Notícias
The Wright Center earns Federally Qualified Health Center designation
Federal approval expands access to affordable healthcare across Northeastern Pennsylvania, supports new community health center in Monroe County.
The Wright Center’s leaders, board members, and staff join U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. and community partners to celebrate Monday’s announcement that The Wright Center for Community Health has been designated a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
After years of strategic planning, sustained advocacy, and a steadfast commitment to ensuring everyone has access to care, The Wright Center for Community Health has been designated a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a transformational milestone that will significantly broaden access to affordable, high-quality whole-person primary and preventive health services throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Awarded through HRSA’s highly competitive New Access Point (NAP) Program, the designation transitions The Wright Center from a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike to a funded FQHC. The achievement culminates a years-long effort to demonstrate both the extraordinary need for additional primary care resources in the region and The Wright Center’s ability to meet that need. It also reflects the steadfast advocacy of U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan Jr., whose leadership and ongoing engagement with HRSA helped secure approval to establish a community health center in Blakeslee, Monroe County. The successful application was further strengthened by broad bipartisan support from elected officials and government leaders, who submitted eight letters of support recognizing the critical need to expand access to affordable, high-quality primary care.
HRSA’s approval of the new Blakeslee clinic recognizes the significant healthcare needs of this rural community of about 4,400 people and creates an opportunity to expand comprehensive, whole-person primary and preventive health services in an area with limited access to care. The new community health center will welcome all patients while prioritizing access for individuals and families living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, as well as those who are uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved.
Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, left, holds a congressional proclamation from U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. for her 25 years of service to The Wright Center.
The Wright Center currently operates 15 community health center locations across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne and Wyoming counties, including its Driving Better Health mobile medical and dental unit, serving patients throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. About 70% of the enterprise’s patients live at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, including 46% who live below 100% of the guidelines, underscoring the continued need for affordable, accessible healthcare throughout Northeast Pennsylvania.
The new community health center at 5251 Route 115 will serve more than 2,000 patients annually in the Blakeslee region. The new location will open in late fall.
Congressman Bresnahan and his staff worked closely with HRSA officials for months to emphasize the importance of expanding NAP opportunities, particularly for FQHC Look-Alikes. Earlier this year, he led a bipartisan congressional letter urging appropriators to create a pathway for high-performing FQHC Look-Alikes to become funded FQHCs, helping elevate the issue at the national level.
“Today’s announcement is a big win for families across Northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Congressman Bresnahan.“After 15 years of hard work, The Wright Center’s new FQHC designation means more resources to bring affordable, quality care to the people who need it most. I’m proud we were able to work with HRSA and The Wright Center to help get this across the finish line, and I look forward to continuing to expand access to quality care close to home.”
The award paves the way for The Wright Center to establish its first community health center in Monroe County, expanding its model of integrated medical, dental, mental and behavioral health, and addiction and recovery services to residents of one of the region’s most underserved rural areas.
“We are deeply grateful and honored to receive The Wright Center for Community Health’s full Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designation by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. This most welcomed achievement is truly a blessing and the humbling culmination of my 25 years of service as a primary care physician and medical educator at The Wright Center,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “It reflects decades of mission-driven contributions by countless individuals and treasured partners who share an unwavering commitment to serve and improve the health and welfare of our regional communities through responsive, whole-person health services for all and the sustainable renewal of an inspired and competent workforce that is privileged to serve. Most importantly, this accomplishment strengthens our collective ability to ensure that every person in Northeastern Pennsylvania has access to affordable, comprehensive, compassionate, whole-person primary and preventive health services close to home.
“We are especially grateful to Congressman Rob Bresnahan for his tireless advocacy for and service to Northeastern Pennsylvania. We appreciate his championing expanded access to essential health services and uniting fellow Congressional leaders to support strengthening and expanding our nation’s community health center program. His notably effective leadership in organizing a bipartisan congressional letter to House Appropriations Committee leaders urging HRSA to prioritize funding for new primary care access points in underserved communities and to recognize the readiness of FQHC Look-Alikes like The Wright Center to strengthen our nation’s healthcare safety net and rapidly expand access to care made our long-term FQHC designation possible. The resulting immediate and long-term public health benefit impact for our region cannot be overstated.”
The designation also strengthens The Wright Center’s nationally recognized Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium model, which integrates patient care, workforce development, and community health through The Wright Center forCommunity Health, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, and The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement.
Rather than relying on traditional hospital-based physician training, the consortium prepares resident and fellow physicians and interprofessional healthcare learners in community settings where healthcare professionals are needed most. By aligning graduate medical education with the health needs of medically underserved communities, the model increases the likelihood that physicians will establish their practices in areas experiencing persistent primary care shortages while expanding access to high-quality, community-based healthcare.
U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr., left, greets Eric Kiehl, director of policy and partnership of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, and Shelley Riser, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, at the press conference announcing The Wright Center achieved Federally Qualified Health Center status.
Recognized by national accrediting organizations and state licensing agencies as an innovative, replicable approach to physician workforce development, the Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium helps bridge the gap between where most healthcare is delivered and where physicians are trained. The new Federally Qualified Health Center designation further strengthens that mission by expanding clinical training opportunities while increasing access to comprehensive, whole-person primary and preventive health services for the communities the consortium serves.
Since 2019, when HRSA designated The Wright Center as an FQHC Look-Alike, the enterprise has steadily expanded its reach to serve more than 39,000 unique patients in 2025-26 while operating under the same rigorous federal requirements as FQHCs. Just like FQHCs, Look-Alikes are required to provide comprehensive primary care services, maintain a governing board composed primarily of patients, serve federally designated medically underserved communities, and offer care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay by using a sliding-fee discount program.
Unlike funded FQHCs, however, FQHC Look-Alikes do not receive the federal operational grants available under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act.
The Wright Center’s new FQHC designation changes that. The annual federal investment provides sustainable funding that can be reinvested directly into expanding access to patient care, strengthening community-based physician training and interprofessional workforce development, supporting innovative models of care, and strengthening community outreach and engagement efforts. It also makes The Wright Center eligible to apply for numerous supplemental HRSA funding opportunities that were previously unavailable. In addition, the designation allows The Wright Center to participate in the Federal Tort Claims Act malpractice program, significantly reducing medical liability costs.
U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. greets Mary Marrara, secretary and chair of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Patient & Community Engagement Boards of Directors, before the start of the press conference.
It also brings enhanced reimbursement opportunities that strengthen the long-term sustainability of essential community provider safety-net healthcare services throughout the region.
Federally Qualified Health Centers are a cornerstone of America’s healthcare safety net. According to HRSA, approximately 1,400 FQHC organizations operate more than 16,000 service delivery sites nationwide, providing comprehensive primary care services to millions of people each year regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay. Health centers serve medically underserved communities while improving health outcomes, reducing unnecessary emergency department use, and lowering overall healthcare costs through preventive, coordinated care.
The Wright Center’s new community health center is its first location in Monroe County and 16th overall. Services will include:
- Primary and preventive health services
- Pediatric services
- Women’s health, including prenatal and postpartum care
- Mental and behavioral health
- Substance use disorder treatment and recovery services
- Oral healthcare
- Tele-saúde
- Care management and care coordination
Deborah Kolsovsky, chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors, said the FQHC designation will strengthen the enterprise’s ability to fulfill its mission for decades to come.
“This designation is a testament to The Wright Center’s unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of our region,” Kolsovsky said. “It provides the stability and resources needed to build upon our mission, respond to the ever-changing needs of our communities, and create lasting improvements in the way patients receive services throughout our region.”
