Daktari wa eneo aliye na uhusiano na hospitali za Scranton na Wilkes-Barre atajiunga na kituo kipya cha huduma ya msingi cha The Wright Center for Community Health huko Tunkhannock, ambacho kilifunguliwa Septemba 9.
Henry C. Novroski, DO
Dr. Henry C. Novroski will provide whole-person primary health services for people of all ages, including checkups, physicals, screenings, and treatment of common illnesses and injuries at The Wright Center’s new location in the Wyoming County Healthcare Center in Tunkhannock, 5950 U.S. Route 6, Suite 401. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering access to integrated medical and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services.
Atajiunga na wafanyakazi wa wataalamu wa afya katika kituo kipya cha huduma ya msingi cha The Wright Center katika iliyokuwa Hospitali ya Tyler Memorial, kutia ndani daktari msaidizi Mallory Racoski. Ili kupanga miadi, nenda kwa TheWrightCenter.org au piga simu kwa 570-591-5299.
Dk. Novroski amefanya kazi kama daktari wa dawa za familia huko Dunmore tangu 2021. Pia ana uzoefu kama daktari wa idara ya dharura katika Hospitali ya Moses Taylor huko Scranton na Hospitali Kuu ya Wilkes-Barre.
Mkazi wa Shavertown alipata digrii ya bachelor katika biolojia katika Chuo cha Wilkes wakati huo na digrii yake ya matibabu kutoka Chuo cha Philadelphia cha Tiba ya Osteopathic. Kisha akamaliza ukaaji wa Mazoezi ya Familia ya Wyoming na baadaye akahudumu kama mshiriki wa kitivo cha ukaazi kwa zaidi ya miaka miwili.
Kituo cha Wright ni Kituo cha Afya Kilichohitimu Kitaifa Kinavyofanana na mtandao unaokua wa vituo vya huduma ya msingi katika kaunti zote za Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, na Wyoming. Makao yake makuu huko Scranton, Kituo cha Wright kinaendesha vituo 12 vya afya vya jamii, ikijumuisha kitengo cha simu cha matibabu na meno kiitwacho Driving Better Health. Maeneo hayo yanahudumia wagonjwa wa rika zote, viwango vya mapato na hali ya bima. Hakuna mgonjwa anayekataliwa kwa sababu ya kutoweza kulipa.
Kituo cha Wright cha Afya ya Jamii, pamoja na washirika wa jumuiya ya kikanda, wanafanya chakula cha jioni cha sherehe siku ya Jumatano, Septemba 25, ili kuangazia mafanikio ya mradi unaofadhiliwa na ruzuku ambayo ilitoa fursa kwa zaidi ya watu 100 kuwa wataalam walioidhinishwa wa kupona huku wakikabiliana na changamoto. unyanyapaa unaohusishwa na kuajiri watu wenye matatizo ya matumizi ya dawa.
Hafla hiyo katika Hoteli ya Radisson Lackawanna Station, 138 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, kuanzia 5:30-7:30 pm itajumuisha maoni mafupi kutoka kwa waandaaji wa mradi huo na pia wakaazi wa eneo ambao walikamilisha na kufaidika na programu ya mafunzo ya taaluma.
Project PROGRESS, iliyofadhiliwa kwa sehemu kupitia ruzuku ya Tume ya Mkoa ya Appalachian INSPIRE, ilikuwa juhudi ya miaka mitatu iliyoongozwa na The Wright Center kwa ushirikiano na washirika katika eneo la kaunti nyingi lililoathiriwa sana na shida ya opioid inayoendelea. Kifupi PROGRESS kinasimama kwa Kutoa Fursa za Urejeshaji kwa Ukuaji, Elimu, na Mafanikio Endelevu.
Meaghan P. Ruddy, Ph.D., makamu mkuu wa rais na afisa mkuu wa utafiti wa kimkakati na maendeleo katika Kituo cha Wright cha Afya ya Jamii.
"Kupitia mradi huu wenye matokeo, tulitoa mafunzo muhimu ya kazi na usaidizi kwa watu 76 ambao wameweza kutafuta ajira katika uwanja huo," alisema Meaghan P. Ruddy, Ph.D., makamu wa rais mkuu na afisa mkuu wa utafiti wa kimkakati na maendeleo. Kituo cha Wright. "Project PROGRESS pia ilitumika kama wito muhimu kwa jamii zetu kutambua uraibu kama ugonjwa sugu na kufanya kazi katika sekta zote ili kuunda mfumo wa ikolojia wa urejeshaji ambapo watu wanaohama kutoka kwa matibabu hadi maisha katika kupona wanaungwa mkono kwa huruma.
"Mfumo huo wa ikolojia unatuhitaji kujenga uhusiano kati ya sio tu jamii za uokoaji na programu za afya na huduma za kibinadamu, lakini pia zingine nyingi, pamoja na usafirishaji, usalama wa umma, nyumba, elimu, na watoa ajira."
Muda wa ruzuku ya Project PROGRESS unaisha rasmi mwezi Septemba. Hata hivyo, tovuti katika ProjectProgressNEPA.org , itaendelea kutumika kwa angalau miaka mitatu, ikitoa viungo vya nyenzo muhimu kuhusu mada kama vile kushinda unyanyapaa, kutafuta kazi ukiwa katika ahueni, na kutafuta sehemu za kazi zinazofaa kupona.
Kituo cha Wright kilishirikiana na Chuo cha Jumuiya ya Kaunti ya Luzerne, Kituo cha Elimu ya Afya cha Eneo la Kaskazini-mashariki la Pennsylvania, Taasisi, na Muungano wa Wayne Pike Workforce ili kutoa mpango wa kurejesha kazini katika kaunti za Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, na Wyoming. .
"Kuna hitaji kubwa la usaidizi wa rika katika huduma za kurejesha uraibu na uhaba wa wataalamu walioidhinishwa wa kupona katika Kaskazini-mashariki mwa Pennsylvania," alisema Susan Spry, makamu wa rais wa masuala ya kitaaluma katika Chuo cha Jamii cha Luzerne County. "Wataalamu wa urejeshaji walioidhinishwa hutoa usaidizi muhimu na rasilimali kwa wale wanaotaka kuishi maisha ya kupona. Project PROGRESS na washirika wetu wa jamii wamechukua jukumu muhimu katika kushughulikia unyanyapaa unaohusishwa na kupona na kuunda njia kwa watu binafsi kupata mafunzo wanayohitaji ili kujaza nafasi hizi muhimu za kitaaluma.
"Wataalamu walioidhinishwa wa urejeshi wana jukumu muhimu katika huduma za kurejesha uraibu Kaskazini-mashariki mwa Pennsylvania," aliongeza Mary K. Murphy, mkufunzi aliyeidhinishwa wa urejeshaji katika Chuo cha Jamii cha Luzerne County. "Uzoefu wao, nguvu, na matumaini, pamoja na zana na elimu inayotolewa na Project PROGRESS, huwawezesha wataalam walioidhinishwa wa uokoaji kusaidia watu katika safari yao ya kupona kutokana na uraibu."
Usaidizi na mwongozo pia ulitolewa na Wakfu wa AllOne, Chama cha Wafanyabiashara cha Greater Scranton, Muungano wa Kaskazini-mashariki wa Pennsylvania, Makamishna wa Kaunti ya Wayne, Shirika la Maendeleo ya Kiuchumi la Wayne, na Ofisi ya Mbunge Matt Cartwright.
Watu ambao walitimiza masharti ya kustahiki kujiandikisha katika mafunzo ya mtaalamu wa urejeshaji walioidhinishwa waliweza kuchukua darasa bila malipo. Mradi wa ruzuku pia ulilipa gharama ya ada zao za mitihani ya uthibitisho.
Mtaalamu wa urejeshaji aliyeidhinishwa ni mtu ambaye ameshinda ugonjwa wa matumizi ya dawa na ambaye anafanya kazi kama sehemu ya timu ya utunzaji wa taaluma mbalimbali ili kusaidia watu wengine kufikia na kudumisha kiasi cha muda mrefu. Kwa kutumia uzoefu wao wenyewe wa maisha, wataalam wa urejeshaji walioidhinishwa hushauri, huhamasisha, na kutetea kuhakikisha wagonjwa wanasaidiwa katika safari yao ya kuelekea afya njema.
"Kituo cha Elimu ya Afya cha Eneo la Kaskazini Mashariki mwa Pennsylvania (NE PA AHEC) kilifurahishwa kushiriki katika PROGRESS ya Mradi," alisema Debra Youngfelt, mkurugenzi mtendaji wa NE PA AHEC. "Kwa kutoa mafunzo ya wafanyikazi wa afya ya jamii, tuliwapa watu walio katika hali ya kupona fursa ya kupata ujuzi mpya na kupanua chaguzi zao za ajira. Umuhimu wa wataalam walioidhinishwa wa kupona na wahudumu wa afya ya jamii katika jamii zetu, pamoja na uzoefu muhimu wa maisha wanaoleta kwa wale wanaopata nafuu, hauwezi kupitiwa kupita kiasi kwani mahitaji ya majukumu haya yanaendelea kukua.
"Project PROGRESS ilikuwa mafanikio makubwa, sio tu kwa kutoa mafunzo na fursa za ajira kwa wengi waliopona, lakini pia kwa kujaza pengo katika mwendelezo wa huduma kwa watu binafsi wenye matatizo ya matumizi ya dawa."
Shukrani kwa ushirikiano na Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance, Project PROGRESS iliweza kupanua ufikiaji wake hadi kaunti za mashambani na, kwa upande wake, kuvutia watahiniwa zaidi katika programu ya mafunzo.
"Uhusiano wetu wa kipekee na Project PROGRESS ulibadilisha maisha, ukaimarisha jamii zetu, na kushughulikia unyanyapaa ambao mara nyingi huzuia watu kutoka nyanja zote za maisha kushughulikia shida yao ya utumiaji wa dawa na kuishi maisha ya kupona," alisema Katheryne Hait, SHRM CP, mkuu wa uendeshaji. afisa wa Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance. "Ninajivunia sana ushirikiano wa kudumu tulioanzisha na mashirika kadhaa ya jamii na wanajamii wetu ambao sasa wanaongoza kwa mfano katika majukumu yao kama wataalamu walioidhinishwa wa kupona."
Leo, waajiri huko Pennsylvania wanatafuta kujaza nafasi hizi za kitaaluma katika anuwai ya mipangilio ya biashara, kama vile vituo vya uokoaji na matibabu, magereza, hospitali na huduma za kibinadamu na mipangilio ya afya.
Dk. Stephen S. Long Jr., daktari wa magonjwa ya ndani ya watoto (Med-Peds), hivi majuzi alijiunga na The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. Sasa anapokea wagonjwa wa rika zote katika vituo viwili vya The Wright Center for Community Health ya huduma za msingi za afya ya jamii.
Dk. Long anapatikana kwa miadi katika Kituo cha Wright cha Afya ya Jamii cha Clarks Summit kituo cha huduma ya msingi katika 1145 Northern Blvd. katika Kitongoji cha Abington Kusini siku za Jumatatu na Jumanne na kituo cha huduma ya msingi cha Mid Valley katika 5 S. Washington Ave. huko Jermyn, kuanzia Jumatano hadi Ijumaa.
Ili kupanga miadi na Dk. Long, tembelea TheWrightCenter.org au piga simu kwa Clarks Summit kwa 570-585-1300 au eneo la Mid Valley kwa 570- 230-0019.
Stephen S. Long Jr., MD
Dr. Long received his medical degree from the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. He returned to Northeast Pennsylvania after completing his Med-Peds residency at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland. A Bethlehem, Pennsylvania native, he earned his Bachelor of Science in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and philosophy from the University of Scranton.
Dr. Long has also embraced an institutional academic leadership role in faculty development which will allow him to thoughtfully guide and contribute to the professional growth and development of his physician colleagues, while fostering an environment of continuous lifelong learning and improvement.
Dr. Long lives in Moscow with his wife, Juliette Meyers, an Archbald native recently hired by The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education as an art therapist. A Valley View High School graduate, she received a master’s degree in art therapy and a bachelor’s degree in communications and media studies from Marywood University.
As a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and safety-net provider of whole-person primary health services, The Wright Center for Community Health serves vulnerable and medically underserved populations of all ages, regardless of ethnic background, ZIP code, insurance status, or ability to pay. It accepts all insurance plans and offers a sliding-fee discount program based on federal poverty guidelines that consider family size and income. No patient is ever turned away due to an inability to pay.
Headquartered in Scranton, The Wright Center for Community Health operates 11 comprehensive primary and preventive care community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, as well as a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. Patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services, including medication-assisted therapy. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education was established in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, a community-based internal medicine residency. Today, The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education are one of the largest U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums in the nation.
Together with consortium stakeholders, The Wrights Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education train residents and fellows in a community-based, community-needs-responsive primary care workforce development model to advance their shared mission.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s residency and fellowship programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The Wright Center for Community Health’s Advanced Education General Dentistry Residency under New York University Langone is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-866-3017.
Waandalizi wa kamati, kutoka kushoto, ni Karen Case, Helayna Szescila, naibu afisa mkuu wa utawala, The Wright Center; Kimeth Robinson, meneja, Kituo cha Wright cha Afya ya Jamii huko Wilkes-Barre; Dk. Linda Thomas-Hemak, rais na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji, Vituo vya Wright vya Afya ya Jamii na Elimu ya Matibabu ya Wahitimu, na mwenyekiti mwenza, Bodi ya Wakurugenzi ya Kituo cha Wagonjwa na Ushirikiano wa Jamii; Kara Seitzinger, mkurugenzi mtendaji, uhusiano wa masuala ya umma/mshauri kwa rais na Mkurugenzi Mtendaji, Kituo cha Wright; Mary Marrara, mwenyekiti mwenza, Bodi ya Wakurugenzi ya Kituo cha Wright kwa Wagonjwa na Ushirikiano wa Jamii; Lorraine Lupini, mjumbe wa bodi, Bodi ya Wakurugenzi ya Kituo cha Wright kwa Wagonjwa na Ushirikiano wa Jamii; na Ellen Walko, katibu, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement Board of Directors. Hawapo kwenye picha ni Geraldine McAndrew, mkurugenzi wa maendeleo na uhusiano wa uhamasishaji wa jamii, The Wright Center; Holly Przasnyski, mkurugenzi, Kituo cha Wright cha Ushiriki wa Wagonjwa na Jamii; na Kathleen Doyle, mkurugenzi, huduma zinazozingatia wagonjwa, Kituo cha Wright.
Kituo cha Wright cha Ushirikiano wa Wagonjwa na Jamii kinaandaa mpango maalum wa Usaidizi wa Saratani ya Matiti kwa Wanawake wa Ajabu mnamo Jumatano, Oktoba 16, kuanzia saa 5-7 jioni katika kituo cha afya cha jamii cha The Wright Center for Community Health huko Wilkes-Barre, 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave., pamoja na mzungumzaji mkuu Dk. Lisa Thomas wa Washirika wa Hematology & Oncology wa Kaskazini Mashariki mwa Pennsylvania.
Julie Rutkowski wa Wakfu wa Strong and Coura'Jess pia atazungumza kuhusu msingi unaowasaidia wanawake walio na magonjwa yasiyotibika kuunganishwa na rasilimali zinazoweza kusaidia afya yao ya kiakili, kiroho na kimwili wakati wa matibabu. Shirika lisilo la faida limepewa jina kwa heshima ya binti yake Jessica Rutkowski, mama wa watoto watatu ambaye alikufa mnamo 2021 kutoka hatua ya 4 ya saratani ya matiti hasi mara tatu.
Mpango huu ni bure, lakini uhifadhi unaombwa kwa kumpigia Holly Przasnyski kwa 570-209-3275 au kumtumia barua pepe kwa [email protected] . Kwa maelezo zaidi kuhusu Kituo cha Wright cha Ushiriki wa Wagonjwa na Jamii, nenda kwa TheWrightCenter.org/patient-and-community-engagement .
Hati hizi za kihistoria za kuanzia Mei 14, 1827, zimetoka katika mkusanyo wa Jumuiya ya Kihistoria ya Lackawanna 2023.14.46 A/B, na kwa kina kuhusu ruzuku ya ardhi ya ekari 800 iliyotolewa mwaka wa 1797 na jimbo la Connecticut kwa Deakoni mzaliwa wa New England William A. Clarke mnamo 1797. , mwanzilishi wa mitaa ya Clarks Green na Clarks Summit, kwa kutambua utumishi wake wa kishujaa wakati wa Vita vya Mapinduzi. VFW Park katika Dickson City, ambayo inakaa kwenye sehemu ya ardhi hii ya asili, imechaguliwa na The Wright Center for Community Health kama tovuti ya kupanda Liberty Tree yake iliyoidhinishwa kutoka America250PA na Grand Lodge ya Pennsylvania, pia inaitwa Pennsylvania Freemasons, kwa sababu. ya uhusiano wa kihistoria wa hifadhi hiyo na Mapinduzi ya Marekani.
Kituo cha Wright cha Afya ya Jamii kitapokea Mti wa Uhuru ulioidhinishwa, ishara hai ya uhuru wa Marekani, kutoka America250PA na Grand Lodge ya Pennsylvania, pia inaitwa Pennsylvania Freemasons, ambayo itapandwa katika VFW Park katika Dickson City. Katika kusherehekea maadhimisho ya miaka 250 ya Marekani, poplar hii ya kihistoria ya tulip itakuwa mti pekee wa Uhuru kukita mizizi katika Kaunti ya Lackawanna kama sehemu ya juhudi za kitaifa za kuheshimu mwanzilishi wa taifa hilo.
Umma unaalikwa kuhudhuria sherehe ya kuwekwa wakfu kwa Mti wa Uhuru saa kumi na mbili jioni siku ya Alhamisi, Septemba 26, mvua au jua, katika bustani hiyo, iliyoko katika mitaa ya Jermyn na Walker katika mtaa huo.
Mti huo, unaofadhiliwa na Freemasons wa Pennsylvania, ni sehemu ya mpango mkubwa ulioanza katika msimu wa vuli wa 2021 wa kupanda Miti 67 ya Uhuru - moja katika kila kaunti ya Pennsylvania - ifikapo 2026, kama sehemu ya America250PA, programu inayoratibu matukio ya kitaifa katika maadhimisho. ya Marekani Semiquincentennial. Kila mti utakuwa na bango la Mradi wa Liberty Tree kando yake, lililoandikwa majina ya mpokeaji wa Liberty Tree, America250PA, na Freemasons wa Pennsylvania.
Miche hii imeenezwa kutoka kwa msaidizi wa tulip poplar wa kihistoria mwenye umri wa miaka 400, mti wa mwisho wa Uhuru uliobaki, ambao hapo awali ulisimama katika Chuo cha St. John's huko Annapolis, Maryland. Mti wa asili wa Uhuru, elm maarufu huko Boston, ulitumika kama mahali pa kukusanyika kwa Wana wa Uhuru, ambao walikutana chini ya matawi yake kupanga upinzani wao kwa utawala wa Uingereza katika miaka iliyoongoza kwa Mapinduzi ya Marekani. Mnamo 1775, askari wa Uingereza na Waaminifu walikata na kuchoma Mti wa Uhuru wa Boston, wakitumaini kukomesha uasi uliokua. Bila kukata tamaa, wazalendo katika makoloni 13 waliteua Miti mipya ya Uhuru, kila moja ikiashiria matumaini na uhuru.
Miti ya mwisho ya Liberty Trees, tulip poplar yenye urefu wa futi 120 katika Chuo cha St. John's, ilisimama katika nyakati muhimu katika historia ya Marekani. Chini ya matawi yake, wanamapinduzi walikusanyika wakati wa Sheria ya Stempu ya 1765 ili kutetea uhuru kutoka kwa Uingereza. Samuel Chase na William Paca, wanachama wa sura ya Annapolis ya Wana wa Uhuru na baadaye, watia saini wa Azimio la Uhuru, walikusanyika kwa mikutano chini ya mti. Kujiuzulu kwa George Washington kama kamanda wa Jeshi la Bara mnamo Desemba 23, 1783, kulitokea karibu na mti kwenye Ikulu ya Jimbo la Maryland.
Kimbunga Floyd kiliharibu mti huo mwaka wa 1999, lakini urithi wake unaendelea kupitia miche iliyopandwa kote Pennsylvania.
Ili kupokea Mti wa Uhuru, Kituo cha Wright kilihitaji kupata ardhi inayoweza kufikiwa na umma katika Kaunti ya Lackawanna ambayo ina uhusiano wa kihistoria na Mapinduzi ya Marekani ambapo tulip poplar inaweza kupandwa, alielezea Gina Lettieri, mtunzi wa kumbukumbu wa Kituo cha Wright.
Baada ya utafiti wa kina, Lettieri aliamua kuwa Hifadhi ya VFW ya Dickson City ilikuwa mahali pazuri.
Deacon mzaliwa wa New England William A. Clark, mwanzilishi wa mitaa ya Clarks Green na Clarks Summit na shujaa katika Vita vya Bunker Hill wakati wa Vita vya Mapinduzi, alitunukiwa ekari 800 za ardhi huko Pennsylvania na Connecticut mnamo 1797 kama ishara ya shukrani kwa wake. huduma. Utafiti wa Lettieri uligundua kuwa Hifadhi ya VFW katika Jiji la Dickson iko kwenye ekari 800 za asili.
Baada ya kupata usaidizi kutoka kwa maafisa wa Jiji la Dickson, Lettieri aliwasilisha ombi la The Wright Center la Mti wa Uhuru.
“By planting our Liberty Tree at VFW Park in Dickson City, we are not only commemorating American history but also reinforcing The Wright Center’s commitment to improving the health and welfare of our communities,” said Lettieri. “This historic tree will stand for the next 250 years and beyond as a symbol of The Wright Center’s noble mission.”
Pennsylvania Freemasons, shirika kongwe na kubwa zaidi duniani lenye wanachama zaidi ya milioni 3.5, wakiwemo 86,000 katika jumuiya ya madola, wamepanda Miti mitano ya Uhuru iliyoidhinishwa ndani ya nchi, mmoja katika kaunti za Carbon, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, na Wayne.
Mkazi wa Honesdale akitafuta njia za kuwasaidia wengine kupata nafuu baada ya kupokea usaidizi kutoka kwa Kituo cha Wright cha Mpango wa Usaidizi wa Kimatibabu wa Afya ya Mama wa Afya ya Jamii.
Shannon Sharkazy and her children, from left, Carter, 10; Blake, 11; Mason, 5; and Emerson, 4 spend time in the orchard on their Beach Lake property. For more information about the Healthy MOMS Program, go to HealthyMOMS.org
Shannon Sharkazy has always felt a calling to help others. First, though, she had to help herself.
A 36-month prison sentence for cocaine distribution and related charges proved to be the impetus for her recovery from substance use disorder in 2006. While incarcerated, Sharkazy helped some of her fellow inmates learn to read and take other steps to change their lives, igniting her passion for helping others.
“After I came home from prison, I knew I was not cut out for my old life,” the 41-year-old Honesdale, Pennsylvania, resident said. “I didn’t want to be that person, so I had to make some changes.”
Today, Sharkazy is a devoted mother of five children, ranging in age from 16 months to 11 years old. When she isn’t working as the administrator of a church in Beach Lake, Pennsylvania, she operates Gypsy Hollow, a transition home for rescued farm animals, where she is in the process of developing the mentorship program, Second Act, to help women – especially moms – learn and improve relationship, communication, and mindset skills.
She also speaks publicly about her recovery journey, attributing her success to those who supported her, including The Wright Center for Community Health’s Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support Program, known simply as Healthy MOMS.
“I needed support,” Sharkazy said. “They immediately saw who I really was and what I needed.”
Healthy MOMS focuses on helping mothers-to-be and mothers with substance use disorder, bringing together health care, 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 opiate use disorder, counseling, primary and OB-GYN care, parenting tips, legal advice, and more.
The program has served mothers as young as 14, but most are in their late 20s and 30s. Named after a similar program in Ohio, it was introduced in this region as a pilot program in two counties, with initial grant funding secured by the Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Today, it assists women in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. Since its launch in 2018, they’ve helped more than 500 mothers and welcomed more than 280 infants.
“As we know too well, it takes a village to raise a child. The complex struggles surrounding opioid addiction can make pregnancy an even tougher time,” said Maria Kolcharno, Healthy MOMS Program manager and director of addictions services at The Wright Center for Community Health. “The evidence suggests that mothers who join the program and participate in recovery services well before their delivery dates are less likely to give birth to babies who experience neonatal abstinence syndrome, a potentially painful and costly medical condition caused when a newborn withdraws from drugs the baby had been exposed to in the womb.”
Shannon Sharkazy analisha farasi wake wadogo, Moonshine na Blaze, mabaki ya mboga huku Emerson, 4, kushoto, na Mason, 5, wakimtazama mama yao.
‘I need help’
Despite Sharkazy’s commitment to sobriety after her release from prison, chaos ensued. She was married to an abusive alcoholic, far away from her family. She gave birth to her daughter, Blake, who is now 11, followed by her son, Carter, who is now 10.
She divorced her husband, moved back home with her two children, and eventually began dating a man who was recovering from substance use disorder. Unfortunately, he relapsed, and soon after, Sharkazy realized she was pregnant with her second daughter, Mason, now 5, who was born with cystic fibrosis and Down syndrome.
Over time, Sharkazy started taking prescription medication to manage pain caused by several debilitating, chronic issues. “My doses kept increasing,” Sharkazy said. “And then I got pregnant again, and I thought, ‘I can’t be on these ridiculous doses anymore. I need help.’”
She became aware of The Wright Center for Community Health offering medications for opiate use disorder through her ex-husband’s experience at the community health center in Jermyn. Aware that Suboxone, a prescription drug for managing substance use disorder, could also provide pain relief, Sharkazy started her treatment with The Wright Center in November 2019. She found the staff, especially Ed Walsh, a case manager in The Wright Center’s state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence, and Dr. Charles Burns, a former Wright Center doctor board certified in addiction medicine, to be exceptionally supportive and free of judgment.
Sharkazy then became one of the first clients in the Healthy MOMS Program to access the specialized health services she needed. Healthy MOMS Case Manager Michele Coyle has worked with Sharkazy for four years, celebrating her successes and helping her through life’s challenges. Over the years, Sharkazy has served as a keynote speaker at Wright Center events and shared her story at several other programs around the region.
“It’s been beautiful to see her maintain her sobriety and to act as an advocate for her children and herself,” Coyle said.
‘In the right place’
Although she was putting in the hard work with the support of Coyle and other staff members in the Healthy MOMs Program, Sharkazy’s use of Suboxone, along with other complications, led to an extended hospital stay for her newborn daughter, Emerson, who is now 4.
“Because of the medication I was prescribed, hospital staff assumed I was an IV drug user, even though I have never once put a drug in my veins and had been sober for years,” she said. “They treated me terribly, but the Healthy MOMS staff made it a lot easier. They advocated for me, in and outside of the hospital.”
Shannon Sharkazy analisha farasi wake wadogo, Moonshine na Blaze, pamoja na binti yake, Mason mwenye umri wa miaka 5.
Sharkazy remained in the Healthy MOMS Program for the birth of her fifth child, Ethan, who is now 16 months old. When she had similar problems with hospital staff over the stigma of using Suboxone, Healthy MOMS staff again advocated for her, including producing paperwork.
“I can’t imagine being a mom newly in recovery or a mom without a support system, facing these challenging situations,” Sharkazy said. “I knew I could just call Michele, and she would be there to talk to, do check-ins, and just to make sure I was mentally in the right place.”
Coyle said that, over the years, Sharkazy has become a resource to other clients, especially those with children who have special needs.
“I’m supporting her needs, but sometimes, I go to her for advice. She’s navigated the system and is willing to share what she’s learned,” Coyle said. “I think we’ve learned a lot together.”
‘Pay it forward’
Since its inception in 2018, Healthy MOMS has experienced significant growth, according to Coyle. As word spreads about its many success stories, The Wright Center has expanded the program’s reach and now collaborates with more than a dozen partner agencies, including Maternal and Family Health Services, Outreach Center for Community Resources, St. Joseph’s Center, Geisinger, Commonwealth Health, and several county agencies.
“We have a lot of opportunities now to do more with and for the moms in the program,” Coyle said. “Every case is different, but we’re ready to meet the needs of each client.”
These days, Sharkazy is thriving, thanks to the continued support of the Healthy MOMS Program.
“It’s amazing to see her succeed,” Coyle said. “This is why I do what I do. It’s nice to think about how I had a small part in her journey to where she is today.”
Sharkazy has also found myriad ways to fulfill her goal of helping others. In addition to raising her children, caring for her ailing father, and looking after a variety of rescued farm animals, she works at Beach Lake United Methodist Church. She has also shared her story while serving as an advocate for varied topics, including children with cystic fibrosis and Down syndrome, the lack of rural health care resources, single mothers, and mothers with substance use disorder.
“I tell my story to everyone. It’s a way to pay it forward,” she said. “Working with and being a voice for moms in recovery is something I want to continue to explore.”
For more information about the Healthy MOMS Program, go to HealthyMOMS.org.
