Program Highlights
The sizable population of our country’s older residents continues to grow as baby boomers hit senior citizen status. The Wright Center for Community Health is meeting the needs of this key demographic in many ways, notably through our one-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited Geriatrics Fellowship to foster a competent, compassionate physician pipeline.
Located in Northeastern Pennsylvania, geriatric fellows are immersed in a friendly learning environment under the close supervision of dedicated core faculty, including Dr. Edward Dzielak and Dr. Enrique “Eric” Samonte, as they aim to fulfill the ever-evolving needs of our community’s older patients.
Fellows train toward expertise in all aspects of geriatric care including inpatient, ambulatory, telemedicine and virtual care processes, substance use disorder and integrated behavioral health, with emphasis on quality of care and deep understanding of socioeconomic determinants of health variables. Fellows are also encouraged to visit elderly patients in their homes. This very convenient option for patients also allows fellows and physician-faculty to get an up-close look at patient’s living conditions, enabling them to develop effective care plans that work for each individual patient’s circumstances.
Our fellows work within the consultant services of our participating institution sites, including Regional Hospital, Moses Taylor Hospital and our local Veterans’ Affairs Hospital. Additional training takes place in outpatient rotations, including The Wright Center for Community Health practices, in rehabilitation and long-term care facilities including Allied Services, Jewish Home, Creekside, and with the insights of the Area Agency on Aging and Alzheimer’s Association among others.
Meet your core faculty

