Officials from Scranton Counseling Center and The Wright Center for Community Health celebrated the completion of a vibrant new mural by Allison LaRussa, The Wright Center’s associate vice president of health and wellness. The artwork commemorates the partnership between the two organizations, which began in 2021 when The Wright Center opened a community health center inside Scranton Counseling Center to provide high-quality, whole-person primary and preventive health services for patients of all ages. Featuring a tree with interconnected roots, the mural symbolizes the strength of community, collaboration, and the shared commitment to supporting mental and physical well-being. Staff members from both organizations helped bring the project to life by adding their handprints, creating a lasting tribute to their partnership and the people they serve.
Participating in the dedication, from left, are Douglas A. Hein, director of development at Scranton Counseling Center; Jerry Musheno, chair, Scranton Counseling Center Board of Directors; Renee Zehel, chief philanthropy officer and vice president of grants and strategic initiatives at The Wright Center; Dr. Sarah Wodder, president and CEO, Scranton Counseling Center; Kara Seitzinger, director of public affairs and advisor liaison to the president and CEO at The Wright Center; Margaret McNulty, immediate past chair, Scranton Counseling Center Board of Directors; and Allison LaRussa, associate vice president of health and wellness at The Wright Center.
For more information about The Wright Center for Community Health, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center is hosting its annual The Wright Way to Wellness: Kids Edition, a free children’s wellness fair, from 2-5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, in the auditorium at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave. Like last year’s event, which drew several hundred families, this year’s fair will feature fitness and art activities, healthy snacks and nutrition demonstrations, a backpack and school supply giveaway, raffles, and interactive exhibits. Families can also learn more about school physicals, vaccinations, and other health resources.
Families are invited to celebrate healthy living and back-to-school season at The Wright Way to Wellness: Kids Edition, a free children’s wellness fair hosted by The Wright Center for Community Health as part of National Health Center Week.
The event will take place from 2-5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, in the auditorium at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave. Open to the public, the fair returns for a second consecutive year after drawing several hundred families to its inaugural program.
Children and their families can enjoy fitness and art activities, healthy snacks and nutrition demonstrations, a backpack and school supply giveaway, raffles, and interactive exhibits while learning about school physicals, vaccinations, and other health resources. The event will also feature the Lackawanna County Public Library system and community partners, including Marywood University, Build-N-Athlete, and Valley in Motion.
The children’s wellness fair is one of several events The Wright Center will host during National Health Center Week, Aug. 2-8, an annual celebration recognizing the essential role community health centers play in improving access to high-quality, comprehensive, whole-person primary health services.
Community health centers like The Wright Center serve patients regardless of their income, insurance status, or ability to pay.
This year’s National Health Center Week theme, “Community Health Centers: Chemistry for Strong Communities,” highlights the partnerships that strengthen communities and improve health outcomes. In fiscal year 2025-26, The Wright Center served more than 39,000 unique patients in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.
Collectively, community health centers provide care to more than 32.5 million people annually – about one in 10 Americans – including many who are uninsured or living below the federal poverty level.
“National Health Center Week is a celebration of the vital role community health centers play in keeping our communities healthy and connected,” said Kara Seitzinger, executive director of public affairs and advisor liaison to the president/CEO. “Every day, we provide responsive, whole-person primary and preventive health services to our neighbors who need it most, and we’re excited to celebrate that impact by hosting this children’s wellness fair and several other community events.”
The Wright Center is hosting a slate of free activities to celebrate National Health Center Week, including:
Monday, Aug. 3, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health Clarks Summit, 1145 Northern Blvd., South Abington Twp., backpack giveaway.
Tuesday, Aug. 4, noon-2 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, food giveaway.
Thursday, Aug. 6, noon-2 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health North Pocono, 260 Daleville Highway, Suite 103, Covington Township, food giveaway.
Friday, Aug. 7, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Wright Center for Community Health North Pocono, 260 Daleville Highway, Suite 103, Covington Township, backpack and school supply giveaway.
Saturday, Aug. 8, 9-10:30 a.m., Olive Street Trailhead entrance to the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, Scranton, Walk with a Doc.
A veteran dentist with more than three decades of experience will lead the new dental service line at The Wright Center for Community Health Tunkhannock, expanding access to oral healthcare at the Wyoming County Healthcare Center.
Dr. Frank Pagano
Beginning Monday, Aug. 3, dental services for children and adults will be available between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at The Wright Center for Community Health Tunkhannock, 5950 U.S. Route 6, Suite 401. Appointments can be made now by calling 570-591-5299.
Dr. Frank Pagano, who has longtime family connections to Wyoming County, will offer a wide variety of services for children and adults, including routine exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings, extractions, restorations, dentures, and other procedures. After earning his doctorate of dental surgery from New York University’s School of Dentistry, he operated a family dental practice for nearly 33 years. He’s also served as a clinical instructor in prosthetics for Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine.
“I’m excited to bring high-quality dental care to the Tunkhannock community, where access to oral health services is greatly needed,” Dr. Pagano said. “Good oral health is essential to overall well-being, and I look forward to helping patients of all ages receive the compassionate, comprehensive care they deserve while improving the health of our communities.”
The community health center accepts most dental insurances, including Delta Dental, Guardian, United Concordia, and Medical Assistance (Medicaid). To ensure high-quality oral care is available to everyone, The Wright Center for Community Health offers a sliding-fee discount program for individuals who qualify based on the Federal Poverty Guidelines, which take into account family size and income. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.
The Wright Center for Community Health partnered with officials from the Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug & Alcohol Programs to host a drug take-back event at its community health center in Scranton on June 12.
Participating in the program, front row from left, are Sheridan Kaschak, chief of staff at The Wright Center; Rachael Iskander, executive assistant and medical scribe to the president/CEO of The Wright Center; Dan White of the Lackawanna County Office of Drug and Alcohol; and Chelsea Chopko, organizational development and communications effectiveness partner at The Wright Center; second row, Scott Constantini, associate vice president of primary care and recovery services integration at The Wright Center; and Scranton Police Officer Jason Alers.
The Wright Center for Community Health Tunkhannock will begin offering dental services for children and adults on Monday, Aug. 3. The Wright Center is located on the fourth floor of the Wyoming County Healthcare Center. To make an appointment, call 570-591-5299.
The Wright Center for Community Health Tunkhannock will begin offering dental services at its community health center in the Wyoming County Healthcare Center on Monday, Aug. 3.
Dental services for children and adults will be available between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at The Wright Center for Community Health Tunkhannock, 5950 U.S. Route 6, Suite 401. Appointments can be made now by calling 570-591-5299.
Dr. Frank Pagano, a dentist with more than 30 years of experience, will lead the dental clinic. He and other members of The Wright Center for Community Health’s team, including a dental hygienist, will provide affordable, high-quality oral care services, including routine exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings, extractions, restorations, dentures, and other procedures.
“We know there is a significant need for dental care in Tunkhannock and throughout Wyoming County, and the response from the community has already been tremendous, with patients calling to schedule appointments,” said Kimberly McGoff, director of dental services at The Wright Center for Community Health. “By expanding access to essential oral health services in this rural community, we are helping remove barriers to care and advancing our mission to improve the health and well-being of the people we serve across the region.”
किम्बर्ली म्याकगोफ
The community health center accepts most dental insurances, including Delta Dental, Guardian, United Concordia, and Medical Assistance (Medicaid). To ensure high-quality oral care is available to everyone, The Wright Center for Community Health offers a sliding-fee discount program for individuals who qualify based on the Federal Poverty Guidelines, which take into account family size and income. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education acknowledged the first graduating class from the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program on Saturday. Members of the class include, from left, Drs. Aliy Mirza Ahmed, Kevin Nguyen, Bradley Bierman, Kenneth Gentilezza, program director; Abhinav Arora, and Alan Trung Lam.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education celebrated 67 resident and fellow physician graduates during its 47th annual commencement on Saturday, June 20, at Hilton Scranton and Conference Center.
The commencement ceremony honored 42 graduates in The Wright Center’s Internal Medicine Residency, 13 in the National Family Medicine Residency, five in the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency programs and three each in the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship and Geriatrics Fellowship programs, and one in the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program.
The Class of 2026 joins more than 1,100 resident and fellow physicians who have completed their residency and fellowship programs since The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education began educating and training physicians in 1976.
Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, addresses the Class of 2026 on Saturday, June 20, at Hilton Scranton and Conference Center.
“For the past 50 years, The Wright Center and its extraordinarily talented and dedicated governing board members, faculty, physicians, learners, care teams, support staff, and community partners have demonstrated our belief that the environments where physicians train and serve determines their future,” Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, said during the ceremony.
“Our physician-training mission began with a visionary investment: a $1 million Federal Bureau of Health Manpower grant awarded in 1976 to demonstrate that community-immersed graduate medical education could strengthen the physician and interprofessional workforce and the health of entire communities.”
Graduation speakers also included Dr. Jumee Barooah, senior vice president of education and designated institutional official at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. She noted that Saturday’s ceremony was a celebration of another milestone: The Wright Center’s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program’s first graduating class since its launch in 2022.
“To all of tonight’s graduates: congratulations,” she said. “This moment belongs to you. It also belongs to the families, friends, mentors, faculty members, colleagues, and loved ones who stood beside you through every overnight shift, every exam, every difficult conversation, and every moment of doubt and growth along the way.”
Founded in 1976, The Wright Centers for Community Health, Graduate Medical Education, and Patient & Community Engagement is a physician-led, community-owned nonprofit and a cornerstone of health care in the region.
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 organization employs more than 677 professionals and trains nearly 200 resident and fellow physicians, as well as more than 200 interprofessional health care learners each year.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s residency and fellowship programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
Hoeffer Chi Kit Mok, D.O.; Alexander Silva, D.O.; William Eaton Smith, D.O.; Cody Boltz, D.O.; Daniel Woojin Jang, D.O.; Conner Saul Hendryx, D.O.; V. Chrysta Sahakian, D.O.; Victoria Bao Quynh Nguyen, D.O.; Claudine C. Nwadiozor, D.O.; Stephen Kyle Phelps, D.O.; Kenneth Charles Terry II, D.O.; Taylor Andrew Sutton, D.O.; and Jonathan Yi, D.O.
शारीरिक चिकित्सा र पुनस्र्थापना
Aliy Mirza Ahmed, D.O.; Abhinav Arora, D.O.; Bradley Carl Bierman, D.O.; Alan Trung Lam, D.O., and Kevin Nguyen, D.O.
जेरियाट्रिक्स फेलोशिप
Padman Kumari, M.D.; Murk, M.D.; and Abdul Rafay Soomro, M.D.
Cardiovascular Fellowship
Khyati Khattar, M.D.; Muhammad Sabih Saleem, M.D.; and Dipen Vallabhdas Zalavadia, M.D.
