Wright Center’s Ryan White Clinic Leading HIV/AIDS Care

Each year on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day offers an important moment to recognize the resilience of people living with HIV, honor the lives of those we’ve lost, and reaffirm our ongoing commitment to equitable, compassionate, and evidence-based care.

With consistent access to health care, people living with HIV can thrive, age in good health, and build lives that reflect their goals, relationships, and aspirations. At The Wright Center for Community Health’s Ryan White Clinic, they are proud to support their patients with the services and care that make these outcomes possible.

 The Ryan White Clinic operates within the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre community health centers and has been a regional leader in HIV care since 2002. Guided by a comprehensive approach to care, the clinic team focuses on improving both health outcomes and overall quality of life through personal and culturally responsive services.

Earlier this year, the clinic received more than $1 million in federal funding through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Early Intervention Services Program, administered by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The three-year grant supports comprehensive HIV primary health services, education, treatment adherence counseling, and referrals for additional services when needed.

 The clinic has a dedicated, passionate staff who provide testing and continuous coordinated care for patients diagnosed with or at risk of contracting HIV. This care includes prescribing critical daily medication regimens, as well as important vaccinations, specialized care for hepatitis B and C, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and referrals to specialists for advanced care when needed.

Thanks to continued progress in medication adherence, more than 95% of the clinic’s patients have achieved undetectable viral loads, meaning they cannot transmit the virus to others.

In addition, the clinic staff offers behavioral health counseling, dental care, medical nutrition therapy, and addiction and recovery services, as well as ancillary services such as housing assistance, transportation, emergency financial aid, a food bank, home-delivered and congregate meals, nutritional supplements, support for durable medical equipment purchases, help with lab and medical bills, and psychosocial support.

The clinic welcomes all patients, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Patients range from age 18 to over 80, with more than 60% 50 or older – a reflection of the success seen in extending both lifespan and quality of life for those living with HIV.

Their ongoing commitment is to ensure that every person seeking care receives the dignified, comprehensive, and person-centered support they deserve. The Ryan White Clinic will continue to strengthen access to high-quality medical care, expand supportive services, and promote the overall health and well-being of individuals living with or affected by HIV throughout the local community.

To learn more about the Ryan White Clinic, visit thewrightcenter.org/services/ryan-white-hiv-clinic/

Dr. Mary Louise Decker is a board-certified infectious diseases physician and Infectious Disease Medical Director for The Wright Center for Community Health. Dr. Decker leads The Wright Center’s Ryan White HIV and Infectious Disease/Hep C Clinic.