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The Wright Center receives grant to help patients in need with transportation, hygiene supplies, and household items
The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education received a grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to help patients in need with transportation, hygiene supplies, and household items. Participating in the ceremonial check presentation, from left, are Cathy Fitzpatrick, vice president of grants & scholarships of the Scranton Area Community Foundation; Renee Zehel, chief philanthropy officer and VP of grants and strategic initiatives at The Wright Center; Maria Kolcharno, director of addiction services at The Wright Center; and Frank Caputo, grants & scholarships senior manager at the Scranton Area Community Foundation.
Getting to doctors’ appointments will be a little easier for some patients in need, thanks to The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education and a grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation.
The $18,750 grant will be used to buy bus passes, transportation vouchers, and gas cards for patients enrolled in The Wright Center for Community Health’s Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support (Healthy MOMS) Program and patients being helped by The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s new street medicine program to get to and from appointments at The Wright Center for Community Health’s network of community health centers and at community partners across the region.
The grant will also help The Wright Center provide hygiene supplies and essential household items to patients receiving care at its Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic.
Healthy MOMS focuses on helping mothers-to-be and mothers with substance use disorder, bringing together healthcare, legal, housing, and social services organizations from more than seven counties in Northeast Pennsylvania. Participants can join before giving birth and remain in the program until the child turns 2. An assigned case manager helps with a range of support services, including medications for opioid use disorder, counseling, primary and OB-GYN care, parenting tips, legal advice, and more. Since its launch in August 2018, the program has helped more than 654 mothers and welcomed 355 babies.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s new street medicine team, composed of medical assistants, community health workers, addiction recovery specialists, resident physicians, and more, visits the Community Intervention Center in Scranton twice a week. Since it launched in January, the team has completed more than 547 medical exams aboard the 34-foot mobile medical and dental unit known as Driving Better Health. Often, care provided by The Wright Center’s street medicine team leads to referrals for follow-up care, either at The Wright Center’s community health center in Scranton or with other providers who can assist them.
“Transportation assistance is essential to help patients access critical services and reduce barriers to care,” said Dr. Douglas Klamp, who leads the street medicine team and serves as The Wright Center’s senior vice president, chief medical education officer, and physician chair of resident and fellow talent acquisition. “By improving transportation access, patients will be better able to attend appointments, adhere to treatment, and remain engaged in care, especially if they are experiencing financial difficulties, housing insecurity, or other challenges.”
As a U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration-designated provider since 2002, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic has provided whole-person primary and preventive health services to patients living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS. In 2008, the clinic expanded its offerings to include critical supportive services to help patients navigate their medical and support needs. Available ancillary services include housing assistance, medical nutrition therapy, emergency financial assistance, and more. Today, the Ryan White Clinic provides care to nearly 500 patients annually from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. More than 95% of the clinic’s patients have undetectable viral loads, meaning they cannot transmit HIV to others.
The Scranton Area Community Foundation is on a mission to enhance the quality of life for all people in Northeastern Pennsylvania through the development of organized philanthropy. With over $120 million in assets under management and more than 450 charitable funds, the Scranton Area Community Foundation has served as a steward, grantmaker, charitable resource, and catalyst for change since 1954. The Foundation leads various initiatives, including Women in Philanthropy, the Center for Community Leadership and Nonprofit Excellence, NEPA Moves, NEPA Thrives, and the NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative. Additionally, the Foundation hosts and facilitates NEPA Gives and the NEPA Learning Conference.
The Scranton Area Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization confirmed in compliance with the National Standards of U.S. Community Foundations. More information about the Scranton Area Community Foundation can be found at www.safdn.org.
