Wright Center for Community Health Offering Powerful Infusion Therapy to Help COVID-Positive Patients

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Scranton, Pa. (Feb. 10, 2021) – Patients who are diagnosed with COVID-19 have a new treatment option available that may help them avoid a stay in the hospital. The Wright Center for Community Health is the first in Scranton to offer an outpatient infusion clinic for administering Bamlanivimab, or BAM, a monoclonal antibody.

“These monoclonal antibodies are the unsung heroes when it comes to the fight against COVID-19,” said Jignesh Sheth, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for The Wright Center, who is leading the delivery and administration of the drug. “There’s strong evidence that it stops people from going to the hospital and that patients recover faster with fewer complications.”

BAM was first introduced at the Wright Center’s Scranton location two weeks ago with close to 40 COVID-positive patients treated thus far. None of those patients treated ended up in the hospital with one 61-year-old COVID-19 patient, described as “very ill,” coming in for treatment on a Friday and by that Sunday, was able to walk four miles.

The Wright Center is offering the treatment to people 65 and older within 10 days of a positive COVID-19 PCR test or onset of symptoms, and to younger patients, 12 and over, at higher risk. People hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 are not eligible to receive the treatment.

The monoclonal antibodies found in BAM, which was granted emergency-use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration, are laboratory-created proteins that replicate the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful antigens, like COVID-19. The medicine targets the virus in a confirmed-positive patient and aims to prevent their body from having a damaging, or even life-threatening, inflammatory reaction.

Who is Eligible for the COVID-19 Infusion Clinic?

  • Must be 12 years of age and older
  • Must have tested COVID-19 positive via PCR nasal swab
  • Must be outpatient only; not available for hospitalized individuals
  • Must not require oxygen as a result of COVID-19 symptoms
  • Must be considered a patient with underlying medical conditions considered high-risk for developing complications, which includes those 65 and older

BAM is administered as a one-time infusion over one hour. Patients are asked to remain at The Wright Center’s infusion clinic for roughly one hour after treatment to monitor for any side effects. BAM is not authorized for patients who are hospitalized due to COVID-19, who require oxygen therapy due to COVID-19, or who require an increase in baseline oxygen flow rate due to COVID-19 in patients who are on chronic oxygen therapy due to underlying non-COVID-19-related conditions.

For more information about COVID-19 Infusion Therapy or to schedule an appointment, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-941-0630.

Wright Center President/CEO Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak Named Recipient of Prestigious Women in Medicine Award

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Scranton, Pa. (Nov. 30, 2020) – Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., has been named recipient of the Dr. Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award by the Pennsylvania Eastern Region Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP). Recognized globally as the world’s largest medical-specialty society, the ACP bestowed the honor upon Dr. Thomas-Hemak as part of its efforts to “recognize excellence and distinguished contributions to internal medicine.”

Dr. Thomas-Hemak is the Chief Executive Officer of The Wright Center for Community Health and President of its affiliated entity, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. Born and raised in Northeast Pennsylvania and the daughter of Archbald’s William and Johanna Thomas, both retired public school teachers, Dr. Thomas-Hemak is a graduate of Scranton Preparatory School and The University of Scranton. After graduating as a Michael DeBakey Scholar from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and completing Harvard’s Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency in Boston, Massachusetts, she returned to NEPA to practice primary care.

She joined The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and The Wright Center for Community Health, formerly The Wright Center Medical Group, in 2000, became President of the Medical Group in 2007, and the chief executive for both organizations in 2012. She is a board-certified, practicing, academic internal medicine/pediatrics/addiction medicine primary care provider at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn, the same borough where she currently resides with her husband and three children.

Started in 2019, the Women in Medicine Award recognizes an ACP chapter member whose outstanding efforts and achievements have promoted career success, leadership and overall quality of life for women in medicine, fostering tomorrow’s women leaders in medicine. The award is named after medical pioneer Dr. Ann Preston, a lifelong Philadelphia resident who was in the first class of women who enrolled in the Female (later Women’s) Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1850. After the Board of Censors of the Philadelphia Medical Society effectively banned women physicians from the public teaching clinics of the city, she raised funds to start a new hospital where teaching could occur, and opened The Women’s Hospital in 1858. She later created a school of nursing and was named the first woman dean of the Women’s Medical College in 1866.

“Your work as President and CEO of the Wright Center as well as the Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency program more than qualify you for this award. I am also personally aware of your tireless efforts to promote advocacy and let the voices of the underserved be heard, and appreciate your dedication to this cause,” noted Lawrence H. Jones, M.D., FACP, Governor of the ACP’s Pennsylvania Eastern Region Chapter, in his acknowledgment of Dr. Thomas-Hemak.

Wright Center’s Sister Ruth Neely, CRNP, honored by National Health Organization for Decades of Work with HIV/AIDS Patients in NEPA

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Scranton, Pa. (Nov. 30, 2020) – Sister Ruth Neely, a certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP) at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Ryan White HIV Clinic, recently received recognition from a national health care advocacy organization as part of its “Year of the Nurse” campaign.

“Your expert medical care mixed with profound compassion have been critical to the lives of people living with HIV,” wrote Dr. Ron Yee, Chief Medical Officer of The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) in his announcement letter to Sister Ruth, adding “We… were really impressed by your hard word, dedication and perseverance throughout your career.”

Sister Ruth, a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy, has devoted her life to serving the vulnerable and underserved in the region. A graduate of Misericordia University, she started offering HIV outreach services back in 1997, years before The Wright Center’s Ryan White Clinic was formally established. The Wright Center received its federal Ryan White designation in 2000, and since then, has provided comprehensive HIV primary medical care, essential support services and medications for those living with HIV, including the uninsured and underserved, throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Wayne, Pike, Monroe and Susquehanna counties.

Sister Ruth Neely, CRNP

Scranton, Pa. (Nov. 30, 2020) – Sister Ruth Neely, a certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP) at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Ryan White HIV Clinic, recently received recognition from a national health care advocacy organization as part of its “Year of the Nurse” campaign.

“Your expert medical care mixed with profound compassion have been critical to the lives of people living with HIV,” wrote Dr. Ron Yee, Chief Medical Officer of The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) in his announcement letter to Sister Ruth, adding “We… were really impressed by your hard word, dedication and perseverance throughout your career.”

Sister Ruth, a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy, has devoted her life to serving the vulnerable and underserved in the region. A graduate of Misericordia University, she started offering HIV outreach services back in 1997, years before The Wright Center’s Ryan White Clinic was formally established. The Wright Center received its federal Ryan White designation in 2000, and since then, has provided comprehensive HIV primary medical care, essential support services and medications for those living with HIV, including the uninsured and underserved, throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Wayne, Pike, Monroe and Susquehanna counties.

Director of County Area Agency on Aging Joins Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors

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Scranton, Pa. (Feb. 4, 2021) – The Wright Center for Community Health recently welcomed Jason Kavulich, Director of the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging, to its Board of Directors. Kavulich brings 21 years of experience within the human service field to The Wright Center’s governance table.

Kavulich previously was employed by the Lackawanna County Office of Youth and Family Services, where he progressed from a caseworker to a supervisor followed by an administrator position. In his current leadership role with the county Area Agency on Aging, he promotes the innovation and expansion of services for older adults and strongly advocates to guarantee their rights and independence. 

“I’m honored to join The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors and expand on the ties that will best serve the older adults of our community,” Kavulich said. “Partnering with Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes like The Wright Center is the future of local healthcare. It demonstrates the power of alliances between organizations and individuals who share the same mission: to provide better, more comprehensive services that tie mental health, medical needs and social support all into one care package for our most vulnerable.”

Kavulich is a graduate of the University of Scranton and a lifelong resident of Scranton. As a human services professional, he has dedicated his efforts to ending food insecurity and homelessness and improving access to services and cultural opportunities to the residents of Lackawanna County through his active board participation with the United Way, Penn State Scranton, Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Food Policy Council, Lackawanna County Pro Bono and the Anthracite Heritage Museum.

Former White House Communications Director Joins Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors

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Scranton, Pa. (Feb. 4, 2021) – The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education recently welcomed Kevin Sullivan, a career communications expert who has had experience in the White House, corporate and sports media relations at the most senior levels, to its Board of Directors.

Sullivan served as White House Communications Director under President George W. Bush, overseeing message development and communications planning, including oversight of the White House website, rapid response operation, media outreach and production of Presidential events. He also served as the Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach at the U.S. Department of Education.

Sullivan’s other outstanding career accomplishments include acting as Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications and Media Relations at NBC Universal and serving as Vice President of Communications at NBC Sports.

Since 2009, he has led Kevin Sullivan Communications, Inc., a national consulting firm specializing in communications strategy and messaging, media training and presentation skills coaching.

“I look forward to contributing my diverse expertise to the great work of The Wright Center and its mission to educate the future primary care workforce that serves the most vulnerable,” Sullivan said. “I plan to use my skills in strategic communications and leadership development to further the goals of the organization and its learners, faculty and staff.”

Sullivan earned a master’s degree in mass communications from Iona College in New York and his bachelor’s degree in management from Purdue University.

The Wright Center for Community Health Names New Behavioral Health Manager

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Scranton, Pa. (Feb. 4, 2021) – Saroj Shrestha, a certified trauma therapist and veteran of the mental health services field in Northeast Pennsylvania, has been named Behavioral Health Manager for The Wright Center for Community Health.

Prior to joining The Wright Center, Shrestha served as Clinical Director of Social Services for Commonwealth Health Systems. A licensed social worker, he has extensive experience providing trauma-informed care, and has served as a therapist and supervisor in a variety of clinical settings, including psychiatric facilities, inpatient hospitals, outpatient clinics and as a mobile provider bringing services to families in their natural settings.

In this new leadership position, Shrestha will manage daily operations of behavioral health services at all Wright Center clinical locations and develop and implement continuous improvement strategies to ensure the delivery of highest quality care.

“Finding someone of Saroj Shrestha’s caliber when it comes to combined expertise in patient care and clinical supervision will prove to be a great asset to our team and the people we serve,” said Scott Constantini, Director of Behavioral Health Services.

“I’m excited to join The Wright Center and do my part to support its important community-centered work using skills honed over a career steeped in service to mental health,” Shrestha said.

Shrestha earned his bachelor’s degree in social work from Slippery Rock University and his master’s degree in social work from Marywood University. He resides in Dunmore.