Three standout employees from The Wright Center for Community Health received statewide recognition from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) during its Annual Conference and Clinical Summit in Lancaster.
Each year, PACHC recognizes the outstanding efforts of dedicated individuals and teams who work in and volunteer for community health centers throughout the state with their Awards for Primary Care Excellence, commonly referred to as the APEX awards
Dr. William Dempsey
This year, PACHC recognized Dr. William Dempsey, a longtime family physician at The Wright Center for Community Health Clarks Summit, with the Outstanding Primary Care Clinician Award. In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Dempsey serves as The Wright Center’s chief population health value-based care officer. He was selected for his unwavering dedication to expanding access to affordable, high-quality, whole-person primary health services, particularly for vulnerable populations.
The award also highlights his collaborative approach to patient care, which has improved screenings, follow-ups, and outcomes, especially for patients managing mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and chronic conditions.
Catherine “Catie” Nealon
PACHC presented Catherine “Catie” Nealon, associate vice president of clinical program development, population health, and the 340B Program at The Wright Center, with its Innovation Award. The award honors initiatives that lead to improved patient outcomes, reduced health disparities, increased patient satisfaction, or greater efficiency and effectiveness in delivering primary care. Nealon was recognized for spearheading several projects that have strengthened The Wright Center’s ability to set and achieve measurable improvement goals.
Her leadership has advanced the integration of innovative software that tracks clinical quality measures – ensuring patients receive appropriate and timely screenings, follow-up care, referrals, and other essential services that enhance overall health outcomes.
Nicole Sekelsky
Nicole Sekelsky, the director of needs-responsive outreach engagement and enrollment at The Wright Center, was recognized by PACHC with the Coverage Champion Award. She was selected for her tireless efforts to help individuals and families across Northeast Pennsylvania gain access to health insurance.
Through Sekelsky’s leadership, The Wright Center expanded its presence at community outreach events and developed new opportunities to connect with those in need of coverage. As a result, The Wright Center assisted more than 1,000 people with health insurance inquiries in fiscal year 2025 – a 200% increase over the previous year.
PACHC represents and supports the largest network of primary health care providers in Pennsylvania. Since 1981, PACHC programs and services have supported community health centers in their mission to improve access to quality, affordable primary care for all.
In fiscal year 2024-25, The Wright Center served about 38,300 unique patients at its growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. As a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and safety-net provider, it serves vulnerable and medically underserved populations, regardless of age, ethnic background, ZIP code, insurance status, or ability to pay. It accepts all insurance plans and offers a sliding-fee discount program based on federal poverty guidelines that considers family size and income. No patient is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.
Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers’ (PACHC’s) Board of Directors.
PACHC represents the commonwealth’s largest network of primary health care providers that serve nearly 1 million patients annually at more than 475 sites in underserved rural and urban areas in 55 counties. Its 15-member Board of Directors is made up of community health center CEOs from across Pennsylvania, representing a broad spectrum of expertise that spans finance, clinical care, workforce development, advocacy, policy and regulation, nonprofit health care administration, and human resources.
“I am deeply honored and profoundly grateful to join the reputable Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers. I am excited for the opportunity to collaborate with dedicated and talented colleagues from across our state as we work together to advance access, affordability, and excellence in community-based primary and preventive health services for all Pennsylvanians,” said Dr. Thomas-Hemak. “Together, we will continue to strengthen the mission-driven voice of community health centers to ensure that the patients, families, and communities we are privileged to serve remain at the forefront of health care conversations and strategies.”
Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education
Dr. Thomas-Hemak is a quintuple board-certified primary care physician in internal medicine, pediatrics, addiction medicine, obesity medicine, and nutrition. Alongside her executive leadership, she continues to care for multigenerational families at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley in Jermyn, her hometown. She has earned national recognition for advancing innovative community-based primary care delivery models, expanding access to essential health services, and cultivating the current and future interprofessional health care workforce.
A proud graduate of Scranton Preparatory School and the University of Scranton, Dr. Thomas-Hemak went on to earn her medical degree as a Michael DeBakey Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, followed by completing Harvard’s Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program in Boston. Guided by a profound sense of service to her community roots, she returned to Northeast Pennsylvania to practice primary care. She joined The Wright Center in 2001, became its president in 2007, and assumed the role of CEO in 2012. Anchored in a people-over-profit philosophy, Dr. Thomas-Hemak has transformed The Wright Center into one of the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums, shifting physician training from traditional academic medical centers into community-based health centers, hospitals, and specialty networks. Today, nearly 200 physicians and 250 interprofessional learners are trained each year at The Wright Center, with many choosing to remain and serve the local communities. She has also overseen the growth of a network of 13 community health centers and a mobile medical and dental unit, Driving Better Health, across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, ensuring that rural and underserved populations receive the compassionate, high-quality, whole-person primary health services they deserve. Under her leadership, The Wright Center has integrated primary medical, mental, behavioral, dental, and school-based health services, and advanced health information technology to deliver accessible and coordinated care for all.
Under Dr. Thomas-Hemak’s leadership, the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) designated The Wright Center as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2019, which unlocks significant federal resources for the region and vastly improves access to high-quality, whole-person primary health services for patients and families. The Wright Center has earned numerous additional accolades under her stewardship, including: designation as a Pennsylvania Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence and Coordination Center for Medication-Assisted Treatment; a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Top 30 Site for National Primary Care Innovations; recognition as both a University of California, San Francisco, Center of Excellence in Primary Care and an American Association of Medical Colleges’ Premier Primary Care Residency; membership in the prestigious 2024 American Medical Association ChangeMedEd Consortium; and leading partner in the Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support (Healthy MOMS) Program for pregnant women and new mothers with substance use disorder. The Wright Center for Community Health achieved National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) certifications at its Clarks Summit, Mid Valley, Scranton, and Wilkes-Barre locations and also Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) Certification for Care Management Services Coordination for Substance Use Disorders and Addiction.
The Wright Center’s community health centers.
A founding member of the consortium that established the Scranton-based Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Dr. Thomas-Hemak currently also serves as governor for the Eastern Region of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians (PA-ACP), the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization, and is vice president, as well as a founding board member, of the American Association of Teaching Health Centers, which represents community-based teaching health centers that train primary care physicians.
She serves on numerous local, regional, and national health care and medical education nonprofit governing boards, cross-sector committees, and workgroups, including HRSA’s Council on Graduate Medical Education, a federal advisory committee that assesses and recommends actions on physician workforce trends, training issues, and financing policies, and the Partnership for Quality Measurement’s Endorsement & Maintenance Committee Advisory Group on Cost and Efficiency, which is a federally funded and consensus-based organization that brings together leaders and experts from across the health care spectrum to evaluate and endorse health care performance measures.
She is also the immediate past chair and executive committee member of the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (NEPA AHEC), a member of the National Association of Community Health Centers’ (NACHC) New Health Center CEO Affinity Group for Women Leaders, and an advisory board member of The Institute.
Dr. Thomas-Hemak has received several distinguished state and national awards for her mission-driven leadership, mentorship, and advocacy initiatives, including: the NACHC 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award; the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce 2025 Athena Award for career excellence, service, and women’s empowerment; the 2024 Wilford Payne Health Center Mentor Award from PACHC; the 2024 Hometown Scholars Advocacy Award from NACHC and A.T. Still University; the 2022 Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award from NACHC for her efforts in engaging Congress and expanding grassroots advocacy; and the 2020 Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award from the PA-ACP for advancing women’s leadership in medicine. City & State Pennsylvania also named her in 2024 a Trailblazer in Health Care and one of Pennsylvania’s 100 most powerful and influential female leaders.
She and her husband, Mark, have three children, Mason, Maya, and Antoinette. Dr. Thomas-Hemak is the daughter of Johanna Cavalieri Thomas, who lives in Archbald, and the late William Thomas.
An educator with 35 years of experience will provide administrative and programmatic leadership across all educational activities, partnerships, and new educational initiatives for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.
Michael Mahon, Ph.D., M.B.A., will serve as the vice president of academic affairs and associate designated institutional official, overseeing the educational experience of medical residents and fellows and supervising graduate medical education staff. Each year, nearly 200 physician learners gain hands-on experience in physician-led, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation residencies, as well as Internal Medicine-Geriatrics Integrated Pathway, and Cardiovascular Disease, Gastroenterology, and Geriatrics fellowships.
Mahon, a Clarks Summit resident, earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a master’s in school administration from the University of Scranton. After earning a doctorate in human development from Marywood University, he went on to complete a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Before joining The Wright Center, Mahon served as a public school superintendent for 25 years, including a tenure of 17 years in the Abington Heights School District. He began his career in education in 1990 as a science teacher at Scranton Preparatory School.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education was established in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency program. Today, The Wright Center is one of the largest U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums in the nation. Together with consortium stakeholders, The Wright Center trains resident and fellow physicians in a community-based, community-needs-responsive workforce development model to advance its mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.
The Wright Center for Community Health’s case management services recently earned a three-year accreditation from an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services.
Following a site visit in August 2025, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International granted The Wright Center’s case management services accreditation through Aug. 31, 2028 – the highest level possible. Founded in 1966, CARF International’s mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process.
“This achievement is an indication of your organization’s dedication and commitment to improving the quality of the lives of patients served,” according to CARF International’s accreditation letter to The Wright Center. “There is strong evidence that patients are benefiting from the services they receive from The Wright Center, as evidenced by their own words, reviews of individual records, and a variety of other reviews and reports.”
The Wright Center sought accreditation through CARF International for its case management services at its Ryan White HIV Clinic and Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, according to officials. Case management is a process in which clinicians assess patients and develop a team-based treatment plan tailored to each person’s specific needs. The patient is regularly monitored and assessed to make sure they are progressing as expected.
CARF officials visited several of The Wright Center’s community health centers, including Clarks Summit, Mid Valley, North Scranton, and Scranton, to interview staff and patients, and review records. They also examined records from The Wright Center’s community health centers in Hawley, North Pocono, Tunkhannock, Wayne, and Wilkes-Barre.
An accreditation report issued by CARF praised The Wright Center’s excellent technology planning and implementation, as well as its exceptional knowledge and use of a variety of data gathering, measurement, analysis, and reporting activities. They also noted The Wright Center’s deep focus on expanding services to meet community needs, as well as its commitment to whole-person primary health services for patients of all ages, income levels, and insurance statuses.
“This accreditation shows that The Wright Center is providing the highest standard of evidence-based care,” said Louis Strazzeri, director of behavioral health integration, social, and case management services.
“We are honored that CARF has validated what we have long understood – that our patients receive exceptional, team-based care that empowers them to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.”
The Wright Center became a state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence (COE) in 2016. Since then, it has provided outpatient addiction treatment and recovery services, including medication-assisted treatment, to thousands of people in Northeast Pennsylvania. To learn more about COE services, call 570-230-0019 or visit TheWrightCenter.org/services/coe.
The Wright Center has been a U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration-designated Ryan White provider since 2002, delivering care through a whole-person, integrated model. In 2008, the clinic expanded its offerings to include medical case management, offering comprehensive support to help individuals living with HIV effectively manage their medical and supportive care needs. The clinic provides care to nearly 500 patients each year from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties at two community health centers: 501 S. Washington Ave., in Scranton, and 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave., in Wilkes-Barre. To learn more, visit TheWrightCenter.org/services/ryan-white-hiv-clinic or call 570-941-0630.
Brian Ebersole, vice president of academic affairs and associate designated institutional official for The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, was recently selected for City & State Pennsylvania’s 2025 “Forty in their 40’s” List. The list celebrates Pennsylvania’s most influential and accomplished leaders across nonprofits, government, business, and media, honoring their exceptional achievements, visionary leadership, advocacy, philanthropic contributions, and deep commitment to bettering lives and championing progress throughout the commonwealth.
The multimedia news organization selected Ebersole in recognition of his visionary leadership in transforming health care workforce development through innovative, community-rooted graduate medical education models that are expanding opportunities, addressing physician shortages, and improving health equity across the nation.
Brian Ebersole, vice president of academic affairs and associate designated institutional official for The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education
“I’m grateful to City & State Pennsylvania for this recognition that reflects the collective efforts of so many of my mission-driven partners at The Wright Center who are working to reshape how we train physicians and serve communities,” said Ebersole. “At The Wright Center, we believe the future of health care starts in the neighborhoods that need it most, and I’m proud to help build that future alongside such dedicated colleagues, board members, learners, patients, and partners.”
A visionary leader in graduate medical education, Ebersole played a pivotal role in designing and advancing The Wright Center’s innovative Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium. Through this model, he transformed residency training by placing physician learners in community health centers, rather than traditional hospital settings, to equip them with better practical, community-rooted experience while addressing physician shortages and improving retention in underserved areas. Ebersole also secured critical federal funding, forged strategic partnerships, and established a sustainable health care workforce pipeline that prioritizes community health over institutional convenience.
In 2013, he further advanced The Wright Center’s mission “to improve the health and welfare of our communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve” by launching its National Family Medicine Residency Program, which was the first nationally coordinated network of high-performing, patient-centered Federally Qualified Health Centers serving as unified training sites under a single, centrally managed program.
Under his leadership, both initiatives have become scalable and replicable national models that redefine how and where America’s future physicians are trained.
Ebersole has more than two decades of experience in health policy and innovation. Before his current position, he served as senior vice president of mission delivery and business development at The Wright Center, successfully securing federal, state, and local funding to support and expand a wide range of programs. He previously held public health leadership roles under four Pennsylvania governors and served as senior director of health innovations at Geisinger Health System, where he focused on initiatives addressing social needs across Northeast Pennsylvania.
A founding member of the American Association of Teaching Health Centers, he rejoined the organization’s executive committee as treasurer in 2023. He also serves on The Institute’s Health and Health Care Task Force and is actively involved with several community-based nonprofits.
A native of Duncannon, Pennsylvania, Ebersole earned a Bachelor of Arts in politics and education from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He has a son, Keegan, and resides in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, with his husband, Jeff Smith.
A teaching hospitalist and physician has joined The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education.
Dr. Faiza Hassan will serve as a teaching hospitalist for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, supervising resident physicians in clinical learning environments across Northeast Pennsylvania, including Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and Geisinger Community Health Center.
Dr. Faiza Hassan
In this role, Dr. Hassan will support program leadership in developing, implementing, and evaluating curriculum for the internal medicine residency program, as well as mentoring resident learners and assessing their progress.
Additionally, Dr. Hassan will provide responsive and inclusive whole-person primary health services for individuals 18 and older, including checkups, physicals, screenings, and treatment of common illnesses and injuries at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave. The community health center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. To schedule an appointment, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570.230.0019.
Dr. Hassan earned her medical degree from Fatima Jinnah Medical University in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. She moved to the United States in 2014 and completed her internal medicine residency at Central Michigan University Health in Saginaw, Michigan, in July 2025. The program focuses on training resident physicians for careers as hospitalists and primary care physicians.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education was established in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency program. Today, The Wright Center is one of the largest U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums in the nation. Together with consortium stakeholders, The Wright Center trains resident and fellow physicians in a community-based, community-needs-responsive workforce development model to advance its mission to improve the health and welfare of communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.
The Wright Center’s growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties provides affordable, high-quality, whole-person primary health services to everyone, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. Patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care.
