The Wright Center to observe National Health Center Week 2023 with special activities in clinics and community

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TWC Mid Valley Practice

The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, will raise the newly designed Jermyn Borough flag on Friday, Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. in observance of National Health Center Week. The program begins at 8:45 a.m. with light refreshments.

In observance of National Health Center Week, The Wright Center for Community Health will hold a series of special activities across the region including school backpack giveaways, a vaccine clinic, and a special flag-raising ceremony at its primary and preventive health care practice in Jermyn.

The weeklong celebration, from Aug. 6 to 12, helps to draw attention to the critical role that community health centers play in strengthening our nation by delivering high-quality, affordable primary and preventive health care to underserved populations. This year’s theme is “The Roadmap to a Stronger America.”

The Wright Center is one of about 1,400 health centers in the United States, which collectively serve about 30 million people annually. Community health centers represent the largest primary care network in the nation. They deliver care to one in 11 people in the U.S., including one in three people who live in poverty, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers, organizer of National Health Center Week.

During its observance, The Wright Center will celebrate its health care providers, board members, stakeholders, staff and, most importantly, the more than 31,000 patients across Northeast Pennsylvania who turn to it for their care.

The Wright Center operates 10 primary and preventive health care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. Together, these clinical locations offer a safety net for the region’s residents, ensuring that everyone in The Wright Center’s five-county service area has access to integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.

The Wright Center, like other community health centers across the nation, is a nonprofit, patient-governed organization that provides high-quality, comprehensive health care to rural and other medically underserved areas, treating all patients regardless of income or insurance status. More than 61% of The Wright Center’s patients fall at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines, nearly 32% are insured through Medicaid or CHIP, and just over 18% are insured through Medicare. 

As part of the weeklong celebration, The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, will raise the newly designed Jermyn borough flag at a ceremony beginning at 8:45 a.m. Friday, Aug. 11. The flag, designed in 2019 by borough resident Amy Ryczak, features a green cross that honors Jermyn as the birthplace of first aid. Speakers at the event will include Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, and state Rep. Kyle Mullins, who represents Jermyn as part of the 112th Legislative District. 

Other events planned at The Wright Center’s clinics and in the community for National Health Center Week include:

  • Tuesday, Aug. 8: Backpack giveaway, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health Hawley Practice, 103 Spruce St., Hawley. 
  • Wednesday, Aug. 9: Back-to-school vaccine clinic with Driving Better Health mobile medical unit, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hazleton Area School District, 1515 W. 23rd St., Hazleton. Walk-ups are welcome upon vaccine availability, but appointments are preferred. Call 570.230.0019 to schedule an appointment. 
  • Thursday, Aug. 10: Art and Mindfulness group, 12:30 to 2 p.m., Community Intervention Center, 445 N. 6th Ave., Scranton. 
  • Thursday, Aug. 10: Wellness and Health Fair for Employee Appreciation Day, 2 to 4 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., Suite 1000, Scranton. 
  • Saturday, Aug. 12:  Backpack giveaway and children’s art activity, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., South Side Farmers Market, 526 Cedar Ave., Scranton.

Mid Valley Practice expands, modernizes to better serve patients and shorten wait times

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Joshua Braddell, DNP, CRNP, FNC-C, far left, medical director at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, and Laura Sweeney, a certified medical assistant II, enter an exam room in the newly-renovated wing at the primary care clinic.

Joshua Braddell, DNP, CRNP, FNC-C, far left, medical director at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, and Laura Sweeney, a certified medical assistant II ,enter an exam room in the newly-renovated wing at the primary care clinic.

The Wright Center adds exam rooms and behavioral and mental health wing

To better serve patients, The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, updated the footprint of the existing primary care clinic, adding five new clinical examination rooms and a dedicated wing for behavioral and mental health services.  

The growing demand for services at the Mid Valley Practice, which opened in 2012, and the changing needs for clinical space prompted the renovations, according to Marianne Linko, LPN, practice manager. Work began in March and was completed without major interruptions to the integrated physical, behavioral, and mental health, dental, and other services the clinic provides 365 days a year.

“It was a feat,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, M.D., FACP, MPH, chief medical officer for The Wright Center for Community Health. “This is our busiest clinic, and we finished all construction without shutting down or affecting patient care or the quality of care they receive.” 

The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn added a new behavioral and mental health wing that is designed to evoke a peaceful atmosphere.

The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn added a new behavioral and mental health wing that is designed to evoke a peaceful atmosphere. 

Renovations include new tile flooring in patient rooms and hallways in the wings of clinics A, B, C, and D. The tile replaced carpeting that was difficult to clean and maintain. Crews installed new carpeting in each provider room and refreshed the paint throughout the clinic, resulting in a clean, modern new look. 

“It looks nice and neat,” said Jenna Dunn, a certified clinical medical assistant at The Mid Valley Practice. “Every single patient has commented on how much nicer it looks.” 

Between 50 and 75 employees work at the clinic daily, seeing about 175 patients per day. In 2022, staff at the Mid Valley Practice handled about 26,000 patient visits, according to clinic data. In 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, the practice had more than 36,00 patient visits.

Since the section of the clinic that was used to treat patients with diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 was no longer needed, work began in early 2023 to repurpose the area into the clinic’s new behavioral and mental health wing. Crews worked for months on renovations to create a new, cohesive space for patients and staff. 

“You want there to be a flow,” Linko said, explaining that patients with behavioral and mental health appointments can now bypass the main lobby and go directly to the new wing to check in and wait. “Now we have more space to offer those services.”

Dr. Sheth says the new space was designed to evoke a peaceful atmosphere. Instead of examination tables and sterile surroundings, the new rooms feature comfortable furniture and muted lighting to better facilitate the kind of care that happens at the Mid Valley Practice.  

Renovations to The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice include the creation of a new behavioral and mental health wing.  Patients can bypass the main check-in desk and lobby and proceed directly to the new wing. 

In addition to the four new examination rooms, the new wing features a large space where resident physicians can work and collaborate.

Once the behavioral and mental health space was completed, renovations created the five new clinical examination rooms to offer more room availability and lessen wait times. The clinic offers checkups, physicals, and screenings, treatment of common illnesses and injuries, as well as dental, behavioral health, and addiction and recovery services, including medication-assisted treatment.

The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice is a full-service, family-friendly primary and pediatric care office in Jermyn. It is one of 10 primary and preventive care practices operated by The Wright Center for Community Health in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties in Northeast Pennsylvania. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570.230.0019. 

Dr. Weinberger joins The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education

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The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have named Dr. Richard Weinberger as deputy director for Allied and John Heinz Services and core faculty for the Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency programs.

Dr. Richard Weinberger

He will oversee the development and execution of strategies to enhance The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s programs at Allied and John Heinz as deputy director. He will also assist the designated institutional official in assessing, implementing, and developing new graduate medical education programs and will serve on the Graduate Medical Education Committee. 

In addition, Dr. Weinberger will serve as a core faculty member of the Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency programs. In that role, he will treat patients and supervise resident physicians, medical students, and interprofessional health learners at The Wright Center for Community Health and Allied and John Heinz clinical learning environments. He will also see patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn.

Dr. Weinberger is board certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine and a fellow of both the American College of Physicians and American College of Osteopathic Internists. He has a long history with The Wright Center.

After graduating from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, he completed his internal medicine residency at the Scranton-Temple Residency program, the precursor to The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. For decades, he has worked in private practices in Lackawanna County, most recently with Horizon Medical Corp.

Wright Center sponsoring Nittany Lion Summer Impact Camp

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Penn State football players build stronger community with youth camp

Limitless NIL, with sponsorship support from The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, is bringing the second annual Nittany Lion Summer Impact Football Camp to Scranton on Saturday, July 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Riverfront Sports, 5 W. Olive St. Scranton.

Limitless NIL partners, My Center for Independent Living, also is simultaneously hosting an event catered for kids and young adults with disabilities from ages 10-21.

The youth camp is designed to foster personal growth, develop skills, and ignite passion for the game of football in boys and girls in fifth through eighth grades. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn under the guidance of members from the 2022 Rose Bowl Championship team, including Beau Pribula, Curtis Jacobs, Liam Clifford, Dom DeLuca, and many more.

“Together, we are committed to supporting young athletes in our local communities,” said Sean Clifford, Limitless NIL founder and president. “It’s our way of investing in the future and empowering the next generation of athletes and leaders.”

To register for the second annual Nittany Lion Summer Impact Football Camp, go to lvhn.org/ImpactAthlete. For more information and updates about the camp, visit limitlessnil.com and follow the team on social media @limitlessnil.

In addition to The Wright Center, the following local community organizations made the camp possible: Northeast Rehab, Century Dental, My Center for Independent Living, Allied Services, Fidelity Bank, Casey Dental, Gerrity’s, Lehigh Valley Health Network, PNC Bank, Montage Mountain Resorts, and PA Health and Wellness. 

‘Road to Recovery’ car show benefits patients of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence

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The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement is hosting the second annual “Road to Recovery” car show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Nay Aug Park in support patients at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence. Organizers, from left, Kara Seitzinger, executive director, Public Affairs, The Wright Center; Wright Center Certified Medical Assistant Jillian Zaorski, Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence Case managers Robert Vanwert and James Lovallo, and Physician Assistant Sarah Marsh pose with a 1974 Z28 Camaro, which will be entered into the benefit show at the Miami Pavilion near the Everhart Museum.

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement will host the second annual “Road to Recovery” car show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Nay Aug Park.

The event is at the Miami Pavilion near the Everhart Museum. Registration, which costs $10 per vehicle and $5 per motorcycle, begins at 8 a.m. Admission is free. The family-friendly fundraiser also features prizes, music, raffles, food trucks, games, and much more. In addition, other addiction treatment facilities from around the region will be invited to set up informational tables at the event.

Just like last year, proceeds raised from the car show will be used to help patients of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence with transportation to and from appointments. Pennsylvania designated The Wright Center for Community Health as an Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence in 2017 – one of 50 in the state. Patients can 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 help them break the cycle of addiction through outpatient care.

“Transportation remains the highest need for our patients in Northeast Pennsylvania and those across the country,” said Kara Seitzinger, executive director of Public Affairs at The Wright Center. “The lack of reliable transportation is a real barrier to care. If you cannot get to your medical provider, you cannot receive the necessary care and support services The Wright Center has available for this patient population.”

In addition to supporting the Center of Excellence’s patients with transportation needs, the car show also raises awareness about the services The Wright Center for Community Health and other regional organizations offer, according to Scott Constantini, associate vice president of primary care and recovery services integration at The Wright Center.

“For me, the best part is the people who come out to support the cause,” Constantini said. “It’s bringing people together with a passion for recovery treatment.”

More information about the center and its addiction and recovery services is available at thewrightcenter.org/coe.

U.S. Health and Human Services and Health Resources and Services Administration representatives tour The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice

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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 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.