Dr. Stephen S. Long Jr., an internal medicine-pediatrics (Med-Peds) physician at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been selected to serve a three-year term as an American College of Physicians (ACP) 2025 Well-being Champion for the Pennsylvania Chapter’s Eastern Region.

“I am truly privileged to be selected as an ACP Well-being Champion,” said Dr. Long, a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, native who is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. “Physician well-being is critical to providers’ health and the quality of care we deliver to our patients. I am committed to working alongside my colleagues to foster a supportive, sustainable work environment that prioritizes both professional fulfillment and patient-centered care.”

As the nation’s largest medical specialty organization, the ACP is dedicated to advancing health care quality and effectiveness by promoting excellence and professionalism in medicine. It advocates for quality patient care, education, and career fulfillment within internal medicine and its subspecialties. Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Center, serves as the governor of the ACP’s Pennsylvania Chapter, Eastern Region.

A University of Scranton graduate, Dr. Long earned his medical degree from the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and completed his Med-Peds residency at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland before returning to Northeast Pennsylvania.

Dr. Long is available for appointments with patients of all ages at The Wright Center for Community Health Clarks Summit, 1145 Northern Blvd., South Abington Township, on Mondays and Tuesdays and The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, from Wednesdays through Fridays. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Long, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call the Clarks Summit location at 570-585-1300 or the Mid Valley location at 570-230-0019.

Dr. Long is married to Juliette Meyers, an Archbald native and art therapist at The Wright Center.

A longtime doctor, executive, and educator at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Medical Society Board of Trustees.

Dr. William Dempsey, a board-certified family medicine physician, medical director of The Wright Center for Community Health Clarks Summit, and chief population health value-based care officer at The Wright Center, will represent doctors in Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne counties for a four-year term. The Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Board of Trustees, which meets quarterly, oversees the operations of the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

He is also interested in using his time on the board as an opportunity to exchange ideas on new ways to address the addiction epidemic throughout the state and improve collaborative care for patients to better integrate behavioral health, oral health, and other services with primary care. Both topics are vitally important to The Wright Center’s mission.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has appointed The Wright Center for Community Health’s director of addiction services to its Maternal Mortality Review Committee as an addiction treatment specialist.

Kolcharno also played a key role in launching the Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support Program (Healthy MOMS) in 2018. The novel program focuses on helping pregnant women and new mothers overcome addiction and embrace a life in recovery. Under Kolcharno’s leadership, Healthy MOMS has supported more than 500 mothers and 300 babies and expanded into nine Northeast Pennsylvania counties.

The state’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee was established in 2018 to systematically review all pregnancy-associated deaths, identify the root causes of these deaths, and develop strategies to reduce preventable morbidity, and mortality related to pregnancy in Pennsylvania.

In her role on the committee, Kolcharno’s experience will be crucial to the case review discussion and development of actionable recommendations to prevent similar tragedies. These recommendations will provide necessary improvements to the medical and social care of pregnant and postpartum individuals in the commonwealth with the goal of preventing and eliminating future pregnancy-associated deaths and associated morbidities.

“It is a privilege to be chosen to serve on the Maternal Mortality Review Committee,” said Kolcharno. “I look forward to collaborating with colleagues across the state to tackle this serious public health issue. Together, we can empower individuals to take control of their health and well-being.”

Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, was named one of the 100 most powerful and influential female leaders in Pennsylvania by City & State Pennsylvania. The multimedia organization debuted its third annual Women 100 list on Dec. 23.

The list highlights the achievements of women in numerous fields – including government, nonprofits, education, business, labor, and advocacy – who are shaping Pennsylvania’s future with their visionary leadership and significant contributions. Honorees included Kim Ward, president pro tempore, Senate of Pennsylvania; Joanna McClinton, speaker, Pennsylvania House of Representatives; Cherelle Parker, mayor of Philadelphia; and Leslie C. Davis, president and CEO, UPMC.

Dr. Thomas-Hemak graduated from Scranton Preparatory School and the University of Scranton. After graduating as a Michael DeBakey Scholar from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completing Harvard’s Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program in Boston, she returned to Northeast Pennsylvania, joining The Wright Center in 2001, becoming president in 2007, and CEO in 2012.

Under her stewardship, The Wright Center has expanded its growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health.

She also guided The Wright Center to achieve numerous prestigious distinctions, including its designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2019, which unlocked essential federal resources for the region and significantly expanded health care access. The Wright Center has also been recognized as a Top 30 Site for National Primary Care Innovations by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and, in 2024, was inducted into the esteemed American Medical Association’s ChangeMedEd Consortium.

Dr. Thomas-Hemak also led The Wright Center for Community Health’s transformation into one of the first state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Centers of Excellence in 2016, improving access to substance use disorder treatment. Amid rising obesity rates, she guided physicians in obtaining board certification in obesity medicine to better address critical health needs.

She also transformed The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education into one of the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums (GME-SNC).

Dr. Thomas-Hemak also serves as the governor for the Eastern Region of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians, the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization. She sits on numerous local, regional, and national health care and medical education nonprofit governing boards, cross-sector committees, and workgroups, including the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’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 is chair of the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center Governing Board and a governing board member of the Keystone Accountable Care Organization, The Institute, and the Center for Health and Human Services Research and Action. She is also a founding member of the consortium that established the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and a founding board member of the American Association of Teaching Health Centers.

Dr. Thomas-Hemak has received several prestigious state and national awards for her leadership, mentorship, and advocacy initiatives, including the 2024 Hometown Scholars Advocacy Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and A.T. Still University for her exemplary leadership in mentoring and inspiring others; the 2024 Wilford Payne Health Center Mentor Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers; NACHC’s 2022 Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award for her efforts in engaging Congress and expanding grassroots advocacy; and the 2020 Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians for advancing women’s leadership in medicine.

She and her husband, Mark, reside in Jermyn and 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.

Michael P. Curran, CEO of Commonwealth Health System’s Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital and volunteer member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors, received a 2024 Impact Award from City & State Pennsylvania during an awards ceremony in Philadelphia.

“Michael’s leadership exemplifies the power of collaboration and strategic vision,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “His leadership work has strengthened health care delivery and medical education in Northeast Pennsylvania and paved the way for future generations of health care professionals. We are proud and honored to have him as a board member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, where his expertise in workforce development continues to make a positive and lasting impact on our region.”

Since becoming CEO in 2022, Curran led the successful merger of Regional and Moses Taylor hospitals, navigating complex regulations, fostering collaboration among physicians, staff, board members, and community partners, and uniting the hospitals’ 233 years of combined service under a single license.

Moses Taylor is the region’s leader in obstetrics, gynecology, neonatal care, and senior mental health services, featuring Lackawanna County’s only Level III neonatal intensive care unit and state-of-the-art family birthing suites. Regional Hospital stands as a comprehensive acute care hub, excelling in medical, surgical, and cardiovascular specialties, with a nationally recognized Heart and Vascular Institute and the first in Pennsylvania to earn all four orthopedic certifications for hip fracture, and knee, hip, and shoulder replacement from The Joint Commission.

Before joining Commonwealth Health, Curran served as system chief operating officer at Crozer Health, where he was key in developing an innovative neurosciences program that brought comprehensive stroke and brain surgery interventions to Delaware County for the first time. He also guided the integration of Prospect Medical Holdings into the Crozer-Keystone Health System, ensuring a smooth transition for the nonprofit, four-hospital system. He also served as president of Crozer-Chester Medical Center, a premier tertiary care teaching hospital in Delaware County, where he played a pivotal role in the hospital’s transformation, expanding specialty services like burn treatment and kidney transplant care.

He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s in health administration from Cornell University.

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, nondiscriminatory, whole- person primary health services to everyone, regardless of age, ethnic background, ZIP code, insurance status, or ability to pay. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay. 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 Graduate Medical Education was established in 1976 as the Scranton- Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency. 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.

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s residency and fellowship programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-866-3017.

“Type 2 diabetes is a serious, chronic condition that can lead to health issues such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, and kidney failure,” said Melissa Germano, a registered dietician, licensed dietician nutritionist, and the director of lifestyle and preventive medicine at The Wright Center. “Our program will teach participants the skills they need to get healthier and reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.”

Research has shown the National Diabetes Prevention Program, which the CDC developed, can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58% for people 18-59 and by 71% for those 60 and older. A specially trained lifestyle coach leads the program, teaching participants how to make lasting lifestyle changes by changing eating habits, increasing physical activity, developing skills to cope with stress, and more. 

“The program gives participants personalized support that empowers them to implement healthy behavior changes,” Germano said. “We thought the New Year would be a great time to launch the program to help people focus on their overall health and make changes for a healthier lifestyle throughout the year.” 

NE PA AHEC Health Educator Valerie Williams said her organization has offered the National Diabetes Prevention Program for years and decided to partner with The Wright Center to reach more people. 

“We have a high number of people with prediabetes and diabetes in our area,” Williams said. “We need to educate our community because many people don’t realize they have prediabetes and that they can postpone the onset of Type 2 diabetes.”

To qualify for the program, participants must be 18 or older; have a body mass index, commonly known as BMI, of 25 or higher (23 or higher for Asian-American patients); have no prior diagnosis of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes or end-stage kidney disease; and cannot be pregnant. 

Participants must also meet at least one of the following: 

• Had a blood test result in the prediabetes range within the past year (includes any of these tests and results):
  • Hemoglobin A1C: 5.7%–6.4%
  • Fasting plasma glucose: 100–125 mg/dL
  • Two-hour plasma glucose (after a 75g glucose load): 140–199 mg/dL
• Be previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)
• Received a high-risk result (score of 5 or higher) on a prediabetes risk test. Click here to take the test.

The Wright Center, headquartered in Scranton, has a growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, to ensure everyone has access to affordable, high-quality, nondiscriminatory whole-person primary health services. To make an appointment or for more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-342-5353.

Anyone who qualifies for the program and is interested in enrolling in the in-person classes or a virtual component can contact Germano at [email protected] or 570-892-8598.