Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, senior vice president and enterprise chief operations and strategy officer at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, was selected as a 2025 Trailblazer in Healthcare by City and State Pennsylvania.

• Pioneered a cutting-edge telemedicine model that brings care directly into patients’ homes, especially in rural areas, through remote monitoring of vitals like heart rate, blood pressure, and steps. By integrating Humhealth technology into electronic health records (EHR) at The Wright Center, he ensured seamless data transfer and empowered patients to take an active role in their care.
  
• Reengineered The Wright Center’s EHR system into a powerful data platform that drives precise clinical interventions, supports population health management, and strengthens grant applications through actionable insights.
  
• Launched advanced business analytics tools that enhanced operational performance, ensured federal compliance, and supported The Wright Center’s FQHC Look-Alike designation.
  
• Introduced innovative patient-facing technologies, including a service that provides real-time interpreter services that support more than 350 languages, and “Neo,” an interactive, HIPAA-compliant chatbot that helps patients navigate services, schedule visits, and manage care online at TheWrightCenter.org.
  
• Modernized vaccine and medication management with a secure, automated system that tracks inventory to the dose level, safeguards patient safety, and improves regulatory compliance.
  
• Streamlined clinical workflows and strengthened strategic planning through the deployment of advanced technologies, including an AI-powered digital scribe; tools that focus on data visualization and business intelligence by providing real-time care analytics; and a centralized grant inventory management system that enhanced organizational efficiency and accountability.

Dr. Sheth earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with honors in biochemistry, medicine, and public health in 2004 from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Wardha, India. He later received a Master of Public Health with a specialization in health promotion in 2006 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

After completing his internal medicine residency in 2009 through the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, now The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, Dr. Sheth joined The Wright Center as an internal medicine primary care physician and lead physician for population management and reporting. 

Over the years, Dr. Sheth has pioneered innovative approaches that have significantly enhanced patient wellness and health care delivery. His impactful contributions have led to a series of leadership promotions at The Wright Center, beginning with vice president for patient safety and quality in 2013, followed by senior vice president and chief medical and information officer in 2018, and culminating in his current role as senior vice president and enterprise chief operations and strategy officer.

Dr. Sheth has been honored with numerous national and state awards in recognition of his leadership, innovation, and contributions to advancing health care.

In 2024, Dr. Sheth was recognized nationally and statewide for his visionary leadership and impact on community health. He received the Outstanding Primary Care Clinician Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers and the Innovative Research in Primary Care Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers, honoring his contributions to clinical innovation, care coordination, and public health. He was also named a 2024 Trailblazer in Building and Infrastructure by City & State Pennsylvania for transforming 10 facilities across three counties into The Wright Center’s state-of-the-art primary health care centers, dramatically improving access and outcomes for patients and medically underserved communities.

In April 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro selected Dr. Sheth to serve as a member of the state’s newly formed Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Related Disorders Advisory Committee. Established in October 2024, the Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Related Disorders Advisory Committee is tasked with advising the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and other state agencies on the development and implementation of a state plan for Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other related disorders.

Dr. Sheth and his wife, Hetal Sheth, live in Clarks Summit with their children, Zian, 10, and Jiaa, 6.

Dr. Stephen S. Long Jr., a dual board-certified internal medicine and pediatrics (Med-Peds) physician and associate program director of faculty development for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been selected as one of Pennsylvania’s Top Physicians Under 40 by the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED).

“I’m incredibly honored to receive this humbling recognition from the Pennsylvania Medical Society,” Dr. Long said. “It’s a reflection of the patients, mentors, and communities that have shaped me. The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have provided me with the opportunity to practice medicine in a manner that aligns with my values, serving the whole person, investing in future physicians, and advancing access to primary and preventive care for all. I’m proud to be part of this mission-driven organization that believes so deeply in meeting people where they are and walking with them on their journeys to better health.”

A 2016 graduate of the University of Scranton with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and philosophy, Dr. Long, a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania native, earned his medical degree from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Scranton in 2020. After completing his Med-Peds residency at MaineHealth’s Maine Medical Center in Portland, he returned to Northeast Pennsylvania in 2024 to serve the very communities that shaped his professional journey.

In just nine months, Dr. Long has become a vital member of The Wright Center’s interprofessional health care teams at two of its busiest teaching community health centers, Mid Valley and Clarks Summit, in Jermyn and South Abington Township, respectively. Dr. Long provides compassionate, comprehensive, whole-person primary health services to patients of all ages, from children to senior citizens.

In January, Dr. Long was selected as a 2025 Well-being Champion by the Eastern Region of the American College of Physicians, further cementing his status as a statewide leader in physician wellness, burnout prevention, and resilience-building.

His influence extends into community service and advocacy. Dr. Long has mentored aspiring first-generation college students through Geisinger Health System’s REACH-HEI Program, helping underserved eighth-graders explore pathways to careers in health care. He also served as a volunteer camp counselor and primary caregiver at Camp Bruce McCoy, a program of the Brain Injury Association of Virginia, where he provided compassionate care and support to adult male survivors of traumatic brain injuries.

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

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.

Following the screening, caregivers will be invited to share their story or tribute to a family member or friend who provided care. For more information on this film, visit wvia.org/caregiving.

Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia, is a progressive brain disorder that gradually impairs memory, thinking abilities, and daily functioning. In Pennsylvania, it affects about 282,000 individuals. About 465,000 family members and friends across the state serve as caregivers, often providing unpaid, around-the-clock care for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, frequently with limited opportunities for respite.

The Wright Center’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program provides coordinated, comprehensive support for patients, families, and caregivers. It is part of a collaborative, county-wide effort called Age-Friendly Lackawanna that includes nearly 30 community organizations. Nicole Flynn, director of the geriatrics service line at The Wright Center, said many caregivers have a hard time finding the resources they need for their loved ones.

The Wright Center for Community Health welcomed a longtime emergency medical technician and vascular technologist to serve as director of employee health and coordinator of continuing medical education.

Mark Powell, RVT, NRP, will oversee employee health services and training for The Wright Centers, which is transitioning from an official American Heart Association (AHA) designated training site to an AHA training center, a distinction earned by training a certain number of people annually and meeting other high standards.

Powell has decades of experience as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, and registered vascular technologist in Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland. He has extensive experience directing vascular labs, managing clinical operations, and ensuring accreditation compliance. Before joining The Wright Center, he worked as the technical director and vascular manager at Guthrie Medical Clinic and Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre

In addition to being a registered vascular technologist, he is an accredited ACLS/PALS/CPR instructor and a certified intervention team member.

Chelsea Chopko, chief of administrative support to the president and CEO at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, was one of 40 individuals under the age of 40 in Pennsylvania to be honored as a “Rising Star” by City & State Pennsylvania during a reception in Harrisburg.

“Chelsea Chopko is the exemplary of leader every organization hopes to have – thoughtful, brilliant, kind, inspiring, driven, unflinchingly dependable, and deeply mission-aligned,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “Her well-deserved recognition is a reflection not only of her personal excellence, but also of the high standard she sets for all of us at The Wright Center. We are immensely proud of her and most grateful to have Chelsea on our team.”

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Marywood University. Most recently, she completed the University of Scranton Kania School of Management’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program.

Chopko and her husband, Craig, live in Greenfield Township with their children, Roman, 9, and Isabel, 2.

The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education has earned national recognition for its continued commitment to improving diabetes care and prevention.

Quality Insights, a West Virginia-based leader in health care quality improvement, recognized The Wright Center for its annual review of diabetes and prediabetes care, as well as its targeted launch of the National Diabetes Prevention Program to support individuals at risk. The National Diabetes Prevention Program is a nationally recognized, evidence-based lifestyle change program designed to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes in high-risk patients.

“We are grateful to Quality Insights for this recognition and for its ongoing collaboration in our shared mission to improve chronic disease outcomes,” said Melissa Germano-Ryczak, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian and director of Lifestyle Modification and Preventive Medicine at The Wright Center. “This important milestone reflects the dedication of our interprofessional health care teams and our patients’ commitment to their health. Through evidence-based programs like the National Diabetes Prevention Program, we are helping individuals make lasting lifestyle changes that help reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes and improve their overall well-being.”