A bilingual doctor with more than a decade of experience in emergency medicine, general medicine, and pediatrics is accepting pediatric patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre.
A board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Carlos Luis Oberto Araujo is accepting appointments at The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre for pediatric well visits, same-day sick appointments, routine vaccinations, newborn care, back-to-school/daycare physicals, sports and camp physicals, asthma management, mental health screenings, and more. To make an appointment, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-491-0126.
After earning his medical degree from the Central University of Venezuela’s Luis Razetti School of Medicine, Dr. Oberto Araujo completed his residency in pediatrics at NYC Health and Hospitals Lincoln Medical Center. Prior to that, the doctor worked as a general and emergency physician in Caracas, Venezuela. He speaks fluent Spanish and English.
He has also worked as a research assistant in the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics’ Department of Pediatrics Pulmonology and as an invited instructor, research advisor, and co-tutor at the Central University of Venezuela’s Dentistry School.
In addition to treating patients, Dr. Oberto Araujo will serve as a pediatrician physician faculty member, teaching and supervising physicians participating in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited residency programs.
A graduate of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency Program has returned to The Wright Center for Community Health to serve patients while helping train the next generation of physicians and advance health policy and advocacy efforts.
Dr. Sandra Rabat, who completed her Internal Medicine residency at The Wright Center in June 2026, is accepting adult patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley. In addition to providing whole-person primary and preventive health services, she will serve as an internal medicine physician faculty member and physician liaison for health policy and advocacy.
Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, Dr. Rabat spent three years in Scranton as a member of the inaugural cohort from A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona. During medical school, she completed her clinical rotations at The Wright Center for Community Health, an experience that ultimately led her to remain in the region for residency training.
Dr. Rabat provides comprehensive, whole-person primary and preventive health services, including checkups and physicals, preventive screenings, treatment of common illnesses and injuries, chronic disease management, and more. To make an appointment, visit The WrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
In her new role, Dr. Rabat will have medical, educational, and administrative responsibilities focused on high-quality patient care and clinical education. She will teach and supervise resident and fellow physicians, medical students, and interprofessional learners participating in clinical education at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education.
She will also work closely with The Wright Center’s advocacy team to champion legislative and regulatory changes at the state and federal levels that affect graduate medical education, public health policy, patient care, and healthcare workforce development.
Dr. Sandra Rabat
During medical school, Dr. Rabat participated in the Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center’s (AHEC) prestigious Scholars Program, which strengthened her focus on caring for vulnerable populations, community engagement, integrating behavioral health services into primary care, and advancing access to healthcare. She received an honorable mention for the 2024 AHEC Alumni/Advocate of the Year Award.
Dr. Rabat’s interest in advocacy developed during her residency at The Wright Center, where she became increasingly involved in local and federal advocacy. Working alongside Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO at The Wright Center, as well as The Wright Center’s advocacy team, colleagues, and enterprise leadership, she championed the vital role of teaching health centers and addressed the needs of rural and underserved communities. Her work with Dr. Thomas-Hemak and The Wright Center advocacy team helped shape her passion for health policy and advocacy.
In her final year of residency, she served as chief resident of the Internal Medicine Residency Program, acting as a liaison between resident physicians and faculty members, mentoring junior residents, and helping facilitate clinical training. She previously served as a resident physician leader for advocacy in her second year of residency and as a resident physician leader during her first year.
She has also led a community-oriented primary care project focused on increasing routine breast cancer screening rates, emphasizing preventive care and patient education.
Dr. Rabat signed her employment contract on Feb. 17, 2026 – the 50th anniversary of The Wright Center. Founded on Feb. 17, 1976, The Wright Centers for Community Health, Graduate Medical Education, and Patient & Community Engagement is a physician-led, community-owned nonprofit and a cornerstone of healthcare in the region. The enterprise employs nearly 680 professionals – including nearly 200 resident and fellow physicians – and trains more than 200 interprofessional healthcare learners each year.
The Wright Centers for Community Health, Graduate Medical Education, and Patient & Community Engagement have appointed eight new members to their governing boards, bringing decades of combined experience in healthcare, business, education, and community service to the nonprofit enterprise.
The new board members will help guide The Wright Center’s 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.
Joining The Wright Center for Community Health’s Board of Directors are:
Marie Beggin, the CEO of Penn East Federal Credit Union. A current patient of The Wright Center for Community Health, Beggin brings nearly 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. She also serves on the boards of Metro Action, Leadership Lackawanna, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council.
Jill Durkin, Esq., of Factoryville, Pennsylvania, an attorney with a longstanding career in civil law. Durkin is active in community service through her work on several regional boards, including Meals on Wheels NEPA, Widener University Commonwealth Law School Advisory Board, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Kirsten Smith of Clifford Township, Pennsylvania, director of career services at Fortis Institute. Formerly director of grants and education at WVIA, Smith has extensive experience in education, workforce development, grant and program management, and community partnerships. She also serves on the boards of Meals on Wheels NEPA and WRC (formerly the Women’s Resource Center) in Scranton.
Adrian Wilck Summa, O.D., of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, a retired optometrist with more than 30 years of experience in clinical and hospital settings across New York. A patient of The Wright Center for Community Health, she brings extensive expertise in clinical care, healthcare delivery, and managed care.
Joining The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Board of Directors are:
Michael Clark, Pittston, Pennsylvania, the CEO of Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. With more than 30 years of healthcare leadership experience, Clark brings a deep understanding of hospital operations, physician engagement, and performance improvement to the board. Before joining Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, he served as division president at LifePoint Health, a nationally recognized healthcare system.
Peter Cognetti, M.D., of Waverly, Pennsylvania, director of medical education at Regional Hospital in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He has more than 40 years of experience providing patient care and mentoring future physicians.
Himani Mongia, M.D., an Internal Medicine Resident physician at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, where she serves as president of the Housestaff Council and chief resident for advocacy. Prior to beginning her residency, Dr. Mongia worked in the humanitarian sector with Doctors Without Borders in India and served on the board of directors for Doctors Without Borders South Asia.
Joining The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement Board is:
Syeda Neha Aamer, M.D., an Internal Medicine Resident physician at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and a graduate of Federal Medical and Dental College in Pakistan. A third-generation physician, Dr. Aamer’s commitment to medicine is rooted in a longstanding family tradition of service. She will serve as the resident leader liaison to the board, which supports programs and initiatives that assist under-resourced individuals and families in Northeast Pennsylvania, including those experiencing food and housing insecurity, social isolation, poverty, or other hardships.
An experienced pediatrician with ties to the region has returned to The Wright Center for Community Health to serve as a pediatrician and physician faculty member.
Dr. Nina Poliak is accepting appointments at The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre, 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave., for pediatric well visits, same-day sick appointments, routine vaccinations, newborn care, back-to-school/daycare physicals, sports and camp physicals, asthma management, mental health screenings, and more.
After earning her medical degree from Charité medical school, Europe’s largest university hospital, Dr. Poliak trained at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, as a postdoctoral research fellow, where she also earned her Master of Public Health in epidemiology and international health. She completed her internship and residency at Baylor College of Medicine’s Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and trained at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. From 2014-16, Dr. Poliak worked as a pediatric faculty member and attending physician at The Wright Center.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Poliak has specialized in pediatric care at clinics across Northeast and Southeast Pennsylvania, most recently at Holy Redeemer Hospital’s pediatric urgent care in Meadowbrook. There, she provided comprehensive patient care in urgent and emergency settings. She also served as a physician leader of physician education at the hospital’s Department of Pediatrics, as well as associate director of pediatric rotation and clinical assistant professor at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.
Dr. Poliak has authored multiple peer-reviewed papers and book chapters on pediatric topics. She also served as an editor for Pediatric Board Review Materials and Questions, a comprehensive study resource designed to help pediatric residents and physicians prepare for and pass their board examinations.
At The Wright Center, Dr. Poliak will serve as a pediatric physician faculty member, working closely with medical residents and medical students in the clinic, developing curriculum, and mentoring trainees.
The Wright Center for Community Health Friendship House – Carbondale, located inside Friendship House’s new Whole-Person Care Center at 30 N. Main St., Suite 100, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its opening on Aug. 13. The new health center is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Wright Center for Community Health celebrated the opening of its newest community health center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 12, in Carbondale.
The Wright Center for Community Health Friendship House – Carbondale, located inside Friendship House’s new Whole-Person Care Center at 30 N. Main St., Suite 100, began seeing patients Thursday, Aug. 13. Led by Medical Director Bryan Boyle, a longtime board-certified physician assistant, the community health center is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The new location provides whole-person primary and preventive health services, including checkups, health screenings, and treatment for common illnesses and injuries. Care is available for everyone, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. Patients do not need to be a Friendship House client to receive care at the community health center.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-591-5298.
“For generations, Friendship House has helped children, adults, and families build resilience through an extraordinary continuum of care that includes mental and behavioral health services, autism and developmental disability programs, social services, school-based behavioral health support, and integrated primary care,” Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Center, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The Wright Center complements that work by providing comprehensive whole-person primary and preventive health services while educating and training the next generation of physicians and interprofessional healthcare teams.
“Together, we are making it easier for individuals and families to access compassionate, coordinated care in one trusted setting – care that recognizes each person’s inherent dignity, supports recovery and resilience, promotes lifelong wellness, and helps people achieve their fullest potential.”
The Wright Center for Community Health celebrated the opening a new community health center in Carbondale with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Participating in the program, from left, are Alex J. Hazzouri, president and CEO of Friendship House; state Senator Rosemary M. Brown; Medical Director Bryan Boyle, The Wright Center for Community Health Friendship House – Carbondale; Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO, The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education; Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon; and Bill Davis, chief of staff, state Rep. Kyle J. Mullins Office.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon welcomed the new community health center and expressed her appreciation to the Friendship House and The Wright Center for investing in the city and expanding access to healthcare for local residents.
“You are bringing care closer to the people who live and work here,” Bannon said. “Here in Carbondale, it’s about relationships, partnerships, and waking up every morning and asking, ‘How can we make things better?’”
The community health center in Carbondale marks The Wright Center’s second partnership with Friendship House. Since November 2024, The Wright Center’s clinical team has provided primary care at more than 3,500 patient visits at Friendship House’s Whole Person Care Center in Scranton, located at 200 Wyoming Ave.
Federal approval expands access to affordable healthcare across Northeastern Pennsylvania, supports new community health center in Monroe County.
The Wright Center’s leaders, board members, and staff join U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. and community partners to celebrate Monday’s announcement that The Wright Center for Community Health has been designated a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
After years of strategic planning, sustained advocacy, and a steadfast commitment to ensuring everyone has access to care, The Wright Center for Community Health has been designated a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a transformational milestone that will significantly broaden access to affordable, high-quality whole-person primary and preventive health services throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Awarded through HRSA’s highly competitive New Access Point (NAP) Program, the designation transitions The Wright Center from a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike to a funded FQHC. The achievement culminates a years-long effort to demonstrate both the extraordinary need for additional primary care resources in the region and The Wright Center’s ability to meet that need. It also reflects the steadfast advocacy of U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan Jr., whose leadership and ongoing engagement with HRSA helped secure approval to establish a community health center in Blakeslee, Monroe County. The successful application was further strengthened by broad bipartisan support from elected officials and government leaders, who submitted eight letters of support recognizing the critical need to expand access to affordable, high-quality primary care.
HRSA’s approval of the new Blakeslee clinic recognizes the significant healthcare needs of this rural community of about 4,400 people and creates an opportunity to expand comprehensive, whole-person primary and preventive health services in an area with limited access to care. The new community health center will welcome all patients while prioritizing access for individuals and families living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, as well as those who are uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved.
Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, left, holds a congressional proclamation from U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. for her 25 years of service to The Wright Center.
The Wright Center currently operates 15 community health center locations across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne and Wyoming counties, including its Driving Better Health mobile medical and dental unit, serving patients throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. About 70% of the enterprise’s patients live at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, including 46% who live below 100% of the guidelines, underscoring the continued need for affordable, accessible healthcare throughout Northeast Pennsylvania.
The new community health center at 5251 Route 115 will serve more than 2,000 patients annually in the Blakeslee region. The new location will open in late fall.
Congressman Bresnahan and his staff worked closely with HRSA officials for months to emphasize the importance of expanding NAP opportunities, particularly for FQHC Look-Alikes. Earlier this year, he led a bipartisan congressional letter urging appropriators to create a pathway for high-performing FQHC Look-Alikes to become funded FQHCs, helping elevate the issue at the national level.
“Today’s announcement is a big win for families across Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Congressman Bresnahan.“After 15 years of hard work, The Wright Center’s new FQHC designation means more resources to bring affordable, quality care to the people who need it most. I’m proud we were able to work with HRSA and The Wright Center to help get this across the finish line, and I look forward to continuing to expand access to quality care close to home.”
The award paves the way for The Wright Center to establish its first community health center in Monroe County, expanding its model of integrated medical, dental, mental and behavioral health, and addiction and recovery services to residents of one of the region’s most underserved rural areas.
“We are deeply grateful and honored to receive The Wright Center for Community Health’s full Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designation by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. This most welcomed achievement is truly a blessing and the humbling culmination of my 25 years of service as a primary care physician and medical educator at The Wright Center,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “It reflects decades of mission-driven contributions by countless individuals and treasured partners who share an unwavering commitment to serve and improve the health and welfare of our regional communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all and the sustainable renewal of an inspired and competent workforce that is privileged to serve. Most importantly, this accomplishment strengthens our collective ability to ensure that every person in Northeastern Pennsylvania has access to affordable, comprehensive, compassionate, whole-person primary and preventive health services close to home.
“We are especially grateful to Congressman Rob Bresnahan for his tireless advocacy for and service to Northeastern Pennsylvania. We appreciate his championing expanded access to essential health services and uniting fellow Congressional leaders to support strengthening and expanding our nation’s community health center program. His notably effective leadership in organizing a bipartisan congressional letter to House Appropriations Committee leaders urging HRSA to prioritize funding for new primary care access points in underserved communities and to recognize the readiness of FQHC Look-Alikes like The Wright Center to strengthen our nation’s healthcare safety net and rapidly expand access to care made our long-term FQHC designation possible. The resulting immediate and long-term public health benefit impact for our region cannot be overstated.”
The designation also strengthens The Wright Center’s nationally recognized Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium model, which integrates patient care, workforce development, and community health through The Wright Center forCommunity Health, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, and The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement.
Rather than relying on traditional hospital-based physician training, the consortium prepares resident and fellow physicians and interprofessional healthcare learners in community settings where healthcare professionals are needed most. By aligning graduate medical education with the health needs of medically underserved communities, the model increases the likelihood that physicians will establish their practices in areas experiencing persistent primary care shortages while expanding access to high-quality, community-based healthcare.
U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr., left, greets Eric Kiehl, director of policy and partnership of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, and Shelley Riser, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, at the press conference announcing The Wright Center achieved Federally Qualified Health Center status.
Recognized by national accrediting organizations and state licensing agencies as an innovative, replicable approach to physician workforce development, the Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium helps bridge the gap between where most healthcare is delivered and where physicians are trained. The new Federally Qualified Health Center designation further strengthens that mission by expanding clinical training opportunities while increasing access to comprehensive, whole-person primary and preventive health services for the communities the consortium serves.
Since 2019, when HRSA designated The Wright Center as an FQHC Look-Alike, the enterprise has steadily expanded its reach to serve more than 39,000 unique patients in 2025-26 while operating under the same rigorous federal requirements as FQHCs. Just like FQHCs, Look-Alikes are required to provide comprehensive primary care services, maintain a governing board composed primarily of patients, serve federally designated medically underserved communities, and offer care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay by using a sliding-fee discount program.
Unlike funded FQHCs, however, FQHC Look-Alikes do not receive the federal operational grants available under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act.
The Wright Center’s new FQHC designation changes that. The annual federal investment provides sustainable funding that can be reinvested directly into expanding access to patient care, strengthening community-based physician training and interprofessional workforce development, supporting innovative models of care, and strengthening community outreach and engagement efforts. It also makes The Wright Center eligible to apply for numerous supplemental HRSA funding opportunities that were previously unavailable. In addition, the designation allows The Wright Center to participate in the Federal Tort Claims Act malpractice program, significantly reducing medical liability costs.
U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. greets Mary Marrara, secretary and chair of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Patient & Community Engagement Boards of Directors, before the start of the press conference.
It also brings enhanced reimbursement opportunities that strengthen the long-term sustainability of essential community provider safety-net healthcare services throughout the region.
Federally Qualified Health Centers are a cornerstone of America’s healthcare safety net. According to HRSA, approximately 1,400 FQHC organizations operate more than 16,000 service delivery sites nationwide, providing comprehensive primary care services to millions of people each year regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay. Health centers serve medically underserved communities while improving health outcomes, reducing unnecessary emergency department use, and lowering overall healthcare costs through preventive, coordinated care.
The Wright Center’s new community health center is its first location in Monroe County and 16th overall. Services will include:
Primary and preventive health services
Pediatric services
Women’s health, including prenatal and postpartum care
Mental and behavioral health
Substance use disorder treatment and recovery services
Oral healthcare
Telehealth
Care management and care coordination
Deborah Kolsovsky, chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors, said the FQHC designation will strengthen the enterprise’s ability to fulfill its mission for decades to come.
“This designation is a testament to The Wright Center’s unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of our region,” Kolsovsky said. “It provides the stability and resources needed to build upon our mission, respond to the ever-changing needs of our communities, and create lasting improvements in the way patients receive services throughout our region.”
