Clarks Summit Practice scheduled to open Oct. 9

Clarks Summit Practice exterior

The Wright Center for Community Health Clarks Summit Practice, 1145 Northern Blvd., remains closed as crews continue to address water damage from September’s severe flooding in South Abington Township.

Crews have been busy ripping out flooring, repairing water-damaged walls, and drying out the building using industrial fans. With more work to do, however, the timeline needs to be extended to ensure that the work is completed to meet the quality and safety standards we must provide our patients, staff, and learners. As a federally funded Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium and Essential Community Provider, we aim to resume delivering comprehensive, nondiscriminatory safety-net primary health services at this location for patients and families as soon as possible. 

The clinic’s targeted opening date is Monday, Oct. 9. Until then, patient appointments and staff, along with residents, continue to be redeployed as indicated below: 

● Patients of Drs. William Dempsey and Douglas Klamp have been notified that their scheduled appointments have been moved to The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., Scranton. Internal Medicine and Family Medicine residents will follow their faculty attendings to Scranton for this period of time. Dr. Klamp has notified the chiefs.

●  Patients of Jennifer Kalinowski, DNP, have been notified that their scheduled appointments have been moved to The Wright Center for Community Health North Scranton Practice, 1721 N. Main Ave., Scranton.

● Patients of Angelo Brutico, PA-C, and Stephanie Hill, LPC, have been notified that their scheduled appointments have been moved to The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Counseling Practice, 329 Cherry St., Scranton.

Regular updates will be available on our website at TheWrightCenter.org/news and on our social media channels.

The Wright Center to observe National Health Center Week 2023 with special activities in clinics and community

TWC Mid Valley Practice

The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, will raise the newly designed Jermyn Borough flag on Friday, Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. in observance of National Health Center Week. The program begins at 8:45 a.m. with light refreshments.

In observance of National Health Center Week, The Wright Center for Community Health will hold a series of special activities across the region including school backpack giveaways, a vaccine clinic, and a special flag-raising ceremony at its primary and preventive health care practice in Jermyn.

The weeklong celebration, from Aug. 6 to 12, helps to draw attention to the critical role that community health centers play in strengthening our nation by delivering high-quality, affordable primary and preventive health care to underserved populations. This year’s theme is “The Roadmap to a Stronger America.”

The Wright Center is one of about 1,400 health centers in the United States, which collectively serve about 30 million people annually. Community health centers represent the largest primary care network in the nation. They deliver care to one in 11 people in the U.S., including one in three people who live in poverty, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers, organizer of National Health Center Week.

During its observance, The Wright Center will celebrate its health care providers, board members, stakeholders, staff and, most importantly, the more than 31,000 patients across Northeast Pennsylvania who turn to it for their care.

The Wright Center operates 10 primary and preventive health care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. Together, these clinical locations offer a safety net for the region’s residents, ensuring that everyone in The Wright Center’s five-county service area has access to integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.

The Wright Center, like other community health centers across the nation, is a nonprofit, patient-governed organization that provides high-quality, comprehensive health care to rural and other medically underserved areas, treating all patients regardless of income or insurance status. More than 61% of The Wright Center’s patients fall at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines, nearly 32% are insured through Medicaid or CHIP, and just over 18% are insured through Medicare. 

As part of the weeklong celebration, The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, will raise the newly designed Jermyn borough flag at a ceremony beginning at 8:45 a.m. Friday, Aug. 11. The flag, designed in 2019 by borough resident Amy Ryczak, features a green cross that honors Jermyn as the birthplace of first aid. Speakers at the event will include Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, and state Rep. Kyle Mullins, who represents Jermyn as part of the 112th Legislative District. 

Other events planned at The Wright Center’s clinics and in the community for National Health Center Week include:

  • Tuesday, Aug. 8: Backpack giveaway, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health Hawley Practice, 103 Spruce St., Hawley. 
  • Wednesday, Aug. 9: Back-to-school vaccine clinic with Driving Better Health mobile medical unit, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hazleton Area School District, 1515 W. 23rd St., Hazleton. Walk-ups are welcome upon vaccine availability, but appointments are preferred. Call 570.230.0019 to schedule an appointment. 
  • Thursday, Aug. 10: Art and Mindfulness group, 12:30 to 2 p.m., Community Intervention Center, 445 N. 6th Ave., Scranton. 
  • Thursday, Aug. 10: Wellness and Health Fair for Employee Appreciation Day, 2 to 4 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., Suite 1000, Scranton. 
  • Saturday, Aug. 12:  Backpack giveaway and children’s art activity, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., South Side Farmers Market, 526 Cedar Ave., Scranton.

Dr. Weinberger joins The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education

The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have named Dr. Richard Weinberger as deputy director for Allied and John Heinz Services and core faculty for the Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency programs.

Dr. Richard Weinberger

He will oversee the development and execution of strategies to enhance The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s programs at Allied and John Heinz as deputy director. He will also assist the designated institutional official in assessing, implementing, and developing new graduate medical education programs and will serve on the Graduate Medical Education Committee. 

In addition, Dr. Weinberger will serve as a core faculty member of the Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency programs. In that role, he will treat patients and supervise resident physicians, medical students, and interprofessional health learners at The Wright Center for Community Health and Allied and John Heinz clinical learning environments. He will also see patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn.

Dr. Weinberger is board certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine and a fellow of both the American College of Physicians and American College of Osteopathic Internists. He has a long history with The Wright Center.

After graduating from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, he completed his internal medicine residency at the Scranton-Temple Residency program, the precursor to The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. For decades, he has worked in private practices in Lackawanna County, most recently with Horizon Medical Corp.

Wright Center sponsoring Nittany Lion Summer Impact Camp

Penn State football players build stronger community with youth camp

Limitless NIL, with sponsorship support from The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, is bringing the second annual Nittany Lion Summer Impact Football Camp to Scranton on Saturday, July 22 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Riverfront Sports, 5 W. Olive St. Scranton.

Limitless NIL partners, My Center for Independent Living, also is simultaneously hosting an event catered for kids and young adults with disabilities from ages 10-21.

The youth camp is designed to foster personal growth, develop skills, and ignite passion for the game of football in boys and girls in fifth through eighth grades. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn under the guidance of members from the 2022 Rose Bowl Championship team, including Beau Pribula, Curtis Jacobs, Liam Clifford, Dom DeLuca, and many more.

“Together, we are committed to supporting young athletes in our local communities,” said Sean Clifford, Limitless NIL founder and president. “It’s our way of investing in the future and empowering the next generation of athletes and leaders.”

To register for the second annual Nittany Lion Summer Impact Football Camp, go to lvhn.org/ImpactAthlete. For more information and updates about the camp, visit limitlessnil.com and follow the team on social media @limitlessnil.

In addition to The Wright Center, the following local community organizations made the camp possible: Northeast Rehab, Century Dental, My Center for Independent Living, Allied Services, Fidelity Bank, Casey Dental, Gerrity’s, Lehigh Valley Health Network, PNC Bank, Montage Mountain Resorts, and PA Health and Wellness. 

‘Road to Recovery’ car show benefits patients of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement is hosting the second annual “Road to Recovery” car show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Nay Aug Park in support patients at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence. Organizers, from left, Kara Seitzinger, executive director, Public Affairs, The Wright Center; Wright Center Certified Medical Assistant Jillian Zaorski, Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence Case managers Robert Vanwert and James Lovallo, and Physician Assistant Sarah Marsh pose with a 1974 Z28 Camaro, which will be entered into the benefit show at the Miami Pavilion near the Everhart Museum.

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement will host the second annual “Road to Recovery” car show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Nay Aug Park.

The event is at the Miami Pavilion near the Everhart Museum. Registration, which costs $10 per vehicle and $5 per motorcycle, begins at 8 a.m. Admission is free. The family-friendly fundraiser also features prizes, music, raffles, food trucks, games, and much more. In addition, other addiction treatment facilities from around the region will be invited to set up informational tables at the event.

Just like last year, proceeds raised from the car show will be used to help patients of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence with transportation to and from appointments. Pennsylvania designated The Wright Center for Community Health as an Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence in 2017 – one of 50 in the state. Patients can visit any of The Wright Center’s primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wayne counties to connect with supportive certified recovery specialists, case managers, social workers, and medical providers who help them break the cycle of addiction through outpatient care.

“Transportation remains the highest need for our patients in Northeast Pennsylvania and those across the country,” said Kara Seitzinger, executive director of Public Affairs at The Wright Center. “The lack of reliable transportation is a real barrier to care. If you cannot get to your medical provider, you cannot receive the necessary care and support services The Wright Center has available for this patient population.”

In addition to supporting the Center of Excellence’s patients with transportation needs, the car show also raises awareness about the services The Wright Center for Community Health and other regional organizations offer, according to Scott Constantini, associate vice president of primary care and recovery services integration at The Wright Center.

“For me, the best part is the people who come out to support the cause,” Constantini said. “It’s bringing people together with a passion for recovery treatment.”

More information about the center and its addiction and recovery services is available at thewrightcenter.org/coe.

The Wright Center for Community Health opening new North Scranton Practice

North Scranton Practice

The new location begins seeing patients July 17

The Wright Center for Community Health is expanding access to primary and preventive care by establishing the North Scranton Practice, which will begin accepting patients on Monday, July 17.

The new practice at 1721 N. Main Ave., Scranton, will offer a full complement of integrated primary and preventive health services, offering the convenience of going to a single location to access medical, behavioral health, addiction and recovery services, and other supportive service lines.

The North Scranton Practice location formerly housed Dr. Paul Remick’s family practice under Horizon Medical Corp. Dr. Remick retired June 30.

With the new location, The Wright Center for Community Health offers a network of nine permanent locations across Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties that, together with its mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, serves more than 40,0000 unique patients annually and ensures everyone in the service area has access to high-quality, affordable health services, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.

A Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, The Wright Center for Community Health’s patient-centered medical home is an essential community provider of safety-net primary and preventive health services, a state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, and a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic.

The North Scranton Practice is accepting appointments for new patients. To schedule an appointment, call 570-346-8417 or go to TheWrightCenter.org and click on the appointment link near the top of the page. To see a complete list of clinic locations, hours of operation, and services, visit TheWrightCenter.org.