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The Wright Center for Community Health to open primary health care clinic at Friendship House’s new Whole Person Care Center
Legislators joined officials with The Wright Center for Community Health and Friendship House for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Oct. 24 to celebrate the Friendship House’s new Whole Person Care Center at 200 Wyoming Ave. in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Participants in the ribbon-cutting included from left, state Rep. Kyle Donahue, Wright Center for Community Health Board Vice Chair Richard Krebs, Friendship House Board Treasurer Laurie Cadden, state Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, Friendship House President and CEO Alex J. Hazzouri, Wright Center President and CEO Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, state Sen. Marty Flynn, and Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Durkin.
The Wright Center for Community Health is partnering with Friendship House to improve access to whole-person primary health services, especially for individuals with complex mental health and/or substance use disorder needs.
Starting on Tuesday, Nov. 5, The Wright Center will offer primary health services at Friendship House’s new Whole Person Care Center, 200 Wyoming Ave., Suite 250, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The new location will begin by opening from noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, providing a range of services such as checkups, physicals, screenings, and treatment for common illnesses and injuries. These services will be available to individuals of all ages, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.
Patients do not need to be clients of Friendship House to receive care at The Wright Center’s new location.
“We are grateful and deeply honored to collaborate with Friendship House at its new state-of-the-art Whole Person Care Center,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “We specifically thank Alex Hazzouri, president and CEO, and his team, as well as the governing board, for their vision to promote unprecedented collaboration that led to our welcomed invitation to be part of this wonderful development for our community in the heart of downtown Scranton.”
Wright Center President and CEO Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak spoke at a ribbon cutting to celebrate the Friendship House’s new Whole Person Care Center, at 200 Wyoming Ave., Scranton. The new center’s goal is to integrate mental health, substance use disorder, and physical health services, improving health outcomes while optimizing the use of resources.
Friendship House provides support to children, adolescents, and adults facing developmental disabilities, emotional or behavioral challenges, or the effects of distress from loss, abuse, or neglect. In March 2022, the nonprofit acquired the two-story, 22,000-square-foot facility, which spans the Davidow Building at 200-216 Wyoming Ave., and the former Murray Building at 413-415 Biden St.
The new center’s goal is to integrate mental health, substance use disorder, and physical health services, improving health outcomes while optimizing the use of resources. Along with The Wright Center’s primary health services, Friendship House will offer mental health and substance use disorder services, and The Prescription Center will provide pharmacy services.
“This integrated model will enhance care coordination and improve patient care outcomes, especially in terms of chronic medical condition management,” said Kathleen Barry, deputy chief operating officer of The Wright Center for Community Health. “We’re thrilled to be able to work closely with Friendship House, one of our great community partners, and enhance our ability to address the complex health and social needs of patients in our communities.”
Hazzouri noted that his organization has been in discussions with The Wright Center for several years about a collaboration. The Wright Center and Friendship House treat patients of all ages, income levels, and insurance statuses.
“Thousands of people live, work, and study in downtown Scranton every day,” Hazzouri said, noting that 17 of the county’s 22 bus routes pass by the new Whole Person Care Center. “The accessibility will help make the center integral to a healthy Scranton and a healthy Lackawanna County.”
At a ribbon cutting to celebrate the Friendship House’s new Whole Person Care Center in Scranton, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (left) presented Friendship House President and CEO Alex J. Hazzouri and Wright Center President and CEO Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak with a certificate of Congressional recognition praising the two entities for removing barriers to health care. The Wright Center will offer primary health services at the new center, complementing Friendship House’s mental health and substance use disorder services.
At a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the new facility on Friday, Oct. 24, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright presented Hazzouri and Dr. Thomas-Hemak with a certificate of Congressional recognition for opening the Whole Person Care Center.
“Every person in the community deserves access to health care,” he said. “Thank you for removing barriers to access. I applaud your collaborative efforts.”
The Wright Center, headquartered in Scranton, has a growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, to ensure everyone has access to affordable, high-quality, nondiscriminatory whole-person primary health services. To make an appointment or for more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-342-5353.
