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

The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave., and The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre, at 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave., have successfully maintained their NCQA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition, a prestigious certification that affirms the two community health centers’ ability to provide the right care at the right time through innovative tools, systems, and resources.

Founded in 1990 with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization committed to elevating health care standards. Through robust measurement, transparency, and accountability, NCQA drives improvements in health care quality nationwide. Its PCMH program, developed in collaboration with organizations such as the American College of Physicians and the American Osteopathic Association, evaluates clinical practices on their ability to operate as medical homes and recognizes those that excel in patient-centered care.

Headquartered in Scranton, The Wright Center’s growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health, provides affordable, high-quality, nondiscriminatory whole-person primary health services to everyone, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. 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. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.

A chief fellow of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program and his program director will have their work published in an upcoming edition of the peer-reviewed journal Catheterization Cardiovascular Intervention.

The project began when Dr. Nischay Shah, one of the chief fellows of The Wright Center’s Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program, treated a patient with monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MMVT). In this condition, the heart’s bottom chambers beat too fast. This abnormal rhythm can lead to severe issues, such as heart attacks.

“These further tests or treatments didn’t appear to make a difference in preventing death or the return of the abnormal heart rhythm in the select group of patients studied,” Dr. Shah explained.

In November, Dr. Shah and Dr. Pancholy learned their manuscript detailing their methods and findings was accepted for publication by Catheterization Cardiovascular Intervention, an international cardiology journal. A publication date has not been announced.

A dentist at The Wright Center joined the faculty of the NYU Langone Health’s Dental Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Programs and will begin teaching Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residents at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice.

Dr. Regan completed the necessary training through NYU Langone Health, along with approximately 275 hours of additional continuing education, to qualify for the faculty position. He will be joining Caitlin McCarthy, D.M.D., a dentist at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton Practice, who supervised the residency training of both Dr. Regan and Ryan Rebar, D.M.D., a dentist at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn.

Dr. Regan decided to stay and practice dentistry at The Wright Center after seeing the growing need for dental services in Northeast Pennsylvania during his residency. Since opening on Aug. 6, the Wilkes-Barre dental clinic has handled nearly 1,000 visits as of Oct. 30.

“A majority of our patients so far have been waiting months or years for dental care,” Dr. Regan said. “There’s not a lot of dentists locally who accept Medicaid patients if they’re accepting new patients at all.”

In fiscal year 2024, more than 3,400 unique patients were treated at The Wright Center’s dental clinic in Scranton, and nearly 3,400 unique patients visited the Mid Valley dental clinic. All three clinics offer exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, emergency services, oral cancer screenings, and denture care to people of all ages, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. To make an appointment, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.

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.

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.”

Dr. Jignesh Sheth, senior vice president and chief medical and information officer at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, received the 2024 Outstanding Primary Care Clinician Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) in recognition of his significant contributions in the delivery of primary care to vulnerable populations. He accepted the award on Oct. 8 during the organization’s Annual Conference and Clinical Summit in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Dually board-certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine, Dr. Sheth also sees adult patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn.

His initiatives, such as remote patient monitoring, electronic health records integration, and the use of AI-powered tools, have enhanced patient outcomes, supported population health management, and strengthened operational efficiency. Dr. Sheth’s leadership and creative problem-solving have also contributed to The Wright Center’s designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and successful grant acquisitions.

Under his leadership, The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice earned the highest Level-3 Patient-Centered Medical Home accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

Dr. Sheth received his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with honors in biochemistry, medicine, and public health in 2004 from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Wardha, India. He earned his Master’s in Public Health with a specialization in health promotion in 2006 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

After completing his internal medicine residency in 2009 through the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, now The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, Dr. Sheth joined The Wright Center as an internal medicine primary care physician and lead physician for population management and reporting.

His pioneering and innovative approaches that have significantly improved patient wellness and health care delivery have earned him several promotions at The Wright Center, including vice president for patient safety and quality in 2013, culminating in his current role as senior vice president and chief medical and information officer, a position he has held since 2018.

In August, Dr. Sheth won the National Association of Community Health Centers’ (NACHC) 2024 Innovative Research in Primary Care Award, and City and State Pennsylvania named him a 2024 Trailblazer in Building and Infrastructure.

The NACHC award, which honors a health center clinician who has been active in primary care research or evaluation in community practice, prevention, public health, care coordination, or the clinical practice of medical services, was presented during the organization’s 2024 Community Health Institute (CHI) & Expo Conference held Aug. 24-26 in Atlanta.

City and State Pennsylvania recognized Dr. Sheth for his visionary leadership, strategic planning, research, and meticulous attention to detail in transforming 10 buildings across Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties into The Wright Centers’ welcoming and comprehensive primary health care centers. These centers provide whole-person primary health services to people of all ages regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay, and have significantly enhanced care delivery and overall well-being for underserved populations throughout Northeast Pennsylvania.

Dr. Sheth and his wife, Hetal Sheth, live in Clarks Summit with their children, Zian, 9, and Jiaa, 5.

Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, received the 2024 Wilford Payne Health Center Mentor Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) in recognition of her outstanding leadership, mentorship, and dedication to nurturing future health care leaders.

She accepted the award, part of PACHC’s Awards for Primary Care Excellence (APEX), on Oct. 8 during the organization’s Annual Conference and Clinical Summit in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

“I am truly humbled and honored to receive the Wilford Payne Health Center Mentor Award, an Award for Primary Care Excellence or APEX Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “Mentorship is a sacred privilege and crucial leadership responsibility at The Wright Center.

 “This recognition reflects the collective work of my extraordinary colleagues and our shared commitment to cultivating and inspiring the next generation of compassionate, skilled, and visionary health care leaders. Inspired by the impact of Wilford Payne, whose leadership work advanced and elevated the health center movement in our state and nation, I remain deeply committed to empowering those who choose to devote their careers to public service and the health center movement. Mentorship force multiplies our personal impact on the health and well-being of our communities, carrying it forward to a preferred future.”

Dr. Thomas-Hemak has spearheaded The Wright Center for Community Health’s transformation into one of the first state-designated Opioid Use Disorder Centers of Excellence in 2016 to improve access to substance use disorder treatment. Amid surging obesity rates, she guided physicians at The Wright Center to become board-certified in obesity medicine.

As president/CEO, she has expanded the nonprofit safety net to 11 primary and preventative care health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties and a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. Each provides affordable, high-quality, nondiscriminatory, high-quality, responsive whole-person primary health services to individuals of all ages, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay.

Her leadership also transformed The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education into one of the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums (GME-SNC) funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The GME-SNC effectively addresses the national shortage and uneven distribution of primary care physicians, as well as health and workforce shortages, by maximizing public investments in primary care, responsive community health services, and innovative physician and interprofessional workforce development, along with other vital and related public health initiatives.

Under Dr. Thomas-Hemak’s stewardship, The Wright Center has achieved numerous prestigious distinctions, including its designation as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike in 2019, which unlocked essential federal resources for the region and greatly expanded access to high-quality, comprehensive primary care for local families. It has also been recognized as a Top 30 Site for National Primary Care Innovations by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and, in 2024, was inducted into the esteemed American Medical Association’s ChangeMedEd Consortium.

A founding board member of the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Dr. Thomas-Hemak is governor of the eastern region of the American College of Physicians’ Pennsylvania Chapter, the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization. She is a member of the Council on Graduate Medical Education for the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration; vice president and founding board member of the American Association of Teaching Health Centers; governing board chair and executive committee member of the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center; and advisory board member of the Health Federation of Philadelphia’s Health Center Controlled Network. She also serves as a board member for the Keystone Accountable Care Organization, The Institute, and the Center for Health and Human Services Research and Action.

In recognition of her advocacy and leadership, Dr. Thomas-Hemak has received numerous awards, including the Ann Preston Women in Medicine Award, the Hometown Scholar Advocate of the Year Award, the National Association of Community Health Centers Elizabeth K. Cooke Advocacy MVP Award, and City and State Pennsylvania’s 2024 Trailblazers in Healthcare.

She and her husband, Mark, reside in Jermyn and have three children, Mason, Maya, and Antoinette. Dr. Thomas-Hemak is the daughter of the late William Thomas and Johanna Cavalieri Thomas, who lives in Archbald.