The Wright Center offers speedy access to oral medications for individuals newly diagnosed with COVID-19

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In the ongoing effort to reduce COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths across the region, The Wright Center for Community Health is following federal and state “test-to-treat” guidelines by providing certain patients with therapeutic treatments for COVID-19 such as Pfizer’s Paxlovid.

Paxlovid – which is available only by prescription – has been found to substantially decrease the chances of severe symptoms in high-risk patients such as older adults if it is started early in the course of infection, typically within five days of symptoms appearing. Individuals 12 and older who test positive for coronavirus are eligible for the treatment if they meet certain criteria, such as having an underlying medical condition that puts them at increased risk for complications.

Individuals who are prescribed the treatment during a visit at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn can obtain the medication on site. At The Wright Center’s other clinics in Northeast Pennsylvania, a patient in need can have the prescription immediately sent a pharmacy supplier of Paxlovid. 

Dr. Jignesh Sheth

Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth,
Chief Medical Officer

“Early treatment can make the difference between a relatively quick recovery and a much more difficult, potentially life-threatening, situation,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, chief medical officer of The Wright Center for Community Health. He noted that the health center has supplies of both Paxlovid and another antiviral medication, molnupiravir, allowing for a rapid and seamless response between a patient’s positive test result and the start of treatment. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Paxlovid’s use in December 2021, but distribution efforts were initially spotty. Since then, Pfizer ramped up production, and the White House last month announced plans to expand access to the treatment. Paxlovid is now widely available in community pharmacies.

Possible side effects of the oral antiviral include an impaired sense of taste, high blood pressure, diarrhea and muscle aches. If you are taking other medications, talk with a health care provider about potentially significant drug interactions. Paxlovid is not recommended in patients with severe kidney or liver impairment. 

For eligible patients, The Wright Center also continues to offer monoclonal antibody infusions – an FDA-authorized therapy that has been shown to lessen the severity of COVID-19 symptoms for certain individuals deemed at increased risk of hospitalization. 

Although several monoclonal antibody medicines have received the FDA’s authorization during the pandemic, only one, bebtelovimab, is currently continuing to be used because of its proven effectiveness against the omicron variant. Delivered via an intravenous “push,” the medication is administered to the patient in about two to six minutes, followed by one hour of observation in the clinic. The therapy is a one-time treatment.

In total, The Wright Center has administered more than 1,400 COVID-19 monoclontal treatments in the past 18 months, helping to lower the burden on the region’s hospitals by limiting severe illness and saving lives.

The Wright Center for Community Health administering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine boosters for ages 5 to 11

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The Wright Center for Community Health is now administering booster doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, per the guidelines approved last week by federal regulators.

Youngsters in that age group who completed their two-dose primary series with the same vaccine at least five months ago can be scheduled for an appointment at one of these Wright Center primary care clinics:

  • Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn: 570.230.0019
  • Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., Scranton: 570.941.0630
  • South Franklin Street Practice, 335 S. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre: 570.591.5283

Patients are encouraged to schedule appointments online by visiting TheWrightCenter.org.

The COVID-19 virus, which emerged in December 2019 and then spawned several variants, remains a risk this month even as area residents look forward to the summer vacation season.

“COVID-19 cases are again rising in Northeast Pennsylvania, with community levels reported as ‘high’ today in Luzerne, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, chief medical officer of The Wright Center for Community Health. “Lackawanna and Wayne counties also have been at the ‘high’ level lately. 

“Preventive measures such as vaccination and mask-wearing remain our best defense against this pandemic, which has caused so much needless suffering,” he said.

Young children – while not as likely as adults to experience severe COVID-19 symptoms – were getting sick with the potentially fatal disease in greater numbers as the omicron variant swept the nation over the winter holiday season. More children required hospitalization, too. Even some youngsters who initially experienced only mild bouts of coronavirus disease reportedly continue to cope with long-term effects.

Pfizer earlier this year submitted company data for the government’s review, showing that a third vaccine dose among the 5- to 11-year-old age group raised omicron-fighting antibodies by 36 times.

The Wright Center administers kid-sized doses (one-third the amount of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine given to teens and adults) to young children, which is in accordance with public health recommendations.

Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth,
Chief Medical Officer

The safety of the booster dose was assessed in about 400 children, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The most commonly reported side effects included pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, as well as flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, muscle or joint pain and chills.

Under the latest U.S. health guidance, anyone 5 and older is now eligible for at least one booster dose. People who are 50 and older are eligible for two booster doses.

Partnership between Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank and The Wright Center for Community Health benefits many families in need

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Families throughout Northeast Pennsylvania are struggling to put food on their tables. The lingering supply-chain effects from the COVID-19 pandemic and the surging rate of inflation, combined with the rising costs of food, gasoline and medicine, are forcing many families to choose between those three essential items. Sadly, many times food becomes the item families skimp on. 

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank and The Wright Center for Community Health partnered several years ago to provide food to underserved areas of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties where food pantries aren’t as plentiful. 

“We’re doing it together. The Weinberg Foundation has been wonderful to work with. They get grants and donations for food. I reach out to Mary Ellen Spellman when we need to distribute food and she gets the order together for us,” explained Gerri McAndrew, co-director of Patient & Community Engagement at The Wright Center for Community Health.

McAndrew works out of The Wright Center’s Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn and oversees the organization’s food pantry and donation schedule. Donations of food, hygiene supplies and children’s backpacks are stored in what the Mid Valley staff refers to as “Gerri’s She Shed,” a shed housing refrigerators, freezers and storage shelves to properly stock and organize all the donations. 

“We have food drives for as many families as need it. Usually there are 30 families in the up-valley area who need food, but The Weinberg Foundation supplies us with enough food to accommodate 50 families,” McAndrew explained. “We have employee volunteers who organize and pack the food into bags and another group of employees who load the groceries in the families’ trunks, gather their information, and they’re on their way.” 

McAndrew stresses that no one who needs food will ever be turned away, and recipients do not have to be patients. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the drive-thru food pantries are only being held at the Jermyn location. She sends food to The Wright Center’s clinical locations in Clarks Summit, Scranton and Kingston for distribution there when needed. “We don’t want families driving all the way up here, especially with the price of gas,” she added.

Thanks to donations from The Weinberg Foundation, The Wright Center’s staff provides three or four heaping bags of nutritious foods to each recipient. A typical donation will include fresh fruits and vegetables, such as apples, zucchini and rutabagas; frozen meats such as ground beef and pork tenderloin; block and shredded cheese; milk; canned vegetables and dried fruits.

Gerri McAndrew,
co-director of Patient & Community Engagement

“The Weinberg Foundation always gives us a generous supply of fresh and canned foods and dairy and I think that’s great. A lot of people and businesses donate canned goods which we appreciate,” said McAndrew. “Groceries have gotten so much more expensive. Not that everyone we help is on a fixed income, but some of these people must make a choice between their food and medicines.”

“The Northeast Regional Weinberg Food Bank has a wonderful partnership with The Wright Center,” added Mary Ellen Spellman, Food Bank Director. “During the pandemic, The Wright Center was one of the first member agencies asking how they can help families within our area. They hosted a drive-thru distribution on a Saturday afternoon in May of 2020 distributing food to hundreds of families at the height of the pandemic. The work that we do could not be accomplished without the support of partner agencies like The Wright Center.

“They truly help us in the spirit of ‘People Helping People,’” Spellman concluded.

At a food pantry day in May, one woman told McAndrew, “I need a cow with my children. You don’t know how much milk I go through.” Even if the donated food helps them for one week, it’s a week that parents do not have to worry about what or how to feed their children. 

It isn’t just families that benefit from the food pantry. Many recipients are older individuals who are on fixed incomes that don’t cover all their expenses. “We have an older couple who lives next door to us here in Jermyn, and when I’m out at the shed and I see the woman outside, I’ll ask if she needs anything and bring her something over from our freezer. She’s so appreciative of the help,” said McAndrew. 

The partnership between these two organizations clearly demonstrates their commitment to the Northeast Pennsylvania community. McAndrew looks forward to the day when the COVID-19 pandemic is a thing of the past and more food pantry donation days can take place. 

“I love my job. I love doing what I do for the community. I realize how fortunate we are. I’m so grateful to The Weinberg Foundation for helping make all of this happen,” said McAndrew. 

Acting Secretary of Health tours the Scranton Practice

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Discusses effectiveness of syringe service programs for harm reduction

Pennsylvania Department of Health Acting Secretary and physician general Denise Johnson, M.D., FACOG, FACHE, delivers remarks at a press briefing held at the Scranton Practice.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Acting Secretary and physician general visited The Wright Center for Community Health, an Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, on Wednesday, May 11 to discuss syringe service programs and the important role they play in the drug treatment process.

The visit included a private roundtable discussion, tour of the primary care and Ryan White HIV/AIDS clinical space and a press briefing with regional print and broadcast media at the Scranton Practice. Denise Johnson, M.D., FACOG, FACHE, was joined by Steven Ross, state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, delegates from the offices of state Representatives Kyle Mullins and Thom Welby, Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers, and other executive leadership.

“Thanks to syringe service programs already in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, many Pennsylvanians have found their bridge to treatment and social services,” Dr. Johnson said. “We want to reduce the number of drug overdose deaths. We need to use every tool at our disposal and the success of existing programs is evidence that residents across the state could experience better health outcomes if more syringe service programs are available.”

Scott Constantini, associate vice president for Primary Care and Recovery Services Integration at The Wright Center for Community Health, talks about the benefits of syringe service programs during the press briefing.

‘We are proud to be a part of the progress that has been made in our community, but we still have much work to do together to expand the services, support and compassion for people who use drugs.’

Scott Constantini
AVP, Primary Care and Recovery Services Integration The Wright Center for Community Health

Nationwide, syringe service programs are also associated with a significant reduction in injection-related HIV and Hepatitis C.

“It is more vital than ever that we bridge the divide between mental health and substance use disorders that still exist,” said Ross, the special assistant to the secretary of DDAP. “By offering harm reduction options like syringe service programs, we can meet people who use drugs where they are and work to address the conditions of their drug use.”

Scott Constantini, associate vice president for Primary Care and Recovery Services Integration at The Wright Center for Community Health, added that people who use a syringe service program are five times more likely to receive treatment for their substance use disorder and three times more likely to stop using drugs.

“For over 25 years, I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of individuals’ recovery journeys through the delivery of comprehensive behavioral health support,” Constantini said. “This perspective has opened my eyes to the real barriers, determinants and stigma that people in recovery are faced with every day.

“We are proud to be a part of the progress that has been made in our community, but we still have much work to do together to expand the services, support and compassion for people who use drugs,” he added, during the press briefing.

Multiple studies show that access to clean syringes reduces HIV, hepatitis B and C transmission and other blood-borne pathogens in people who inject drugs. Syringe service programs also increase public safety and protect law enforcement and first responders by properly disposing of used syringes.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration has worked with members of the General Assembly to develop Senate Bill 926 and House Bill 2264, which would allow additional organizations outside of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to engage in this work.

Shane Cobert Fuller, director of HIV and preventive services at The Wright Center for Community Health, provides a tour of the Scranton Practice to state and local officials.

Women in Philanthropy Initiative Fund of the Scranton Area Foundation grant supports Wright Center’s Healthy MOMS program

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The Wright Center for Community Health was recently awarded a $3,500 grant by the Women in Philanthropy Initiative Fund of the Scranton Area Community Foundation that focuses on empowering and transforming the lives of women and girls in the Lackawanna County region.

The grant award will assist women who are trying to enter the workforce after childbirth and who are enrolled in the Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support program (Healthy MOMS), a regional collaboration co-founded by The Wright Center. Specifically, the funds will temporarily cover the cost of childcare until the new mothers establish a work history and receive proof of income, enabling them to apply for subsidized childcare assistance.

Many of the more than 135 current participants in the Healthy MOMS program want to join the workforce but find that a lack of affordable childcare poses an obstacle.

The Wright Center was one of seven area nonprofit organizations to be awarded funding as part of the Women in Philanthropy program’s 2022 grants cycle. Supporters of the program gathered in late April to hear presentations from grant semifinalists, ultimately awarding a total of $40,000 in funding. Since its inception in 2014, the Women in Philanthropy Initiative Fund of the Scranton Area Community Foundation has raised more than $1.6 million to benefit women, girls and their families in Northeast Pennsylvania. 

The Healthy MOMS program was launched locally in late 2018, aiming 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 a range of other supports.

The program promotes the well-being of both mom and newborn, ideally engaging them in wrap-around services until the child turns 2 years old.

The Wright Center for Community Health was recently awarded a $3,500 grant by the Women in Philanthropy Initiative Fund of the Scranton Area Community Foundation in support of its Healthy MOMS program. Participating in the announcement at the Women in Philanthropy Quarterly Meeting and Reception at The Colonnade in Scranton, from left, are Marcella Garvin, case manager, Healthy MOMS; Rosemary Broderick, co-chair, Women in Philanthropy; Maria Kolcharno, director, addictions services, The Wright Center for Community Health; and Michele Coyle, case manager, Healthy MOMS. 

“Since its launch more than three years ago in response to the opioid crisis, the Healthy MOMS program has become a widely recognized and respected resource for women who face the dual challenge of coping with a substance use disorder and juggling the complexities of raising a young child,” says Maria Kolcharno, The Wright Center’s director of addiction services and a key leader of the Healthy MOMS program. “We are appreciative of all the support we receive from the community, whether in the form of product donations or grants such as this Women in Philanthropy award.”

The Healthy MOMS program has served mothers as young as 14, but most are in their late 20s and 30s. Named after a program of the same name in Ohio, it was introduced in this region as a pilot program in two counties, with initial grant funding secured by the Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Today, it assists women in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. 

The nonprofit Maternal and Family Health Services Inc. and multiple area hospitals are among the many health care, social service and government agencies that power the program’s ongoing success.

For more information about the Healthy MOMS program, call 570-955-7821 or visit HealthyMOMS.org. Further information about the Women in Philanthropy Initiative Fund of the Scranton Area Community Foundation can be found at supportnepawomen.org.

The Wright Center appoints Dr. Alexies Samonte to executive role that prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion

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The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has named Dr. Alexies Samonte as its vice president of Sponsoring Institution Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Faculty and Curriculum Development, and Graduate Medical Education Funding Stewardship.

In this newly created role, Samonte will work with executives and others throughout the organization to ensure ongoing and innovative faculty development, substantial accreditation compliance, community benefit tracking, and continuous resident wellness and resiliency, among other objectives. One major focus will be to create a robust strategy for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Samonte’s diversity and inclusion efforts will span all three nonprofit entities: The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, The Wright Center for Community Health and The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement.

“I am excited about this new role,” said Samonte, who previously served as medical director of The Wright Center’s pediatric services. “Leading this journey is a privilege, since diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded within our mission.”
The longtime pediatrician, who is a native of the Philippines, will work to educate faculty, staff and members of the broader community about diversity and inclusion matters such as those promoted by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) “ACGME Equity Matters” initiative. The ACGME initiative aims to drive change within graduate medical education institutions by increasing physician workforce diversity, and building safe and inclusive learning environments, while promoting health equity by addressing racial disparities in health care and overall population health.

Alexies Samonte, M.D., MBA, FAAP
Vice President of Sponsoring Institution
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Samonte assumed her new role in late February. She already has coordinated The Wright Center’s participation in an upcoming continuing education series about LGBTQI+ inclusive health care. The series is being offered beginning June 1 through the Penn State College of Medicine’s Project ECHO network. Promoters say the series will help health care providers “meet the complex social, emotional and physical health care needs of their patients within a supportive and safe environment.”

Additionally, Samonte will develop volunteer opportunities for residents and fellows that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion activities. She also will monitor and track the progress of The Wright Center’s diversity-related metrics. 

A Jenkins Township resident, Samonte earned her doctorate degree in medicine and surgery as well as a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines. She also earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Scranton. 

The Wright Center, which strives to be an optimal employer, has more than 600 workers in Northeast Pennsylvania and at its graduate medical education training partner sites across the nation.