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City & State PA honors board member with spot on statewide Fifty Over 50 list for community health advocacy
Gerard J. Geoffroy, immediate past chair of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Patient & Community Engagement Boards of Directors, was recently selected for City & State Pennsylvania’s 2024 Fifty Over 50 List.
The list celebrates Pennsylvania’s most influential and accomplished leaders across nonprofits, government, business, and media, honoring their exceptional achievements, visionary leadership, philanthropic contributions, and unwavering commitment to driving positive change and enhancing the quality of life throughout the commonwealth.
The multimedia news organization selected Geoffroy, a longtime Jermyn resident and patient of The Wright Center for over 20 years, in recognition of his steadfast advocacy for high-quality, accessible health care, his leadership in health care governance, and his unwavering support for community health centers during his 14 years of service as a volunteer board member at The Wright Center.
Gerard J. Geoffroy
“Gerard is a true champion for the people and exemplifies what it means to lead with purpose, compassion, and a deep belief in the power of community,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education and co-chair of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement Board of Directors. “His unwavering commitment to and advocacy for community health and affordable, high-quality, whole-person primary health services for everyone is exemplary. His work with us at The Wright Center has helped shape the future of community health in countless ways.”
Geoffroy joined The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors in 2010, once serving on 13 board committees. He served as board chair from January 2020 to June 2024. City & State Pennsylvania also recognized Geoffroy for his instrumental role in transforming the board’s composition, shifting it from being exclusively physician-led to including community members – primarily patients from varied backgrounds – ensuring that patient voices are central to decision-making. Additionally, he played a crucial role in The Wright Center’s transition to a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2019, a milestone that unlocked vital resources for patients and communities and support for the organization.
Geoffroy was also the founding chair of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement Board of Directors, which was established about four years ago.
His commitment to health care began while caring for his late wife, Anne Dowd Geoffroy, which inspired his ongoing dedication to patient education and quality care.
With more than 40 years of experience in mental health and education, Geoffroy, a Lowell, Massachusetts native, retired as a faculty specialist in counseling and human services at the University of Scranton, where he also served as an adjunct faculty member for 15 years. His extensive experience includes being a school counselor at Delaware Valley Middle School in Pike County, Pace University’s School of Continuing Education in White Plains, New York, and Fordham Preparatory School in Bronx, New York. He also maintained a part-time private counseling practice.
He received a bachelor’s degree in English from Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York, a master’s degree in counseling from Iona College, New Rochelle, New York, and a master’s degree in public administration from Fordham University, Bronx, New York.
As a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and safety-net provider, The Wright Center 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 consider family size and income. No patient is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.
Headquartered in Scranton, The Wright Center’s growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, provides affordable, high-quality, whole-person primary health services to everyone. Patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement advances The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education’s mission – to improve the health and welfare of our communities through responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve – by involving patients and communities in transforming primary health services, fostering workforce development, and addressing public health challenges.
Focused on education and advocacy, the nonprofit assists vulnerable populations facing poverty, homelessness, food and housing insecurity, limited transportation, and social isolation. Guided by a board of patients and local professionals, it organizes impactful initiatives like health fairs, food drives, and school supply giveaways. Its annual Dr. William Waters Golf Tournament raises critical funds to ensure access to high-quality whole-person primary health services for everyone.
