The Wright Center and The National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement Partner for New Medical Assistant Training Program

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Scranton, Pa. (September 13, 2021) The Wright Center for Community Health is pleased to announce the introduction of a one-of-a-kind, 29-week Medical Assistant Training Program to provide education and employment opportunities in the region while addressing a critical workforce shortage thanks to a new arrangement with The National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement. 

The National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA) is a nonprofit education institute that trains Medical Assistants to work effectively in today’s high-performing primary care settings. NIMAA’s fully accredited, affordable programming offers students hands-on education and prepares graduates to work in high-performing, team-based practices. On Aug. 31, NIMAA announced its approval to operate as a private licensed school in the state of Pennsylvania. 

“NIMAA is delighted to help meet the demand for medical assisting in Pennsylvania, where it is recognized as a ‘job of tomorrow,’ and is expected to grow by 20% over the next 10 years,” says NIMAA Chief Executive Officer Elena Thomas Faulkner. “We are particularly excited to work with our community-based clinical partners to make entry into a career in health care accessible to diverse members of Pennsylvania’s medically underserved communities.”

The Medical Assistant Training Program provides an innovative proactive learning experience containing both flexible online courses and hands-on learning at The Wright Center for Community Health’s primary health locations throughout the duration of the program. 

“Medical assistants are an integral member of our patient care teams and there’s high demand in our region to fill positions. The addition of this new training program is a forward-thinking opportunity where not only can graduates complete their training but start their career with The Wright Center upon completion,” says Kathleen Barry, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of The Wright Center for Community Health. “The opportunity to extend the Medical Assistant program to our existing staff and the entire region is responsive to the needs of our community to provide exceptional health care services combined with the introduction of well-paying jobs and new career opportunities.”

Working alongside physicians and patient care teams, medical assistants maintain patient records, assist during examinations and ensure records are secure. Applications to the Medical Assistant Training Program are being accepted until Nov. 14, 2021. For more information visit NIMAA – The National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement. To register for the course, visit Online Registration Software for NIMAA Student Information System (regpack.com).

Primary Care and Addiction Medicine Specialist Dr. Karen Arscott Joins The Wright Center

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Scranton, Pa. (Aug. 25, 2021) – Karen E. Arscott, D.O., a primary care physician and addiction medicine specialist, has joined The Wright Center for Community Health. Providing primary and preventive care as well as addiction and recovery services, Dr. Arscott is accepting new adult patients at The Wright Center’s Mid Valley and Hawley primary care practices.

Dr. Arscott is Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Physicians in Neuromuscular Medicine and is fellowship-trained and board-eligible by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. A founding director of PA Lung and the Northeast/Central Pennsylvania Interprofessional Education Coalition, she is also an Associate Professor of medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and serves on Lackawanna County’s Recovery Coalition. Dr. Arscott is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and the American Academy of Osteopathy. She is a board member and  President-elect for the Lackawanna County Medical Society, and serves on the board of trustees of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association.

A Waverly Township resident, Dr. Arscott graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she completed her neuromuscular/osteopathic manipulative medicine residency training. Dr. Arscott also completed an addiction medicine fellowship with Geisinger Marworth Treatment Center. She has been treating patients for more than 25 years in private practice, hospital, clinical and urgent care settings. 

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Arscott, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. The Wright Center for Community Health offers safety-net healthcare services in Lackawanna, Wayne and Luzerne counties — inclusive of primary and preventive care and addiction and recovery services — to patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. A designated Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, The Wright Center employs a comprehensive, whole-person approach to caring for those facing addiction, with wrap-around services for mental and behavioral health plus case and care management.

Wright Center Offering Third-Dose Covid Vaccines to Patients with Qualifying Medical Conditions

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Scranton, Pa. (Aug. 20, 2021) – People with compromised immune systems who already received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines can now get a third shot to boost their protection from COVID-19 at several area Wright Center for Community Health locations. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those who should consider getting an extra shot include individuals being treated for tumors or cancers of the blood; organ transplant patients, including those who have received stem cell transplants within the last two years; and those who have diseases that damage the immune system.

Also on the list are people with advanced or untreated HIV infection, those taking high-dose steroids and those who have chronic medical conditions that can weaken immune response, such as chronic kidney disease. For more information about recommendations and the FDA’s emergency use authorization of third-dose shots, visit CDC.org.

Patients who meet the guidelines are urged to get a third shot of the same vaccine at least four weeks after their initial two-dose mRNA series. If you’ve received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations, you can schedule your third dose appointment at The Wright Center by visiting TheWrightCenter.org or calling 570-230-0019. Patients have the choice of a vaccine-only appointment or an office visit with their third dose. 

Offices where third-dose COVID vaccines will be administered include Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave.; Kingston, 2 Sharpe St.; Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn; and Clarks Summit, 1145 Northern Blvd.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: The Wright Center Endorses Back-to-School Mask Wearing For Students

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SCRANTON, PA. (Aug. 10, 2021) – Public health and safety are top priorities at The Wright Center for Community Health. We endorse and recommend the guidance provided by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics that all students over age two should wear masks at school even if they are vaccinated to maximize protection from the Delta variant and COVID-19.Children returning to in-person learning this fall deserve to have layered prevention strategies in place. Combining masking, vaccinations and clean hands hygiene will make the return to the classroom safe for everyone. Vaccines are effective at preventing COVID-19 including severe illness and death.

Family Medicine Physician Steven Archambault, D.O., Joins The Wright Center for Community Health’s Scranton Practice

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Scranton, Pa. (Aug. 6, 2021) – Board-certified family medicine physician Steven Archambault, D.O., has joined The Wright Center for Community Health’s Scranton Practice at 501 S. Washington Ave., where he is accepting new patients of all ages. 

A West Pittston resident, Dr. Archambault is a graduate of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He completed his family medicine residency training at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. 

Dr. Archambault will provide primary and preventive care for patients ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics, as well as addiction and recovery services and women’s healthcare. Dr. Archambault  is available for in-person or telehealth visits.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Archambault, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-941-0630.

Dentist Satya Upadhyayula, D.M.D., Joins Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley and Scranton Practices

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Scranton, Pa. (Aug. 6, 2021) – Satya Upadhyayula, D.M.D., a board-certified general practice dentist, has joined the oral health team at The Wright Center for Community Health, which includes two additional board-certified dentists and five certified public health dental hygienists. Dr. Upadhyayula is accepting new patients of all ages at The Wright Center’s Mid Valley location, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, as well as the Scranton location, 501 S. Washington Ave. 

Dr. Upadhyayula is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. He earned his master’s degree in oral biology from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Kentucky, and his bachelor’s degree in dental surgery from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, India.

Prior to joining The Wright Center, Dr. Upadhyayula completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery internship at the University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, as well as externships with the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.

The Wright Center offers comprehensive dental services for the whole family, including emergency services and routine check-ups and cleanings, plus denture care, oral cancer screenings, extractions, fillings and X-rays. As a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, The Wright Center provides safety-net primary care — including dental, medical, behavioral/mental health, addiction and recovery, and Ryan White HIV services — regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, with a Sliding Fee Discount Scale available to eligible patients based on family size and income.

To schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Upadhyayula, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.