Two of The Wright Center for Community Health’s primary and preventive care practices recently received commendations from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.

The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., and The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre Practice, 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave., each achieved the NCQA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home certificate of recognition, acknowledging that they have the tools, systems, and resources to provide patients with the right care at the right time.

Both practices initially earned the NCQA voluntary accreditation in 2021. Every year, the practice locations undergo a formal review to ensure they comply with the Washington, D.C.-based organization’s high standards.

For the public, the NCQA accreditation is a signal that The Wright Center for Community Health maintains a focus on quality improvement and has key processes in place so that its clinics are prioritizing the needs of patients by following the patient-centered medical home model of care.

The model is designed to allow patients and their care teams to build better relationships, help patients to more effectively control chronic conditions, and improve the overall patient experience. In addition, the patient-centered medical home model has been shown to increase staff satisfaction and reduce health care costs.

“We are proud to retain this recognition seal for both practices, which is a reflection of the dedicated work being done by The Wright Center’s employees to use our information technology and team-based delivery system so we can coordinate care and get the best results possible for patients,” said Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, chief medical officer of The Wright Center for Community Health. “The NCQA seal lets people know these practices will be open outside traditional business hours to meet their primary care needs and that we do all we can to put our patients at the forefront of care.”

The NCQA was founded in 1990 with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It seeks to improve health care quality through measurement, transparency, and accountability.

The Wright Center’s Mid Valley and Clarks Summit practices also maintain the NCQA’s respected recognition seal, undergoing annual renewals.

Overall, The Wright Center operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, including a mobile medical and dental vehicle called Driving Better Health. Its practices offer integrated whole-person care, meaning patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services.

The Wright Center accepts most major health insurance plans, including Medical Assistance (Medicaid), Medicare, and CHIP. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.

Members of the sheriff’s office and PCE pose in front of the transport van they aim to fill with toys for children. Participating in the program, front row from left, are Gerri McAndrew, co-director, PCE; Deputy Bob Moore; Cpl. Brenda Goosley; Holly Przasnyski, PCE director; Cpl. Ryan Deluccie; K-9 Ammo; Deputy David Pascolini; Deputy Lisa Deustachio; and Cpl. Joe George; second row, Lt. John T. Padula; Deputy Jason Gilbert; Cpl Kerry MgHugh; and Sheriff Mark McAndrew.

Lackawanna County Sheriff’s deputies will ensure local children have a great holiday season by hosting a toy drive benefiting The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE).

Deputies are asking the public to help fill the department’s transport van with new, unwrapped toys on Dec. 2-4 during the Lackawanna Winter Market on Courthouse Square, 200 N. Washington Ave., Scranton. The outdoor market will feature craft vendors, live music, food, and the lighting of the county’s Christmas tree.

The drive benefits PCE, a subsidiary of The Wright Center for Community Health, that focuses on improving the health and well-being of residents across Northeast Pennsylvania. Throughout the year, PCE hosts food giveaways at their clinics and provides transportation vouchers to patients who have trouble getting to and from doctors’ appointments. Additionally, PCE distributes backpacks filled with school supplies and hosts school uniform giveaways and clothing closets for needy residents.

Last year, sheriff’s deputies held a food drive for PCE, according to Cpl. Joe George. They collected and donated more than 12 cases of nonperishable food. They hope to build on that success with the upcoming toy drive. The Lackawanna County Sheriff’s Association and Sheriff Mark McAndrew have donated $250 each to purchase toys for the drive.

“There are a lot of people in Lackawanna County who need a helping hand, and we want to ensure families – especially their children – have a happy holiday season,” he said.

Gerri McAndrew, co-director of PCE, also mentioned the deep need in the community, especially during the holidays. “Last year, we helped 60 families at our clinics with toys and clothes, plus we adopt families through the Salvation Army,” she said, adding that PCE serves about 900 children annually. “This drive will enable us to help more families.”

While collecting toys for children might not seem as urgent as some other PCE initiatives, McAndrew thinks about her own kids and how they feel at Christmas.

“I don’t want any child’s heart to break on Christmas morning,” she said. “They should get at least one present.”
Donations of new, unwrapped toys will be accepted by deputies throughout the county’s Winter Market on Friday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Look for sheriff’s deputies and their transport van near the main entrance to the Lackawanna County Courthouse.

For more information on how to donate, contact Deputy Morgan Holmes at [email protected] or 570.963.6719 x 4857.

Participating in the ceremonial check presentation, from left, are Mary Marrara, co-chair, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement Board; Gerri McAndrew, director of development and relations for community outreach, The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education; and Lufrankton Network representatives Kristen Kleintop and Antonio Sequeira, Dunkin’ franchisee.

To help area children and families in need, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) was recently presented with a $2,500 donation from a regional Dunkin’ franchisee group and a matching gift from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation.

The $5,000 contribution will be reinvested in the community through PCE’s activities, such as school backpack giveaways, winter clothing, and blanket giveaways, free food distributions, and other special mission-driven projects.

The Lufrankton Network, a franchisee group that operates stores in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, chose PCE to receive charitable funding made available during its recent “Renovation Celebration” to highlight the makeover of its Dunkin’ location in Eynon.

The foundation generously doubled the gift because its mission – “to provide the simple joys of childhood to kids battling hunger or illness” – is reflected in many of PCE’s initiatives to assist children in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and nearby counties.

“We are grateful for this amazing support from Dunkin’,” said PCE Director Holly Przasnyski. “For its ongoing operation, the nonprofit PCE relies on external funding such as donations and fundraising. So, if it wasn’t for the kindness of civic-minded businesses like Dunkin’, we would not be able to conduct our events that help feed, clothe, and otherwise support the under-resourced children and their families in the communities we serve.”

PCE is a subsidiary of The Wright Center for Community Health. Employees of the health center volunteer to conduct its activities, which are intended to improve people’s access to health care and empower them to be co-managers of their health and wellness plans.

In particular, PCE strives to help Wright Center patients and others in the community overcome food insecurity and other non-medical issues that can affect their ability to focus on achieving and maintaining their maximum wellness. Those issues commonly include transportation barriers, lack of access to educational opportunities, homelessness, and poverty.

The Wright Center for Community Health recently received recognition from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for quality work last year in three performance categories, including its use of health information technology to better serve patients and their families.

The Wright Center also made notable achievements during 2022 in these two categories: providing services to combat the COVID-19 public health emergency and screening patients for social risk factors that can impact their health, such as lack of adequate housing and food insecurity.

HRSA annually reviews the performance data of health centers across the United States and then highlights the organizations that meet or exceed its goals in categories of special focus. It bestows the top performers with its Community Health Quality Recognition badges.

HRSA first awarded badges in 2021, using data from the prior year’s reporting period. Since then, The Wright Center has earned 10 badges. This year, the three badges awarded to The Wright Center are “Advancing Health Information Technology for Quality,” “COVID-19 Public Health Champion,” and “Addressing Social Risk Factors to Health.”

HRSA displays information about all of its badge recipients – which include many of the country’s 1,370 Federally Qualified Health Centers and 117 Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes, including The Wright Center – on an online dashboard accessible via its website, hrsa.gov. The Wright Center was among fewer than 12 percent of Look-Alikes nationwide to receive this year’s “Addressing Social Risk Factors to Health,” according to the dashboard.

The Wright Center operates 10 primary and preventive care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania, including a mobile medical and dental vehicle called Driving Better Health. Its practices offer integrated whole-person care, meaning patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services. It accepts all major health insurance plans, including Medical Assistance (Medicaid), Medicare, and CHIP. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.

To learn more about The Wright Center for Community Health’s many services, call 570-230-0019 or visit TheWrightCenter.org.