The Wright Center’s Aging and Dementia-Friendly Symposium addresses tools, services for caregivers

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The Wright Center for Community Health’s Geriatrics Service Line will host its second annual Aging and Dementia-Friendly Symposium on Thursday, March 26, from noon to 5 p.m., offering education and awareness to help community members recognize aging- and dementia-related issues early and take appropriate action.

The free symposium is for medical professionals, clinical learners, long-term care providers, social service organizations, patients, and family members. It will take place in the auditorium at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave. Presentations will be delivered by experts from the Center for Applied Research in Dementia, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, and more.

Bryan Stevenson, a trainer with the Center for Applied Research in Dementia, will present “Montessori Methods of Dementia Care,” highlighting evidence-based, non-pharmacological approaches to patient-centered care. The presentation will explore rehabilitation and educational techniques designed to engage individuals living with dementia and support their independence.

The symposium will also feature remarks from a local caregiver. Attendees will also hear from representatives of a national caregiver support program called Carallel, which offers a variety of resources, including caregiver advocates and an app built specifically for caregivers.

Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson, Center for Applied Research in Dementia

A representative from the state Department of Aging will discuss PA CareKit, a free collection of tools, information, and resources designed to help caregivers learn more about their role and plan ahead. PA CareKit supports the vital work caregivers provide to Pennsylvanians of all ages. More information is available here.

AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania will host an information table at the symposium to provide details on the organization’s Medicaid managed care services, including medical, dental, behavioral health, and prescription drug benefits.

Carallel logo

The symposium is free, but advance registration is required. A virtual attendance option is available. Light refreshments will be provided, courtesy of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement.

To register, contact Nicole Flynn, director of The Wright Center for Community Health’s Geriatrics Service Line, at [email protected].

More than 320,000 Pennsylvanians aged 65 and older and more than 7 million Americans are living with the disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The degenerative brain disorder affects memory, thinking, and language, and is one of the nation’s leading causes of death. In Pennsylvania alone, approximately 500,000 family caregivers support loved ones with daily activities and complex care needs.

The Wright Center for Community Health’s Geriatrics Service Line, recognized by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as an Age-Friendly Health System Partner, provides comprehensive, whole-person primary health and support services for older adults. A cornerstone of the service line is its Alzheimer’s and Dementia Clinic, which offers thorough evaluations and testing to all patients, regardless of their primary care provider.

The Wright Center is among a select group of health systems nationwide chosen to implement UCLA’s award-winning Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program. This innovative model addresses the complex medical, behavioral, and social needs of individuals with dementia through personalized care plans developed by advanced practice clinicians and dementia care specialists in close collaboration with patients’ primary care physicians.

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Continuing Medical Education Office earns accreditation

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The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s new Continuing Medical Education
(CME) Office earned accreditation after a review by the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s CME
Advisory Panel.

After a virtual site visit on Nov. 19, the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s CME Advisory Panel approved initial accreditation of The Wright Center’s CME office through Feb. 29, 2028. Composed of volunteer physicians and educational consultants, the panel ensures high-quality, relevant educational content for health care teams, including state-mandated courses like child abuse recognition. 

As one of the nation’s largest U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortiums, The Wright Center is committed to building and strengthening formal learning environments that empower medical, health, and other related professionals to serve as educators in their fields of expertise, according to Nathan Cardona, director of enterprise scholarly activity, research, and Institutional Review Board administration.

GME Logo

In 2025, The Wright Center began establishing its CME Office. Accreditation from the Pennsylvania Medical Society now enables The Wright Center to offer CME credits to employees who participate in faculty development programs and other internal educational presentations. 

“By providing CME credit for educational sessions that are conducted at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, we provide an additional level of expectation of excellence from our presenters,” Cardona explained. “Having this accreditation will help our licensed doctors, nurses, residents, fellows, and other professionals in the organization by providing needed credits for their particular license or certification.”

Doctors turn up the volume on colon cancer awareness with ‘Louder Than Cancer!’ concert in Scranton

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A group of physicians who share a passion for both medical education and rock music will take the stage for a one-of-a-kind community concert, “Louder Than Cancer!,” on Friday, March 27, at the Theater at North in Scranton. Doors open at 5 p.m. and is part of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, aiming to raise awareness about the importance of preventive screenings.

The educational event will feature Rocdoc and the Healers, a rock band made up of medical professionals and musicians who use music as a platform to spark conversations about health. In addition to live music, the evening will include educational information tables highlighting the importance of colorectal cancer screenings and connecting attendees with regional providers of whole-person primary health services.

Colon cancer awareness concert poster

The idea for “Louder Than Cancer!” was conceptualized by Dr. Vikas Khurana, program director of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Gastroenterology Fellowship Program. More than 20 years ago, Dr. Khurana along with Dr. Stephen Eskin, now the lead singer of the rock band and a fellow gastroenterologist, dreamed of combining their passions for medicine with music. That vision is finally coming to fruition, grounded in a simple but powerful belief: music can make a deeper, more lasting impact than wordy teaching alone.

The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education are the platinum sponsor of the event, reinforcing their shared commitment to prevention, education, and community well-being.

“Colon cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers when it’s caught early, yet too many people delay or avoid screening,” said Dr. Eskin. “Music has a way of breaking down barriers. If we can get people in the door for a great rock show and leave them feeling empowered to take charge of their colon health, then we’ve done something truly meaningful.”

Dr. Eskin will be joined on stage by Dr. Reese Hofstrand, a fellow physician in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Gastroenterology Fellowship Program, along with the Giron brothers, rounding out the band’s high-energy lineup.

Vikas Khurana

Dr. Vikas Khurana

Peter Iskander's smiling portrait with blue background in red shirt and back tie

Dr. Peter Iskander

Reese's headshot with blue background in white coat and yellow tie

Dr. Reese Hofstrand

The educational program and concert are being organized by Dr. Peter Iskander, also a fellow physician in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Gastroenterology Fellowship Program, who is leading efforts to blend entertainment with evidence-based health education.

Tickets for “Louder Than Cancer!” are free and available through Eventbrite. While there is no cost to attend, audience members are asked to complete a brief educational survey about colon health as part of the program’s awareness initiative.

“This is about meeting people where they are in our communities,” Dr. Eskin added. “We want the message to be clear: screening saves lives, and taking that first step doesn’t have to be intimidating.”

For more information and to reserve your free tickets, visit Eventbrite and search for “Louder Than Cancer!”

Rocdoc and the Healers

Rocdoc and the Healers, a rock band made up of medical professionals and musicians who use music as a platform to spark conversations about health, will perform at a one-of-a-kind community concert, “Louder Than Cancer!,” on Friday, March 27, at the Theater at North in Scranton.

The Wright Center for Community Health offers free sessions to educate families, caregivers about dementia

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The Wright Center for Community Health, in collaboration with Age Friendly Lackawanna, is offering free, informative sessions to help people better understand and support loved ones with dementia.  

Nicole Flynn, director of The Wright Center’s geriatrics service line

Led by a specially trained Dementia Champion, these one-hour sessions focus on increasing knowledge about dementia and small, practical, everyday ways to support people who have it. Participants can attend a session in person or virtually. 

“We know that receiving a diagnosis of dementia can be overwhelming,” said Nicole Flynn, the director of The Wright Center’s geriatrics service line. “These sessions are a great way to learn more and become more familiar with how to help your loved ones with dementia.” 

Dementia Champion sessions will be available on:

  • Feb. 17 from 3-4 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave.
  • March 13 from 2-3 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave.
  • April 15 from 3-4 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre, 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
  • May 15 from 2-3 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave.
  • June 23 from3-4 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave.
  • July 15 from 3-4 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre, 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
  • Sept. 22 from 3-4 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave.
  • Oct. 23 from 2-3 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley, 5 S. Washington Ave.
  • Nov. 18 from 3-4 p.m. at The Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre, 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave.

For more information, including how to join a session virtually, contact Flynn at [email protected]. 

HRSA recognizes The Wright Center for Community Health for dedication to excellence, continued service as a health center

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The Wright Center for Community Health was recognized for its commitment to health care accountability and quality by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

On Jan. 22, HRSA announced that The Wright Center had been awarded the 2024 Operational Site Visit Badge. This achievement reflects The Wright Center’s dedication to excellence, operational integrity, and continued service to its patients and the communities it serves. 

The award comes after a virtual Operational Site Visit that determined The Wright Center demonstrated full compliance with all Health Center Program requirements. HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care oversees the Health Center Program, which functions as the foundation for ensuring effective operations and high-quality care delivery. Operational Site Visits to health care centers serve as an essential tool for objectively assessing compliance with the Health Center Program requirements while supporting continuous improvement. 

Badge - Certification of Compliance Operational Site Visit

In 2024, more than 32.4 million people used HRSA-funded health centers, such as The Wright Center, for whole-person primary health services. Each year, HRSA Health Center Program awardees and look-alikes are required to report a core set of information, including data on patient characteristics, services provided, clinical processes and related health outcomes, patients’ use of services, staffing, costs, and revenues.

Moses Taylor grant supports peer specialist training program

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The Wright Center for Community Health completed a unique program to improve mental health treatment across the region with a $300,000 grant from the Moses Taylor Foundation.

The Wright Center offers a wide range of mental and behavioral health services to help people of all ages address emotional challenges. The Moses Taylor Foundation grant supported the establishment of an integrated peer support service line that encompasses mental health and whole-person primary health services. It also provided training for individuals seeking to become certified peer specialists, expanding the number of professionals available to support patients while reducing the financial burden that often acts as an obstacle to obtaining training and certification for the position. 

Shannon Osborne

Shannon Osborne

Certified peer specialists are individuals who live with or have lived with a mental health condition, complete an approved course of training in peer support services, and pass an exam administered by the Pennsylvania Certification Board to earn their certification. In total, 20 people completed the two-week class hosted by The Wright Center and are preparing to take the certification exam. An additional 10 individuals – many from community partner organizations that offer peer services – have completed supervisor training.

“This training opportunity is rare in Northeast Pennsylvania, even though the demand for mental health services is high,” said Shannon Osborne, the manager of enterprise trauma-competent wellness initiatives at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “This program is another way The Wright Center, with the support of the Moses Taylor Foundation, is investing in workforce development, especially when it comes to increasing access to mental health treatment in the region.”

These in-demand professionals draw on their lived experience with mental health recovery to offer support and assistance to others in their recovery and community integration or reintegration process.

Lou Strazzeri

Lou Strazzeri

Certified peer specialists work closely with licensed professionals and health support workers to offer increased hope, empowerment, and quality of life while reducing hospital readmissions, including fewer recurrent psychiatric hospitalizations. They can enhance the effectiveness of clinical treatment services by developing recovery supports and helping individuals and their families become integral parts of their communities.

The Moses Taylor grant will also help The Wright Center develop its peer support service line and offer opportunities to community partners interested in expanding their mental health service lines, either by employing certified peer specialists or launching a peer specialist program to support their clients.

“Training more certified peer specialists will enhance our behavioral health services, which will be a great addition to our fully integrated, whole-person primary health services,” said Lou Strazzeri, director of behavioral health integration, social and case management services, and supervisor of certified peer support specialists at The Wright Center for Community Health.

Scott Constantini

Scott Constantini

Scott Constantini, associate vice president of primary care and recovery services integration at The Wright Center for Community Health, added, “This grant will help us and our community partners expand our workforce and increase access to much-needed mental health peer services throughout Northeast Pennsylvania.”

The Wright Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026. Established in 1976, The Wright Centers for Community Health, Graduate Medical Education, and Patient & Community Engagement are a cornerstone of health care in the region. This physician-led, community-owned nonprofit drives innovation and workforce development, employing nearly 670 professionals – including 177 physician residents and fellows – and training more than 200 interprofessional health care learners annually.

In fiscal year 2024-25, The Wright Center served about 38,300 unique patients at its growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, including a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. As a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and safety-net provider, it serves everyone, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.  For more information, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.