The Wright Center to serve as host site for aspiring physician assistants through new collaborative program with national partners

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The Wright Center for Community Health welcomed the first class of master’s degree-level physician assistant students from the Central Coast Physician Assistant program to its network of primary care practices. A.T. Still University of Health Sciences’ new initiative, in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers, enables students to gain knowledge and experience in the field. Members of the inaugural class, first row from left, are Kari Nhi Pham, Lisa Lac, Adjoa Ghansah and Rachel Aroneo; and standing, Bryan Boyle, MPAS, PA-C, The Wright Center; Gregory Castle, Stefan Howard, Diana Omozee, Tomislav Lojpur and Angelo Brutico, MPAS, PA-C, The Wright Center.

The Wright Center for Community Health welcomed the first class of master’s degree-level physician assistant students from the Central Coast Physician Assistant program to its network of primary care practices. A.T. Still University of Health Sciences’ new initiative, in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers, enables students to gain knowledge and experience in the field. Members of the inaugural class, first row from left, are Kari Nhi Pham, Lisa Lac, Adjoa Ghansah and Rachel Aroneo; and standing, Bryan Boyle, MPAS, PA-C, The Wright Center; Gregory Castle, Stefan Howard, Diana Omozee, Tomislav Lojpur and Angelo Brutico, MPAS, PA-C, The Wright Center.

The Wright Center for Community Health recently welcomed eight master’s degree-level students who will be gaining knowledge and experience in its primary care practices as they complete a program to become physician assistants.

The students are part of the first class to enroll in the Central Coast Physician Assistant program, a new initiative of A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers and select health centers across the country.

Participants in the 24-month program attend ATSU’s Santa Maria campus in California for one year during their pre-clinical phase. Then they enter a clinical phase, which includes 35 weeks of supervised clinical practice experiences at The Wright Center or other partnered community health center.

“The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education are deeply immersed in and passionately committed to developing and inspiring our current and future interprofessional health care workforce,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “We are excited to embrace an expanded role in preparing physician assistants to work in community-based teaching health center settings, where they will serve and care for historically underserved populations.

“Our partnership with ATSU’s College for Healthy Communities will force-multiply the delivery of our shared mission to improve the health and welfare of America,” she added. “Future graduates of the program will be essential for the continued workforce renewal of safety-net community providers such as The Wright Center for Community Health, which depend on dedicated teams of caring, patient- and community-centered healers.” 

Physician assistants Bryan Boyle and Angelo Brutico, each of whom is a Marywood University alumnus and Wright Center employee, will provide on-site program supervision and leadership as ATSU’s regional directors of physician assistant education.

The Central Coast Physician Assistant program prepares its graduates to be “highly competent professionals in the science of medicine” who are “steeped in the osteopathic tradition of body, mind, and spirit care for the whole person.”

The Wright Center and ATSU have a long track record of successfully collaborating to conceptualize and launch programs that develop compassionate, skilled physicians and other health care professionals to help address workforce shortages in the nation’s rural and other underserved communities.

Representatives from the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), based in Mesa, were involved in the planning stages of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s National Family Medicine Residency – a first-of-its-kind program that places resident physicians in one of four partner training sites in the U.S.

In 2020, as part of a separate program, The Wright Center for Community Health became a rotational host site for aspiring doctors enrolled at ATSU-SOMA – which prides itself on being “the medical school of the future.” The school’s unique medical education model allows students to spend their first year on campus in Mesa, Arizona, followed by three years at a community health center, where an emphasis is placed on fostering community-minded physicians who will be advocates for equitable health care access. About 30 ATSU-SOMA medical school students are currently based at The Wright Center’s primary care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania.

These programs, in combination with The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s existing residency and fellowship programs, have positioned The Wright Center nonprofit enterprise to be a true regional provider of interprofessional health care education.

The inaugural cohort of physician assistant students is scheduled to complete its clinical rotation at The Wright Center in June 2023.

To learn more about opportunities in the Central Coast Physician Assistant program, visit ATSU’s website at atsu.edu. Or contact Carla Blakeslee, The Wright Center’s coordinator of clerkships, by calling 570-591-5116 or sending an email to [email protected].

‘The Good of the Hive’ artist master class, lecture and mural unveiling dates set

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As members of Scranton Tomorrow’s Mural Arts Committee and their partners prepare to unveil the latest in a series of public art works in downtown Scranton, two upcoming events will showcase the message behind Matthew Willey’s “The Good of the Hive” mural: A master class and lecture with the artist on Oct. 14 and a mural dedication at First Friday on Nov. 4.

Willey is installing “The Good of the Hive” mural on the Scranton City Ballet Company building, Rear 234 Mifflin Ave., Scranton. A project of Scranton Tomorrow, presented by The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, “The Good of the Hive” is made possible with support from community sponsors, including the Lackawanna County Commissioners, Lackawanna Heritage Valley, The University of Scranton, Space Time Mead and Cider Works, Terrana Law Firm, and Lackawanna College.

image of matt willey infront of his artwork

‘The Good of the Hive’ artist Matt Willey will deliver a master class and lecture at Lackawanna College, in collaboration with The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, on Friday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. He will also unveil his trademark bee-themed mural on the Scranton Civic Ballet Company building, 234 Mifflin Ave., in downtown Scranton on Friday, Nov. 4 at 5:30 p.m

Willey is a world-renowned muralist who is raising awareness about the importance of pollinators through his art. He’s been painting the bee-themed mural in Scranton since late August, and the piece will be complete at the end of October. The project brings him closer to achieving his personal commitment to hand-paint 50,000 honeybees — the number of bees in a healthy, thriving hive — in murals around the world.

“Matthew’s work is much more than an inspiring mural,” said Rose Randazzo, chairperson of Scranton Tomorrow’s Mural Arts program. “It’s a movement. Scranton is now connected to a global initiative to save the bees through public mural art.”

As a gift to the community, Willey will present a master class and lecture, “The Good of the Hive” on Friday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m., at Lackawanna College, 501 Vine Street, Scranton. The event is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served. Lackawanna College is the academic sponsor of this event.

“We are honored to be the premier sponsor of this unique mural project that will be on display in our city for years to come,” said Kara Seitzinger, director of public affairs and advisor liaison to the president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “Matt’s work is inspiring communities around the world to think collectively, in the same way that honeybees do. The health of a honeybee hive is the perfect metaphor for the health of a community.

“We encourage the community to attend his lecture to hear his fascinating story and insights,” she added. 

The completed mural will be unveiled at a dedication ceremony at the Scranton Civic Ballet Company building, Rear 234 Mifflin Ave., on Friday, Nov. 4, at 5:00 p.m. Everyone in the community is invited to the celebration.

Willey has shared the stories of “The Good of the Hive” through speaking engagements around the world, at the United Nations, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the German and French Embassies in Washington, D.C., Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Duke University, Georgetown University, the Planetary Health Alliance 2018 annual meeting in Scotland, many podcasts, including the National Education Association, and educational institutions throughout the U.S.

His work has been featured in The New York Times, Reuters London, The Today Show, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and countless other publications and media channels.

Willey’s mission is to ignite radical curiosity and active engagement around planetary health issues through art, bees and storytelling. His vision is a world filled with people that see and experience the beauty and connectedness of all things.

“The hive I’m creating is a metaphor for us all: no matter your color, nationality, religion, age or economic status. This piece of art is an idealized picture of health to focus on as we work toward solutions,” Willey said.

The worldwide mural project demonstrates perseverance in the face of adversity. Six years into an estimated 20-year project, Willey has created 35 murals and installations with over 8,600 hand-painted bees. He has reached hundreds of thousands of people and created large-scale works at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C., Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in New York City and Burt’s Bees Global Headquarters in Durham, North Carolina.

In 2021, Scranton Tomorrow launched its Mural Arts Program. Designed to transform the downtown landscape, and connect communities, murals reflect the city’s history and qualities that make Scranton unique. Featuring QR codes at each site, visitors are encouraged to use their smartphones to embark on brief, self-guided video tours to learn more about the history and theme of each piece. Through partnerships with professional artists specializing in mural art and conservation, a set of guidelines for public art projects has been developed as part of the program. To learn more, visit https://www.scrantontomorrow.org/muralart.

For more information about The Wright Center, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.

Tribute dinner in honor of Dr. Robert E. Wright and late wife, Carole, to raise funds for area’s underserved middle school students

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A tribute dinner in honor of pioneering physician and longtime community leader Dr. Robert E. Wright and his late wife, Carole, will be held this fall to benefit one of the couple’s favorite charitable causes: the tuition-free NativityMiguel School of Scranton.

Event sponsorships and reserved dinner seats are currently available for the school’s 2022 Tribute Dinner fundraiser, which is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at the University of Scranton’s DeNaples Center.

Donations honoring the Wrights by those who are unable to attend the dinner are also being accepted. Proceeds from the campaign will support the school’s mission of “breaking the cycle of poverty, one student at a time.”

a black and white Image of Dr. Robert E. Wright and his late wife, Carole

The NativityMiguel School of Scranton’s 2022 Tribute Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 27 at the University of Scranton’s DeNaples Center will honor Dr. Robert E. Wright and his late wife, Carole. The program begins at 5:30 p.m

The Wrights left an enduring legacy on Northeast Pennsylvania’s educational landscape by, in part, helping to establish the NativityMiguel School of Scranton, an independent Catholic co-educational middle school for students of greater economic need in the Scranton and
Wilkes-Barre areas. The school began instructing its first class of fifth-graders in 2015. Today, the small but impactful institution educates more than 60 students in grades five through eight.

Dr. Wright, a Lackawanna County native, also founded and led the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, forerunner of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, and was instrumental in the startup and ultimate success of The Commonwealth Medical College, now known as the Geisinger Commonwealth School
of Medicine.

Carole Wright supported those monumental projects, which collectively serve the region as a physician workforce pipeline to help meet the ongoing need for primary care doctors and other health care practitioners. A practice manager, Carole Wright also was vital to the establishment and growth of her husband’s hematology/oncology practice – the first of its kind in the region. And she was a consistent servant-leader, aiding many area nonprofits as a volunteer, a board member and a benefactor.

More information about the 2022 Tribute Dinner can be found on The Wright Center’s website, TheWrightCenter.org, or directly contact the NativityMiguel School of Scranton. For details about the event, sponsorship opportunities and tax-deductible gifts, contact Ron Prislupski, president and director of development at the NativityMiguel School, by emailing [email protected] or calling 570-955-5176.

The Wright Center is hosting safe, fun Trunk-N-Treat events at Mid Valley and North Pocono practices

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The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement is hosting two safe and fun Trunk-N-Treat events for little superheroes, sports figures and princesses, as well as ghouls and goblins at the Mid Valley and North Pocono practices in October.

Picture of Family and Kids in halloween costume at last years trunk n treat

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement is hosting two safe and fun Trunk-N-Treat events for little superheroes, sports figures and princesses, as well as ghouls and goblins at the Mid Valley and North Pocono practices in October. The Mid Valley Practice is welcoming families and children of all ages on Friday, Oct. 28 and the North Pocono Practice is offering its event on Saturday, Oct. 29. Both events are from 5:30-7 p.m.

The free, family-friendly events begin Friday, Oct. 28 from 5:30-7 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn. The North Pocono Practice, 260 Daleville Highway, Suite 103, Covington Township, is hosting its own ghoulish good time on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 5:30-7 p.m. 

All children and their parents or guardians are invited to participate in the free trick-or-treat events. The Wright Center’s physicians, administration, staff and board members will decorate their vehicles and distribute candy and healthy treats to children who participate in the annual event. 

The Wright Center for Community Health has eight regional primary care clinics in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties, including Driving Better Health, a
mobile clinic.

The Wright Center’s network of eight primary care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania primarily serves patients from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. They provide full-service, family-friendly services that cover the lifespan, from pediatrics to geriatrics. Its integrated services offer patients the convenience of going to a single location to access medical, dental, behavioral health, addiction and recovery services, and other supportive service lines.

Patients can schedule appointments by visiting The Wright Center’s website at TheWrightCenter.org and using the express online scheduling service. Learn more about The Wright Center’s mission and integrated health care services by calling 570-230-0019 or visiting TheWrightCenter.org.

The Wright Center for Community Health launches Driving Better Health to ensure students have vaccines they need to return to school

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The Wright Center for Community Health’s Driving Better Health mobile medical unit brings high-quality, nondiscriminatory, affordable health care services directly to the most vulnerable and medically underserved populations in Northeast Pennsylvania. Driving Better Health is offering routine vaccination clinics in September to ensure the region is ready for flu season and the fall and winter months. For the most current list of mobile medical unit clinics, go to TheWrightCenter.org/events.

The Wright Center for Community Health’s mobile medical unit is visiting numerous school districts and social service agencies in September throughout Lackawanna and Luzerne counties to ensure students, individuals and families receive the vaccines they need for school and the fast-approaching flu season in the fall.

The 34-foot mobile medical unit, known as Driving Better Health, will be providing routine vaccinations, flu vaccinations and COVID-19 testing, vaccinations and boosters at the following locations:

  • Sept. 12: New Roots Recovery Support Center, 100 S. Wyoming St., Hazleton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Sept. 14: Hazleton Integration Project: 225 E. 4 th St., Hazleton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Sept. 16: Community Intervention Center, 445 N. 6 th Ave., Scranton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Sept. 19: Keystone Mission, 290 Parkview Circle, Wilkes-Barre, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Sept. 21: Wyoming Valley West Middle School, 201 Chester St., Kingston, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Sept. 23: St. Francis of Assisi Food Pantry, 500 Penn Ave., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Sept. 28: Hazleton Area School District, 1515 W. 23 rd St., Hazleton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Driving Better Health enables The Wright Center for Community Health to deliver high-quality, nondiscriminatory health care where patients live and work in Northeast Pennsylvania. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available for any child ages 5 and up. A guardian must accompany patients who are younger than 17. Walk-up appointments are welcome depending on vaccine availability, but appointments are encouraged for the convenience of patients. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org to use the express online scheduling system or call 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment.

Guests are asked to observe public safety measures, including masking and social distancing, during the vaccination clinics and bring identification and insurance cards.

The Wright Center for Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike. Community health centers offer high-quality, affordable, nondiscriminatory safety-net health care services and are the largest providers of primary care for the nation’s most vulnerable and medically underserved populations. Prevalent in both urban and rural settings, community health centers are located in regions with high-poverty rates and/or low numbers of private or nonprofit health care systems and hospitals.

The Wright Center for Community Health earns 2022 Community Health Quality Recognition awards

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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recently awarded two Community Health Quality Recognition awards to The Wright Center for Community Health, affirming its efforts to advance quality care in the region and connect its patients to enabling services.

HRSA annually reviews health centers’ performance data and bestows badges on federal Health Center Program awardees and Look-Alikes that have made notable quality improvement achievements. New for this year was an Addressing Social Risk Factors to Health badge. The Wright Center was awarded that recognition as well as a 2022 Advancing Health Information Technology for Quality badge.

The awards mark the second year in a row that The Wright Center has earned a badge for its use of health information technology.

The badge recognizes the organization’s efforts in the areas of telehealth, patient engagement and interoperability, the latter of which refers to its ability to exchange data and information with other health care-related organizations and/or state and federal agencies.

The newly introduced Addressing Social Risk Factors to Health badge recognizes “health centers that are administering standardized screening tools to collect social risk factor data and increasing enabling services offered across consecutive years,” according to HRSA.

The Wright Center uses a screening tool at its primary care practices to ensure patients’ needs, such as food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty, are addressed. The organization’s community health workers and other members of its care team can then talk with a patient and offer various forms of assistance tailored to meet the individual’s short- and long-term needs, including transportation assistance, nutritious food, legal aid, educational opportunities and connections to social service agencies.

“The two badges recognizing The Wright Center’s work last year testify to our patient-centered approach to health care,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, chief medical officer for The Wright Center for Community Health. “Our clinical teams and support staff are always striving to improve systems so that patients and their families are supported and empowered to get the care they need and deserve, whether that’s the convenience of a telehealth visit or the comfort of receiving fresh foods to carry them through a difficult time.”

The Wright Center for Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike that operates eight primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties.

The Wright Center provides safety-net, comprehensive primary and preventive health services – including medical, dental, behavioral health, addiction and recovery, and infectious disease services – that cover the lifespan from pediatrics to geriatrics. A special emphasis is placed on medically underserved populations, and no patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.