The Hawley location is the latest addition to The Wright Center’s northeastern Pennsylvania network of nine existing community health centers that provide safety net, comprehensive primary and preventive care to medically underserved populations regardless of a patient’s ability to pay or health insurance status.

“This mission-driven expansion allows us to bring essential primary health services to Wayne and Pike county families and the extended rural community,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, Chief Medical Officer for the Wright Center for Community Health.  “The proposed clinic, when fully operational, will serve approximately 1,400 patients with a third of them uninsured, underinsured or underserved.”

To make an appointment at The Wright Center’s new Hawley clinic, call 570-576-8081

beginning June 15th. A formal ribbon cutting ceremony will be held later this summer. “On behalf of the community, we are thrilled to welcome The Wright Center to Hawley to fill a much needed gap in physical and mental health,” said Justin Genzlinger, CEO and owner of Settlers Hospitality.

Moses Taylor Foundation has generously awarded a $160,352 grant to The Wright Center for Community Health to fund significant equipment and supplies to treat and protect the region’s most vulnerable patients and to keep frontline medical personnel safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re incredibly appreciative of the unwavering and empowering support we’ve historically received from Moses Taylor Foundation,” said Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of The Wright Center for Community Health and President of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. “During this complex global health crisis, the reiterated generosity of this valued community partner once again empowers us to sustain our mission to improve the health and welfare of our regional community.”

The Moses Taylor Foundation grant will fund essential equipment for the nonprofit’s safety-net community health centers that provide nondiscriminatory and integrated primary medical, Ryan White, dental, behavioral, addiction and recovery health services at nine practice sites throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties. The much-needed equipment funded by the Moses Taylor Foundation grant includes two military-grade medical tents with negative-pressure ventilation infrastructure to prevent virus spread amongst patients and staff, as well as Personal Protective Equipment, COVID tests, and sanitation/decontamination supplies and services.

“We welcome this opportunity to support the critical work of The Wright Center to improve the health and wellness of the communities we collectively serve,” said LaTida Smith, President and CEO of Moses Taylor Foundation. “In moments of crisis, we know time and resources are precious. We value The Wright Center’s work on behalf of families in the area, and we appreciate opportunities to support its mission-driven endeavors.” Moses Taylor Foundation serves an 11-county region that includes Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties. The foundation prioritizes responding quickly and meaningfully to emerging needs that arise in the community, and plays a critical role in strengthening the safety-net of health and human service providers in Northeast Pennsylvania. The foundation provides opportunities for people in the region, especially the most vulnerable, to lead healthy lives.

A COVID-19 Education and Outreach Command Center has been established on the second floor of The Wright Center’s South Scranton location, 501 S. Washington Ave. Five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., a dedicated team of resident doctors led by Internal Medicine Faculty Physician Erin McFadden, M.D., and Project Coordinator Melissa Watson are calling nearly 200 assisted-living facilities in the Northeast region of the state to offer Telehealth medical appointments and educational guidance, track coronavirus cases and assess PPE supply and staffing needs. This data is then shared with the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health to arrange for PPE delivery and compile more accurate statistics on COVID-19.

“During this unprecedented time, we must go the extra mile to protect the residents of personal-care homes and assisted-living facilities, who are among the most at-risk patient populations. We must also look out for the staff that care for these vulnerable citizens and link them to desperately needed resources. This command center is critical to ensure they all have access to medical guidance and education,” said Dr. McFadden.

The Wright Center joins Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Geisinger Health System, Allegheny Health System, and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on this statewide taskforce. “This is a frightening time for these DHS-licensed facilities and the vulnerable residents they serve. But we have their backs. Collectively, we believe that with the additional educational support and clinical coaching that we are providing, personal-care homes and assisted-living residences will finally have the support they need,” said Ali Fogarty, Communications Director for the Pa. Dept. of Human Services.

Patients who arrive at the Mid Valley Clinic, located at 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, will be checked-in outside of the practice by a clinical worker. Those without COVID-19 symptoms will enter the clinic as usual for their appointments. Patients presenting with respiratory symptoms will be immediately masked and ushered into the negative-pressure tent where they will receive the same care as if they were in the clinic. Negative-pressure systems help control disease outbreaks because the air inside the tent does not leave the space, protecting others from exposure. Proper PPE including gowns, masks, face shields and gloves will be worn by all employees in the tent. 

In addition to the Mid Valley negative-pressure tent, The Wright Center has also instituted the following safety and preventive measures: “dry fog” de-contamination at all sites using a fully biodegradable sporicide that leaves no residue or by-product; and freshly laundered scrubs for clinical employees. “These additional clinical precautions will ensure that safety is prioritized for all during this unprecedented time,” Dr. Sheth noted. “We will continue to closely monitor developments, consult with leading experts and work tirelessly to implement extra safety measures as part of our vigilance to prevent further transmission of this virus. These tents especially are a sign of The Wright Center’s readiness and commitment to patient and employee safety.”

The Board of Directors of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education (TWCGME) conducted its annual meeting at the new integrated clinical, educational and administrative hub at 501 S. Washington Ave. in Scranton on Jan. 31, 2020. During the meeting, new board members were welcomed, officers were elected and the board celebrated its recent momentous expansion to reflect its national presence.

“It is so remarkable that, right here in Scranton, The Wright Center is spearheading nationally significant innovations in primary care physician training that have been deployed across the country with the goal of increasing the number of primary care physicians in underserved areas. The next logical step for our high-performing, nonprofit governance model was to include the important voices of our valued, nationally-spread community health center partners on our Board of Directors to ensure cross-organizational learning and engagement without geographic boundaries,” said Jennifer Walsh, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for TWCGME.     

Of particular note regionally, a pair of prominent area physician leaders and a local expert in healthcare finance joined the board as directors, bringing decades of experience in innovation, technology, health care and education: Patrick D. Conaboy, M.D., Michael J. Paglia, M.D., Ph.D., and Thomas Bisignani.

Dr. Conaboy, an Archbald resident,is the Chief Medical Officer for Commonwealth Health’s Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital. A graduate of Scranton Preparatory School, the University of Scranton and Georgetown University School of Medicine, he served a decade in the U.S. Army before returning to Scranton where he opened a family practice that would become Cognetti and Conaboy Family Practice.

Dr. Paglia, a Shavertown resident, is Associate Designated Institutional Official for Geisinger Health System and a Clinical Associate Professor at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Dually board-certified in obstetrics/gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine, he currently serves on Geisinger’s Systemwide Hospital Lab Formulary Committee and the Board of Directors for the local branch of the March of Dimes.

Mr. Bisignani, an Olyphant resident, is the Market Chief Financial Officer for Commonwealth Health System – the largest network of hospitals in Northeastern Pennsylvania – overseeing Moses Taylor Hospital, Regional Hospital of Scranton, Physician’s Health Alliance, Commonwealth Health Emergency Medical Services and Great Valley Cardiology. He is a graduate of the University of Scranton with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board also welcomed the following new board directors:

• Robert Naismith, Ph.D., Chairman of Mentor Insight; Jujuama Inc.; and Jujama Solutions Pvt. Ltd.; Professor of Clinical Sciences at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (who was appointed Secretary of this board)
• Carol W. Rubel, Adjunct Professor of Education at University of Scranton
• Jumee Barooah, M.D., Designated Institutional Official of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education
• Judy Featherstone, M.D., Chief Health Officer at HealthPoint in Auburn, Washington
• Vincent Keane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Unity Health Care in Washington, D.C.
• Kim Patton, President and Chief Executive Officer of HealthSource in Ohio
• Douglas Spegman, M.D., Chief Clinical Officer of El Rio Health in Arizona
• Sharon Obadia, D.O., FNAOME, Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Services and an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

Led by President Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., these recently appointed board members joined valued existing directors: Harold Baillie, Ph.D. (Chair); James Gavin (Vice Chair); John Kearney (Treasurer); Carlon Preate; Gerard Geoffroy; Mary Marrara; Sister Maryalice Jacquinot; and Lia Richards-Palmiter, Ph.D.

ABOUT

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has trained physicians for more than 40 years and aims to develop primary care doctors who will continue to practice in underserved regions after graduation. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is a non-profit organization recognized by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as the largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium (GME-SNC) in the country. The Teaching Health Center initiative addresses physician workforce shortages (particularly in rural and inner-city areas), mal-distribution and escalating healthcare disparities in the United States.