWS)Avoid old routinesBuild healthy relationshipsAsk for help and seek local agencies that can assist you with getting the appropriate help.Get support from new, sober friends and those who are successful in their recoveryDevelop a structured routine to your dayFind employment and focus on your financesPractice healthy living and exerciseDeal with past mistakesFind balance in your lifeAcknowledge your hard work and how far you have come towards your recovery For more information on best practices to getting and remaining sober, visit The Wright Center Opioid Center of Excellence online at thewrightcenter.org
The Wright Center Announces New Executive Role for Longtime Leader The Wright Center for Community Health has named a new vice president and chief clinical operating officer and director of certified registered nurse practitioner and physician assistant services. Colleen Dougherty, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC, will coordinate overall business operations for the health center and work to ensure all primary care and service line operations are aligned with The Wright Center’s mission and strategic objectives. She also will maintain her duties as director of CRNP and physician assistant services, including overseeing scheduling and participating in recruitment, orientation, and performance evaluation. Since joining The Wright Center for Community Health in 2017, Dougherty has led several process improvements to improve the health center and the care offered to patients. She enhanced a screening process used by providers to identify behavioral health issues. Since implementing those changes in March, the practices have seen a 24% increase in the use of these potentially life-saving screenings. Dougherty earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Penn State University in 2014. Last year, she earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Scranton. The Wright Center for Community Health’s patient-centered medical home has 10 locations in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties, as well as a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, that serves more than 40,0000 unique patients annually and ensures everyone in the service area has access to integrated, high-quality, affordable health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health or the nearest location, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570.230.0019.
The Wright Center for Community Health Opening North Scranton Practice The Wright Center for Community Health is expanding access to health care by establishing the North Scranton Practice, which will begin accepting patients on Monday, July 17. The new practice at 1721 N. Main Ave., Scranton, will offer a full complement of primary and preventive care, addiction and recovery services, and other supportive service lines. The North Scranton Practice location formerly housed Dr. Paul Remick’s family practice under Horizon Medical Corp. Dr. Remick retired June 30. With the new location, The Wright Center for Community Health offers a network of nine permanent locations across Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties that, together with its mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, serves more than 40,0000 unique patients annually and ensures everyone in the service area has access to high-quality, affordable health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. A Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, The Wright Center for Community Health’s patient-centered medical home is an essential community provider of safety-net primary and preventive health services, a state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, and a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic. The North Scranton Practice, open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., is accepting appointments for new patients. To schedule an appointment, call 570-346-8417 or go to TheWrightCenter.org and click on the appointment link near the top of the page. To see a complete list of clinic locations, hours of operation, and services, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
Representatives Tour The Wright Center for Community Health Practice Representatives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Intergovernmental & External Affairs toured The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice on Thursday, June 29 to highlight the Biden administration’s work to lower prescription drug costs for Americans and to explain how Medicaid beneficiaries can maintain their health care coverage amid post-public health emergency changes to renewal requirements. Melissa Herd, acting regional director and executive officer, Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Region 3, HHS; Leah Suter, regional administrator, HRSA; and Robert McKenna, deputy regional administrator, HRSA, and Theresa Devine Kimak, public health advisor, HRSA, discussed the federal initiatives designed to protect health care access with Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, resident physicians, board members, and clinical care team representatives during a personal meeting and tour of the health care facility that provides oral, primary, preventive, and specialty care services to patients of all ages, income levels, and insurance statuses. “The Wright Center is privileged to fulfill the delivery of its noble mission by working collaboratively with the United States Department of Health and Human Service and numerous like-minded community partners,” said Dr. Thomas-Hemak. “Together we strive to ensure patients and families in our service area have inclusive access to high-quality, comprehensive, equitable, and affordable primary and preventive health services and a respected voice in the generation of our incumbent and future health care workforce. “Collectively, we are tirelessly working to bolster our national primary care and public health infrastructure to improve the health care and health of our country,” she added. “We are excited to host and celebrate our accomplishments as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program service provider, and Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium with our national partners.” Thanks to President Joe Biden’s new lower-cost prescription drug law, part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the lives of people with Medicare are changing for the better. In addition to giving Medicare the ability to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs, highlights of the new law include a $35 monthly cap per insulin prescription and free recommended preventative vaccines. With the federal public health emergency ending in May, it marked the discontinuation of Medicaid’s continuous coverage requirement. Medicaid users now must complete their annual renewal for health care coverage. Since May, more than 3,500 Pennsylvanians have been disenrolled because they failed to complete the renewal process. More are expected to lose coverage for the same reason during the year, according to HHS. The Wright Center for Community Health has been working to educate regional residents about the redetermination process for Medicaid coverage. The regional primary and preventive care provider has been distributing educational packets to patients, while community health workers also offer patients the personal attention they need to complete the renewal application process. “Medicaid is our Swiss army knife of health – we use it to address maternal health, homelessness, food insecurity, provide mental health support to young people in their schools, to help improve care and coordination for the formerly incarcerated, and more,” Herd said. Pennsylvania is one of 40 states to expand Medicaid, ensuring people across the state can access health care coverage. Had out-of-pocket costs for covered vaccines been eliminated in 2021, more than 177,459 Pennsylvanians who received vaccines under Part D would have saved almost $11 million or $60.43 per Medicare enrollee. And the $35 monthly insulin cap would have saved more than 80,197 state residents with Medicare an average of $543 on their insulin in 2020, according to HHS. Today, a record 92 million Americans rely on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, better known as CHIP, for their health care, including nearly 3.7 million in the commonwealth, according to HHS. The Wright Center for Community Health’s patient-centered medical home has nine locations in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, that serve more than 40,0000 unique patients annually and ensures everyone in the service area has access to integrated, high-quality, affordable health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. “The Wright Center for Community Health and its network of providers in Northeast Pennsylvania emphasize the importance of primary and preventive care for patients of all ages, from pediatrics to geriatrics,” said Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, chief medical officer for The Wright Center for Community Health. “The federal changes to Medicaid and CHIP renewal requirements could potentially reduce access to health care for some patients. That’s why the Wright Center for Community Health offers a sliding-fee discount program based on family size and income. It ensures health care services are accessible and more equitable for everyone, he added.” For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Wright Center Offering Mobile Mammogram Screenings The Wright Center for Community Health is collaborating with Lackawanna Mobile X-Ray, Inc., to offer convenient mobile digital mammogram screenings at two locations in Lackawanna County. The 15-minute appointments are available aboard a mobile unit at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice parking lot, 501 S. Washington Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon on July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 6, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, and Dec. 6. The Mid Valley Practice parking lot, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, is offering the specialty service from 1:30-4:45 p.m. on July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 6, Oct. 11, Nov. 8, and Dec. 6. To reserve your appointment, please contact Christen Marante, BSN, RN, associate vice president, Value-Based Performance Program, The Wright Center, at 570-591-5225 or marantec@TheWrightCenter.org. Participants are asked to bring insurance cards to their appointment. “The Wright Center is proud to be able to partner with a longtime community provider of mobile diagnostics services to make life-saving mammograms more accessible to the communities we serve in the region,” said Marante. “Mammograms remain the most effective screening tool used by health care providers to find breast cancer in most women.” Lackawanna Mobile X-Ray, Inc., is the Mid-Atlantic region’s most experienced, full-service mobile diagnostics services provider. For more than 35 years, its highly trained specialists have been providing a wide range of mobile medical services on-site, including X-rays, EKG exams, ultrasounds, vascular studies, mammograms, and Holter monitors. A Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, The Wright Center for Community Health’s patient-centered medical home is an essential community provider of safety-net primary and preventive health services, a state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, and a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic. The Wright Center for Community Health’s nine locations in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties include a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health that together serve more than 40,000 unique patients annually and ensures everyone in the service area has access to integrated, affordable, high-quality health services regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center to Offer Dental Services at its Hawley Practice The Wright Center for Community Health will begin conducting two regularly scheduled dental clinics each month at its primary and preventive care practice in Hawley, starting July 17. The clinics will be held on the third and fourth Mondays of every month, with appointments available between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Wright Center’s dental professionals will provide affordable, high-quality oral care services, including routine exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings, extractions, and other procedures. A dental hygienist will be on site to assist new and returning patients on the third Monday of the month. A general practice dentist and a dental assistant will see patients during the subsequent monthly clinic, offering advanced treatment. Appointments may be made for children and adults by calling 570-576-8081. The Wright Center for Community Health Hawley Practice is located at 103 Spruce St. The community health center accepts most dental insurances, including Delta Dental, Guardian, United Concordia, and Medical Assistance (Medicaid). To ensure high-quality oral care is available to everyone, The Wright Center offers a sliding-fee discount program to individuals who qualify based on Federal Poverty Guidelines that take into account family size and income. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. Receiving routine oral health care not only lessens the likelihood of developing cavities, tooth pain, gum infections, and other mouth troubles, it also promotes good overall health. A healthy smile also can boost an individual’s self-confidence in social settings, including public presentations and job interviews. The Wright Center was designated in 2019 as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike by the Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. One year later, The Wright Center opened its Hawley Practice, expanding access to close-to-home care for rural residents in Wayne and Pike counties. Today, the Scranton-based nonprofit enterprise operates nine primary care practices in the region, including a mobile medical vehicle called Driving Better Health. Its practices offer integrated care, meaning patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access dental, medical, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services. For more information about The Wright Center and its many health care services, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education awarded federal grants to plan and develop residency programs in pediatric dentistry, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology Scranton, Pa. (April 5, 2023) – The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have been awarded three grant awards totaling $1.5 million from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for the planning and development of three residency programs, further expanding and enriching physician training opportunities in Northeast Pennsylvania. As a nearly 50-year-old nonprofit enterprise providing graduate medical education and primary health services in Northeastern Pennsylvania, The Wright Center, along with partnering institutions and community providers, intends to explore establishing accredited residency programs in pediatric dentistry, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology. “We are grateful for the high-impact financial support from HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce and Congressman Cartwright’s reliable leadership support for our mission and our region,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, The Wright Center’s designated institutional official. “These graduate medical education planning and development grants will allow The Wright Center to invite and convene inclusive community stakeholders to strategic planning conversations inspired by a shared understanding of the impact of these training programs to increase access to primary health services and future career opportunities for children and adults in the communities we serve.” This federal grant funding was made available through HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program, using appropriations from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The initiative is intended to strengthen and expand community-based residency programs in rural and other medically underserved communities across the United States. HRSA’s Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education funding is allocated specifically for physician and dental training that includes community-based and governed care settings, such as The Wright Center for Community Health’s Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike venues. The training opportunities created for these residents help to expand and improve the distribution of the nation’s primary health services workforce beyond affluent urban areas to economically disadvantaged areas. As a grant awardee, The Wright Center may apply its funding to startup costs, including planning meetings, curriculum development, recruitment and training of residents and faculty, and necessary activities related to obtaining program accreditation from either the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The successful introduction of these programs will represent another milestone in The Wright Center’s continued strategic growth as a generator of compassionate, highly skilled, and patient-centered physicians who can help to address the region’s and nation’s ongoing health care services inequities and workforce shortages. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program. A year later, it welcomed its first class of six internal medicine residents. Since then, the organization has been renamed and has grown in size and scope to reflect the community’s – and the country’s – evolving needs. It now trains about 250 residents and fellows each academic year in the region and at partner training sites in Arizona, Ohio, Washington state, and Washington, D.C. The Wright Center currently offers residencies in internal medicine, family medicine, physical medicine & rehabilitation, and psychiatry, as well as fellowships in cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology, and geriatrics. All of its residency and fellowship programs are accredited by the ACGME. Additionally, in partnership with NYU Langone Dental Medicine, The Wright Center has served as a training site since 2021 for dentists in an Advanced Education in General Dental Residency Program. To learn more about the medical education opportunities at The Wright Center, visit TheWrightCenter.org.
