The Wright Center for Community Health is now administering second booster doses of the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines for adults ages 50 and older. Individuals in that age group who received an initial booster dose at least four months ago can make an appointment, per the public health recommendations issued last week by federal regulators.  

“(Receiving a second booster) is especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease from COVID-19,” said Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “They are the most likely to benefit from receiving an additional booster dose at this time.”

An additional booster dose also has been recommended for individuals 12 years of age and older who are immunocompromised, such as people who have undergone an organ transplant.

Adults seeking a Pfizer booster can make an appointment at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn. Moderna boosters are available at all Wright Center locations, including, Clarks Summit Practice, 1145 Northern Blvd., South Abington Township; Hawley Practice, 103 Spruce St., Hawley; Kingston Practice, 2 Sharpe St., Kingston; Scranton Counseling Center, 329 Cherry St., Scranton; Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., Scranton; South Franklin Street Practice, 335 S. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre, and West Scranton Intermediate School-Based Health, 1401 Fellows St., Scranton.

To make an appointment, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.

“The approved COVID-19 vaccinations for adults and children remain our best defense against serious illness, hospitalization and death,” said Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, chief medical officer and senior vice president for The Wright Center for Community Health. “The newly updated recommendations acknowledge the increased risk of severe disease in certain individuals, including those who are elderly or who are over age 50 with multiple underlying conditions.

“Anyone with questions about whether they should receive a booster, or about the vaccines’ safety and effectiveness, should talk with their health care provider,” Sheth added. 

Data continue to show how well vaccination and booster doses are able to protect individuals from the most severe outcomes of COVID-19. During the recent omicron surge, according to the CDC, people who were “boosted” were 21 times less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those who were unvaccinated, and seven times less likely to be hospitalized. 

Federal agencies will continue to evaluate data and information as it becomes available when considering the potential use of a second booster dose in other age groups. 

Covington Twp. site is nonprofit’s ninth clinic in Northeast Pennsylvania

The Wright Center for Community Health is working to improve access to high-quality health care by opening a new community health center in Covington Township on Monday, April 25 that will provide primary and pediatric care to patients of all ages, regardless of their ability to pay.

Conveniently located in the North Pocono 502 Professional Plaza, 260 Daleville Highway, Suite 103, The Wright Center for Community Health North Pocono Practice will provide family medicine services to residents in Moscow Borough, Elmhurst, Jefferson, Roaring Brook, Thornhurst, Spring Brook, Clifton, Covington and Madison townships and nearby communities.

The office will be open four days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering health care services to children and adults of all ages, including sick visits for the whole family, routine examinations and screenings, behavioral health and substance abuse services and the treatment of any illnesses or injuries that do not require a trip to the emergency room.

“This mission-driven expansion allows us to address a vital community need by bringing essential health care services to this underserved region,” said Amanda Turoni, the advanced practitioner for the primary care site, who is a doctoral-prepared nurse practitioner. “I am especially proud of this opportunity to ensure quality care for my neighbors, friends and family since I am also a resident of our new service area.”

The Wright Center for Community Health North Pocono Practice will begin accepting appointments for office visits on Monday, April 11. Please go online to TheWrightCenter.org to make an appointment for COVID-19 services or a doctor’s appointment.

Overall, 75 resident physicians will join the graduate medical education program

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education welcomed 58 new resident physicians into its four regional residencies after achieving a 100% match on national Match Day for newly minted doctors. 

The National Resident Matching Program’s Match Day is one of the most important events and competitive processes in the medical school experience. On the third Friday of March each year, fourth-year medical students, as well as their graduate medical education programs, learn where they will complete the next stage of their medical training.

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education matched residents in the following regional programs: Internal Medicine Residency (34); Regional Family Medicine Residency (12); Psychiatry Residency (7), and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (5) – the newest training program. Resident physicians will begin their first-year residencies on July 1.

The National Family Medicine Residency has filled its resident physician positions at the Tucson, Arizona (4); Auburn, Washington (4); Washington, D.C., and Hillsboro, Ohio (3) training sites.

The incoming first-year residents for the five residencies hail from eight countries, including Canada (11), Egypt (1), India (12), Nepal (4), Pakistan (6), Philippines (1), Saudi Arabia (1) and the United States (39). Overall, The Wright Center received 5,744 applications and interviewed 877 candidates for the available slots in the five residencies.

“It is with great excitement that I congratulate and welcome each of our new resident physicians to our learning and clinical communities. I look forward to working closely with each of you during your journey in postgraduate medical education,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, the designated institution official at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. “Your residency is a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience that only you and your peers can understand. You have plenty to be proud of as your persistence, passion and dedication to the field have earned you this opportunity.” 

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education was founded in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency. Today, it educates and trains more than 220 resident physicians and fellows annually through a unique Graduate Medical Education and Safety Net Consortium, which is funded by federal agencies and supported by multiple health care organizations that provide learning environments. The organization also offers fellowships in cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology and geriatrics.

Last year, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education matched 69 resident physicians in the Internal Medicine (35), Regional Family Medicine (12), National Family Medicine (17) and Psychiatry (5) residencies.

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) has recognized The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education as a Gold Advocacy Center of Excellence (ACE) – the first community health center in Pennsylvania to achieve the gold standard.

The ACE designation from the national body shows The Wright Center is dedicated to advocating for and supporting community health centers that provide comprehensive primary and preventive health services to medically underserved populations in rural and urban areas.

ACE levels recognize consistent engagement, success and demonstrated ongoing commitment to making advocacy an organization priority. ACEs are actively engaged with NACHC and forums addressing federal policy issues, as well as their state primary care association and platforms to address key state and local-level policy issues that impact community health centers and their patients. NACHC awards three levels of ACEs: bronze, silver and gold. Each designation is valid for two years.

In order to earn ACE status, a community health center must complete a checklist of activities and accomplishments as outlined by NACHC. Wright Center employees, for example, develop and write guest editorials that raise awareness and address important public health issues that affect community health centers and patients. An in-house advocacy committee offers training, while the organization also hosts elected officials at its regional primary care practices. The executive leadership team participates in important meetings at the local, state and national levels that promote responsive solutions to important health care delivery issues and health outcomes.

The Wright Center for Community Health’s 34-foot Driving Better Health mobile medical unit will hold a vaccination clinic on Wednesday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hazleton Integration Project, 225 E. 4^th St., Hazleton. The mobile medical unit will be parked in the Most Precious Blood Church parking lot.

The Wright Center for Community Health is holding Driving Better Health Vaccination Clinic at the Hazleton Integration Project, 225 E. 4^th St., Hazleton, on Wednesday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The mobile medical unit will be parked in the Most Precious Blood Church parking lot. 

Driving Better Health is a 34-foot mobile medical unit that brings high-quality health care services directly to the underserved communities of Northeast Pennsylvania. The mobile medical unit has been serving populations of special concern since 2020. It is regularly deployed to senior living centers, regional schools, homeless shelters and other community organizations.

COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available for anybody age 5 and up. A guardian must accompany patients who are younger than 17. Walk-up appointments are welcome depending on vaccine availability, but appointments are encouraged for the convenience of patients. Please go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019 to schedule an appointment. 

The Wright Center for Community Health clinical staff will also offer COVID-19 testing and flu and routine vaccinations at the clinic. 

Guests are asked to observe public safety measures, including masking and social distancing, during the clinic and bring identification and insurance cards. 

The Wright Center for Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike. Community health centers offer affordable, safety-net health care services and are the largest providers of primary care for the nation’s most vulnerable and medically underserved populations. Prevalent in both urban and rural settings, community health centers are located in regions with high-poverty rates and/or low numbers of private or nonprofit health care systems and hospitals.

The Wright Center for Community Health clinical staff will also offer COVID-19 testing and flu vaccines at the clinic. 

Guests are asked to observe public safety measures, including masking and social distancing, during the clinic and bring identification and insurance cards. 

The Wright Center for Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike. Community health centers offer affordable, safety-net health care services and are the largest providers of primary care for the nation’s most vulnerable and medically underserved populations. Prevalent in both urban and rural settings, community health centers are located in regions with high-poverty rates and/or low numbers of private or nonprofit health care systems and hospitals.