“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.

“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. 

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.

Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. – about 122.4 million – are living with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, according to the AHA. About 29.3 million U.S. adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, and another estimated 9.7 million are living with undiagnosed diabetes, the AHA said. Approximately 104 million adults in the United States (about 40%) have high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

All three chronic illnesses increase a person’s risk for serious health complications, including cardiovascular disease and stroke, which are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the U.S., respectively. Stroke is a leading cause of disability, according to a 2025 report from the AHA. 

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for people living with Type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Howard Haft, a member of the American Heart Association’s National Quality Oversight Committee. “Organizations that participate in programs like this help raise awareness of the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease and can improve patient outcomes. We are pleased to recognize The Wright Center for its commitment to quality care.”

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. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-209-0019.

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement will host the 2025 Wonderful Women Breast Cancer Support Group program on Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 6-8 p.m. in the auditorium at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave.

The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement is a nonprofit subsidiary of The Wright Centers for Community Health. The organization supports the nonprofit enterprise’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 involving patients and communities in transforming primary health care, fostering workforce development, and addressing public health challenges. 

Focused on education, advocacy, and addressing barriers to care, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement assists the region’s most vulnerable populations, including those experiencing poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, limited educational and employment opportunities, lack of transportation, social isolation, and other hardships. Guided by a board of patients and local professionals, it leads community initiatives such as health fairs, food and blood drives, and school supply giveaways. Its signature fundraising event, the annual Dr. William Waters Golf Tournament, provides vital resources to sustain these programs.

Visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 for more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, and The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement.

Mary Marrara, co-chair of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement Board of Directors and secretary of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors – both of which she helped found – has been awarded the 2025 Ethel Bond Memorial Consumer Award by the National Association of Community Health Centers. This prestigious, national honor recognizes her exceptional volunteer leadership in health center development and her steadfast, compassionate commitment to advancing the mission of community health centers.

Since 2010, Marrara has been a driving force in The Wright Center’s growth. As co-chair of the annual Dr. William Waters Golf Tournament for the past three years, she has led one of the nonprofit organization’s most significant fundraising efforts, supporting The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement’s mission to improve health through education, advocacy, and services that address poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, and other barriers to care. Under her leadership, the nonprofit has expanded impactful outreach efforts, including food and coat drives, back-to-school supply distributions, health fairs, and blood drives.

“With a generous heart full of compassion, a deep well of lived experience, and a steadfast commitment to community, Mary Marrara has helped shape who we are as an enterprise,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “Her grassroots advocacy and authentic, joyful service have empowered and elevated our mission and continuously inspired countless people, including me. This well-deserved recognition, receiving the National Association of Community Health Centers’ Ethel Bond Memorial Consumer Award, is a powerful affirmation of the impact one person can have when guided by purpose and unwavering love for humanity and her community.”

In addition to her volunteer work with The Wright Center, Marrara has an extensive record of community leadership and service throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. She has played a key leadership role with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, serving as the board’s vice president for marketing and public relations, as well as vice chair of the Philharmonic League.  She is also a member of the Keystone Chapter of UNICO National and the Jermyn Lions Club. 

Marrara has supported and volunteered with organizations such as Allied Services, St. Joseph’s Center, and Meals on Wheels of Lackawanna County, which awarded her the Elaine F. Shepard Award for Exceptional Volunteerism.

She has also served on numerous boards and advisory committees, including the American Red Cross of Lackawanna County, UNICO National Scranton Chapter, La Festa Italiana, the Anthracite Historical Discovery Center, Keystone College, Mayfield’s St. Rose Academy, the Scranton Cultural Center at The Masonic Temple, the Susan G. Komen NEPA Race for the Cure, and Aylesworth Park Authority.

Her outstanding commitment has earned her numerous other recognitions, including the 2024 Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic League Honoree, the 2016 UNICAN of the Year, and the 2015 Past Presidents Award from the UNICO National Scranton Chapter, the 2013 Everyday Heroes Award from the American Red Cross of Lackawanna County, and the 2010 Volunteer of the Year Award from Jermyn Borough.

Marrara and her husband, Philip, have been married for 55 years. Their family includes a son, also named Philip, his wife, Stacy, and her son, Jeremy.

She accepted the award during NACHC’s annual Community Health Institute (CHI) – Community Health Conference & Expo, held Aug. 17-19, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago in Illinois. NACHC recognized three health center leaders from across the United States with this distinguished award. Dr. Thomas-Hemak was the only honoree from Pennsylvania, joining fellow recipients Dr. James A. Hotz, clinical services director at Albany Area Primary Health Care in Georgia, and Dr. Zettie D. Page III, CEO of Bay Area Community Health in California.

Winners of the NACHC Lifetime Achievement Award are honored for their enduring commitment, dedication, and contributions to the Community Health Center Movement and expansion of access to high-quality, compassionate care for all. First launched as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty in the 1960s, community health centers were created to remove barriers to care by providing affordable, community-governed, and needs-responsive health services to underserved populations. 

Today, more than 32.5 million Americans receive care through over 1,400 health centers and their satellite sites, including the nearly 35,000 patients that The Wright Center, a nonprofit, sees annually.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers, an organization whose mission and values have so closely aligned with my own throughout my career,” said Dr. Thomas-Hemak, a Jermyn native and resident. “This recognition affirms my personal and professional journey as a first-generation, small-town primary care physician, public health advocate, medical educator, and teaching health center enthusiast, forever energized by the enduring, collective power and spirit of the community health center movement. This award belongs to The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, and to the many patients, families, learners, colleagues, community members, and partners who have shaped, challenged, and inspired me. In a time when health care is increasingly burdened by corporatization and commoditization, our community health centers stand as bright lights, breaking down barriers, integrating whole-person primary health services, and putting people before profits. This honor reinvigorates my commitment to the noble and critical work ahead of us.”

Concurrent with her executive responsibilities, Dr. Thomas-Hemak is also quintuple board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, obesity medicine, addiction medicine, and nutrition. She sees generations of patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley in Jermyn. 

A healer at heart, caring for multiple generations of families, neighbors, and friends, she believes her experiential perspective as a hands-on primary care physician and advocate for patients and families enlightens her executive decision-making.

Championing a people-over-profit philosophy, Dr. Thomas-Hemak has propelled The Wright Center to national prominence through visionary leadership and mission-driven innovation:

• Establishing one of the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums (GME-SNC), funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Under her leadership, The Wright Center pioneered a transformative, community-led GME-SNC model that reimagines medical education as a force for public health improvement. By shifting physician training away from traditional hospital-centric systems and into community-based health centers, The Wright Center ensures care reaches people where they are, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. The Wright Center now trains nearly 450 interprofessional learners, physician residents, and fellows annually, many of whom remain to serve in the very communities where they received their training.
  
• Expanding a robust network of care to 13 community health centers across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties — plus a mobile medical and dental unit, Driving Better Health. Each site delivers high-quality, compassionate, comprehensive, whole-person primary health services, with an intentional focus on reaching rural and underserved populations.
  
• Leading the integration of comprehensive health services, including primary care, behavioral health, school-based care, dental services, and advanced health information technologies. This coordinated, patient-centered approach ensures individuals and families receive seamless, accessible care that addresses the full spectrum of health needs.

“Dr. Thomas-Hemak’s leadership has reshaped what is possible in community health,” said Deborah Kolsovsky, a longtime patient at The Wright Center and chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors. “With unwavering vision, integrity, and purpose, she has built a nationally recognized model of care and education that puts people first — always. This Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers is more than well-deserved; it is a powerful acknowledgment of the deep, lasting impact she has made on patients, families, and the future of health care in Northeast Pennsylvania and far beyond.”

Under Dr. Thomas’ leadership, The Wright Center has garnered numerous accolades, including designation as a HRSA Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike; 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. Following the Patient-Centered Medical Home Model, The Wright Center for Community Health’s Clarks Summit, Mid Valley, Scranton, and Wilkes-Barre locations achieved National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient-Centered Medical Home certification. 

Dr. Thomas-Hemak also leads The Wright Center’s engagement in the Keystone Health Information Exchange and its catalytic role in a public television-based education campaign aimed at accelerating the wide-scale adoption of local, regional, and national health information interoperability.

A founding member of the consortium that established the Scranton-based Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Dr. Thomas-Hemak is the governor for the Eastern Region of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians (PA-ACP), the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization. 

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. She serves as the chair of the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center 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. 

Dr. Thomas-Hemak has received several prestigious state and national awards for her leadership, mentorship, and advocacy initiatives, including the 2020 Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award from PA-ACP, which recognizes her advancement of women’s leadership in medicine. In 2022, she earned the Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award from NACHC for her efforts in engaging Congress and expanding grassroots advocacy. In 2024, she was honored with the Hometown Scholars Advocacy Award from the NACHC and A.T. Still University, as well as the Wilford Payne Health Center Mentor Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers. 

Most recently, in February 2025, Dr. Thomas-Hemak received the prestigious Athena Leadership Award from the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. Multimedia news organization City & State Pennsylvania also recognized her leadership and impact, naming her in December 2024 as one of the commonwealth’s 100 most powerful and influential women and in July 2024 as a 2024 Trailblazer in Healthcare for her groundbreaking work in public health and medical education.

She and her husband, Mark, have three children, Mason, Maya, and Antoinette. Dr. Thomas-Hemak is the daughter of the late William Thomas and Johanna Cavalieri Thomas, who lives in Archbald.