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the A NEWSLETTER FOR EMPLOYEES,
EXCELLENCE
RESIDENTS & FRIENDS OF THE WRIGHT CENTER
The Wright Center team was recognized with a 2015 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Ambulatory Davies Award for outstanding achievement in the use of Health Information Technology to improve performance and patient outcomes.
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Excellence Message from the President
Through our ever-evolving journey as a community based, non-profit provider of health services and stewards of healthcare workforce renewal, The Wright Center recognizes that the most prevalent constant in our daily work is change for the better. We are continuously enhancing the ways we deliver care to our patients and train current and future workforce. As a result, The Wright Center continues to grow as a value-creating member of our local and national communities, with meaningful efforts that have not gone unnoticed. Over the past several months, The Wright Center has earned the continued support and recognition of both local and national organizations as a result of our care delivery and educational innovations. In November, we were proudly recognized as a recipient of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) Ambulatory Davies Award for successfully integrating Health Information Technology (HIT) into daily clinical workflow to improve efficiency, experience of care and health outcomes while achieving return on investment. Our winning case studies showcase our successes in leveraging inter-professional staff and learners from our training programs, as well as trainees from over a dozen partnering academic institutions, to implement unique HIT innovations within our clinical learning environments with measured outcomes impact. The Wright Center continues to strive for healthcare and workforce development excellence for the betterment of our nation’s health, but our ongoing transformation into a nationally recognized innovator has not pulled us from our local roots and deep commitment to Northeastern Pennsylvania. Over the past few months, our organization has led community initiatives including our annual “Fall into Health” fair, trunk or treat, holiday caroling and monthly food drives. Several of our physicians have generously donated their time to provide public education on WVIA’s Call the Doctor series and our faculty, learners and staff continue to engage in widespread community service projects. The Wright Center was delighted to engage Dr. Andrew Morris-Singer as a visiting professor and to converge his visit so he could keynote the kickoff of The Commonwealth Medical College’s Primary Care Progress Chapter. As the President and CEO of Primary Care Progress, a nationally recognized primary care advocacy group, Dr. Morris-Singer brought well received energy and meaningful contributions to our hopeful conversations about inspiring rejuvenation of career interests in primary care to improve local and national health. To perpetuate The Wright Center’s aim to eliminate access barriers by meeting our patients where they are, we have partnered with like-missioned organizations including Maternal and Family Health Services, the NEPA Healthcare Foundation, the Willary Foundation and the All One Foundation in local initiatives to expand access and multiply our shared mission delivery. These partnerships in shared purpose enable our efforts to deliver care to our most vulnerable community members through initiatives like the planned build-out and staffing of a medical home extension primary care clinic at the Skyview Park Apartments.
Cover Photo: Michael Straub Photography
Notably, our organization’s most catalytic step towards the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s Triple Aim of better health, better care and affordability came in December of 2015 when we formally engaged in the Keystone Accountable Care Organization’s (KACO) governance structure, allowing us to make the commitment to work with our fellow healthcare provider systems to accept collective responsibility for improving the quality, experience and cost of care delivered to our patients. As a governing member of KACO, we strive to provide more effective patient care through improved efficiencies, open exchange of information, promotion of right venue care and intentional strategy to redesign workflow and improve health outcomes. We look forward to the development of a similar value-based alignment as we engage with Community Health System’s NEPA Quality Health Alliance Clinical Integration Network (CIN). All of our organization’s accomplishments are reliant on the same, essential element: mission alignment of all of our team members. Over the past five months, we have added 15 new employees to our roster and have celebrated several internal career advancements as we continue to grow and strive for excellence in the delivery of our mission to continuously improve education and patient care in a collaborative spirit to enhance outcomes, access and affordability. The fervor of our organization is profound, and I thank each one of you very much for your personal and team-based contributions to that energy and the reliable delivery of our mission. 2
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Nationally Recognized for Excellence in Health Information Technology The Wright Center was named a HIMSS Ambulatory Davies Award recipient in November 2015 for successfully leveraging inter-professional learners from our residency and fellowship programs, as well as trainees from local healthcare partners, to integrate Health Information Technology (HIT) into daily practice. The team developed and implemented the technological innovations in-house, utilizing dynamic workflow documents and suggestions from residents and providers to continuously improve patient care and increase accountability of providers and staff. Three case studies highlighting the innovations were submitted to the HIMSS selection committee, resulting in the award.
“The Wright Center has leveraged HIT to standardize and transform continuous care within its delivery system. As a result of its innovative practices and expectations, The Wright Center’s patient care outcomes trend well above regional averages. The Davies Committee and HIMSS congratulate the team members of The Wright Center on improving the health outcomes of their patient population through the effective use of HIT,” said Jonathan French, director, quality and patient safety, HIMSS. “We are honored to have been chosen as a recipient of the 2015 HIMSS Ambulatory Davies Award and will continue to invest in technology,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, Senior Vice President for Clinical Operations.
“Our HIT platforms are structured so we can utilize shared metrics, track improvements in clinical outcomes and provide innovative learning environments for our residents.” The Wright Center was recognized at the 2016 HIMSS Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada, in March 2016, as Dr. Jignesh Sheth and Courtney Dempsey presented The Wright Center’s case studies to an audience of HIT professionals. They also participated in a podcast to speak about The Wright Center’s innovations and formally accepted the Ambulatory Davies Award at the HIMSS Gala. Learn more at thewrightcenter.org/HIMSS
Left: Ed Wargo, Applications and Solution Developer; John Janosky, Vice President of Information Technology and Innovation. Middle: Courtney Dempsey, Clinical Innovation Specialist and Dr. Jignesh Sheth, Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations, were interviewed for a podcast at the conference. Right: Dr. Jignesh Sheth; Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak; Dr. William Dempsey, Director of Youth and Student Health Services; Courtney Dempsey; Ed Wargo; Tiffany Jaskulski, EHR Manager; Brian Ebersole, Senior Vice President for Mission Delivery took a moment to pose for a photo at the HIMSS Gala. 10 3
Health Fair Brings Staff and Community Together air
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Thanks to our volunteers, vendors and participants for making the 2015 Fall Into Health a F “Fall into Health� Community nu Health Fair and 5K walk/run a great success. Together we raised $973 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of NEPA through our basket raffle. Congratulations to all of our / k R l u a n W 5K participants on completing the 5K race and a big thanks to Heart to Art for developing our inspiring mural. Wright Center staff members Rebecca Alunni, Dr. Bojana Milekic, Dr. Mladen Jecmenica, Dr. Trupti Kale and Kellen Kraky placed in the top 30 in the 5K run.
Save the date! 2016 Health Fair Sunday, October 2 More Photos Online
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In Brief: The Wright Center’s Dr. Nina Poliak recently participated on the WVIA (Public Television) “Call the Doctor” show to discuss Behavioral Health in Adolescents. She was also a panelist on an episode about Diabetes and Obesity, Prevention and Lifestyle. View the episodes online anytime at on-demand.wvia.org.
Engaged in the Governance of the Keystone Accountable Care Organization In December 2015, The Wright Center formally became part of the Keystone Accountable Care Organization (ACO) governance structure. An ACO is a set of healthcare providers working together and accepting collective responsibility for the cost of care delivered to a population of patients. Members of an ACO seek to provide more effective patient care through improved efficiencies, better outcomes and open exchange of information. We are excited about this collaboration and its focus on improvements in quality and patient care. Pictured: Kellie Knesis, Vice President of Human Resources; Dr. Jignesh Sheth, Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations; Anthony Reed, Keystone ACO; Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, President/CEO; Brian Ebersole, Senior Vice President for Mission Delivery.
Access Matters Grant Awarded
In collaboration with Maternal and Family Health Services, we were awarded an Access Matters grant in late 2015 to deliver age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health education to Scranton School District students, aiming to decrease unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Pictured: Kellen Kraky, Manager of Youth Services; Terri Lacey, Senior Vice President of Patient Safety and Quality and Human Effectiveness; Dr. Maria Montoro-Edwards, Vice President of Grants and Strategic Initiatives; Cindy Kennedy, Director of Circle of Care, Maternal and Family Health Services; and Nick Sufrinko, Outreach Coordinator, Maternal and Family Health Services.
Dr. Samir Pancholy and Dr. Nick Ierovante also participated in “Call the Doctor” episodes in February to speak about Heart Health, Advancements and Research. Dr. Nick Ierovante shared his experiences with getting back to exercise and a healthy lifestyle on The American College of Cardiology’s In Touch Blog. In January, Dr. Jignesh Sheth, Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations, represented The Wright Center on the national panel for The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology, providing his expert testimony on Electronic Medical Records and Meaningful Use. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with ONC as we work together to elevate healthcare delivery systems across the nation. 10 5
Vicki Williams, Accounting Assistant Carol Fahnestock Assistant Board Secretary/Exec. Assistant Stacey Cali, Clinic Administrative Assistant Rosanne Garzarella, GME Supervisor Kerri Price, Communications Specialist Katherine Retana, Data Entry Clerk Ashley Turner, Medical Assistant William Newton Senior Network Administrator Victoria DeBarbieri Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner Kizzy Henry Clinic Administrative Assistant Mary Kay O’Malley-Kalinoski Licensed Practical Nurse Roberta McAlister Licensed Practical Nurse Amber Orr, Mental Health Therapist
Success at Scranton Counseling Center • Integrating Primary Care into Behavioral Health Settings • In September 2015, The Wright Center opened a clinic on the lower level of Scranton Counseling Center to serve the seriously mentally ill population of Lackawanna County. Staff have seen 168 new patients, a testament to the real disparity of care and lack of access that exists within this population. “You are taking care of humans, not machines,” stated Dr. Mladen Jecmenica, Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine. Dr. Jecmenica states that there is no “ordinary day” as a primary care provider at Scranton Counseling Center but rather that the only constant in his day is the unexpected. His daily activities range from greeting his regular patients to meeting new ones, all the while, training second and third year residents. Dr. Jecmenica believes that encountering different populations through his work at Scranton Counseling Center has helped him to grow as a provider and teacher. “The partnership that The Wright Center has with Scranton Counseling Center provides me and the residents with unique opportunities in a challenging environment. At Scranton Counseling, we get to experience a facility that is different than a hospital and work with an incredibly grateful population.”
— Dr. Mladen Jecmenica
New Employees:
Allyson Favuzza Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner Ashley Jones Clinic Administrative Assistant Kaitlyn Garvey, Medical Assistant Sylvia Gioupis, Custodian Shannon Castillo, Document Specialist Kay Brier, Data Entry Clerk
Promotions: Laura Jeffrey attained her Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification and was promoted to Human Resources Manager. Melissa Doherty was promoted to Accounting Manager and Stephen Bennett has been promoted to Grants Accountant. 6
Dr. Mladen Jecmenica oversees Dr. Olivia Molnar, second year Internal Medicine resident, examining a young patient.
“Sometimes it is hard to have a consistent base of patients,” he says, “because they aren’t required to come here. But many of our patients come back because of the convenience of having their medical and psychological services all in one place. They are seeing their psychologist right upstairs, so why not come downstairs and receive care from a primary care physician?” Dr. Jecmenica further explained, “When you get to hear the patients’ stories, you are creating an open and trusting relationship with the patient – that’s what it’s all about.”
Nationally Recognized Physician Leader Visits The Wright Center and TCMC to Inspire and Educate In partnership with Primary Care Progress — The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC) Chapter, The Wright Center hosted Andrew Morris-Singer, MD on Tuesday, November 17. This special event, held at TCMC, also officially launched TCMC’s Primary Care Progress Chapter, of which The Wright Center is a community partner. Dr. Andrew Morris-Singer is the President and Founder of Primary Care Progress (PCP), a Massachusetts-based, national organization that aims to bring together up and coming leaders and game changers in the primary care arena. With more than 15 years’ experience as a community organizer and advocate, Dr. Morris-Singer shared his uniquely refined take on the value of innovation and collaboration to the advancement of primary care. He has been featured on media outlets including NPR, CNN and The New York Times and speaks regularly at academic medical institutions and conferences across the country. During his time in Northeast Pennsylvania, Dr. Morris-Singer presented on “Relational Leadership to Revitalize Primary Care.”
Top: L-R: Kellie Knesis, Vice President of Human Resources; Dr. Andrew Morris-Singer, President and Founder of Primary Care Progress (PCP); Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, President/CEO; Richard Hager, Vice President for Administrative Affairs; Brian Ebersole, Senior Vice President for Mission Delivery. Middle: Guests networked at the kickoff event reception. Inset: Kezia Ellison, medical student at TCMC, addressed the crowd and introduced Dr. Morris-Singer at the event.
Raising Awareness for Men’s Health
This past November, the gentlemen of The Wright Center came together to raise awareness for men’s health by “letting it grow” for 30 days. Throughout the month, our participants helped by sharing facts highlighting the importance of men’s health and encouraging their fellow gents to take great care of themselves. Our participants were great sports and sent their progress photos each week to be highlighted on social media. Don’t miss out on more fun events like this - be sure to “follow” and “like” us:
I Participated in “No Shave November” NESS E AWARELT H LET’S RAIS A E H ’S N E FOR M
Some of our participants were (L-R): Dr. Ernesto Jimenez, National Family Medicine Network Resident (pictured with his little one); Dr. Israel Stewart, Internal Medicine Resident; Dr. Bill Dempsey, Director of Youth and Student Health Services; Dr. Grady Kaiser National Family Medicine Network Resident.
Top: Dr. Morris-Singer also helped to promote No Shave November while he was at The Wright Center. Right: Brian Ebersole happened to meet with Petey the Prostate Crusader during his travels.
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Kudos! “Just wanted to drop a quick note to let all of you know about the wonderfully positive feedback I am receiving from my hospitalists, from nursing and from administration, regarding The Wright Center residents—both Internal Medicine and Family Practice (notably Dr. Fred Chang). Your teams have come well prepared and eager to learn. Almost across the board, these are the type of physicians we would love to hire for the future.” – Dr. Karlyn Paglia, Director, Hospitalist Medicine, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
“Dr. Michelle O’Brien efficiently addressed medical issues, discharge instructions, and signed prescriptions which allowed patients to be discharged in a timely fashion. Our unit was 100% of discharges off the unit before 11am. Thank you for showing leadership, commitment and compassion. You have showed what being a quintessential team player means.” — Amy Lewan, Team Coordinator, Geisinger Community Medical Center
Dr. Samir Pancholy, Program Director for The Wright Center’s Cardiology Fellowship and Professor of Medicine at The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC) was recently published in the Journal of Invasive Cardiology. His abstract, “A Simple Technique to Facilitate Right Heart Catheter Placement from Right Atrium to Right Ventricle: The Virtual Hydraulic Guidewire Technique” was co-written with Dr. Nishith Vayada and Dr. Tejas M. Patel and is now featured digitally on the Journal for Invasive Cardiology’s website. 8
Expanding Patient Access at Skyview Park Apartments In November 2015, the NEPA Health Care Foundation awarded a $50,000 grant to The Wright Center to establish the Skyview Park Primary Care Clinic in Scranton. The patient-centered medical home will be a welcoming setting where the health care team works collectively with patients to coordinate care and services to meet all of their health and wellness needs. Challenges to obtaining adequate health care for those within the Skyview Park Apartments community are prevalent and include: language barriers, lack of transportation and insurance and reluctance to seek care unless severely ill. The Skyview Park Primary Care Clinic will expand our capacity to provide culturally sensitive care to medically underserved patients with a particular focus on the growing Bhutanese refugee, Asian and Hispanic communities. The Willary Foundation and The All One Foundation also contributed $10,000 and $25,000 respectively to the project efforts. Preservation Management, Inc., the property management company overseeing Skyview Park Apartments, has donated the building space to make the project possible and United Neighborhood Centers will provide on-site social work services.
Drs. Linda Thomas-Hemak and Maria Montoro-Edwards (center) accepted the grant from the NEPA Healthcare Foundation board of directors. The Wright Center team was well-represented at the Osteopathic Medical Conference and Expo (OMED) in Orlando, FL in October. Linda Renzini, GME Recruitment Specialist, did an excellent job in coordinating our presence at the event. Thanks to our Wright Center residents and faculty who helped to staff the booth! Some future doctors on site were excited to sport their new Wright Center backpacks as they explored the show floor.
Success at the ACP Regional Conference The 2015 American College of Physicians (ACP) of Eastern PA, Associates’ and Medical Students’ Annual Competition, was held on October 24 at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Wright Center residents, fellows and faculty were selected to present More Photos Online five posters that were accepted into the competition. Of the 40 total abstracts accepted and presented, Dr. Sanjay Saxena, Dr. Qi Shi, Dr. Nishith Vayada and Dr. Rachna Saxena received second place for their research on “Near Fatal Torsades de Pointes Secondary to Concurrent Use of High Dose Methadone and Fluoxetine with Furosemide Induced Electrolyte Abnormalities.”
A complete list of scholarly work is highlighted at: thewrightcenter.org/scholarly-work
Congratulations to our residents and faculty who participated in ACP this year. Case Report: “Chest Pain-Adlagnostic Dilemma” Dr. Upinder Khaira, Dr. Vitaly Geyfman, Dr. Susan Baroody, and Dr. Rajni Khaira Research Project: “Overuse of DVT Prophylaxis in Medical Inpatients” Dr. Jing Deng, Dr. Qi Shi, Dr. Huijun Li, Dr. Elvin Varughesekutty, Dr. Meenakshi Sambhari, Dr. Kevin Musto, Dr. Gaurav Patel, Dr. Erin Gordon, Dr. Rajiv Bansal and Dr. Meaghan Ruddy Research Project: “Association and Accuracy of Common Electrocardiographic Changes to Predict Occluded Coronary Arteries in ESRD Patients Presenting with STSegment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Retrospective Cohort Study” Dr. Arpit Sothwal, Dr. Pulkit Gandhi, Dr. Anita Ashok Kumar, Dr. Ghanshyam Palamaner Subash Shantha, Dr. Vimal Ravi, Dr. Nissi Suppugu and Dr. Manoj Das Quality Improvement Project: “Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Empirical Antibiotics Prescriptions in Adult Inpatients” Dr. Maryyam Ali, Dr. Shanmuga Nirgulathan, Dr. Mohammad Al-Awadhi, Dr. Sahana Pai Dongerkery, Dr. Vijaya Dendi, Dr. Rajiv Bansal, Dr. Meaghan Ruddy and Dr. Qi Shi 9
Community Involvement: Spearheading Patient-Centered Events and Spreading Cheer within our Service Areas
Thanksgiving Food Drive Served 51 Families Throughout November, our Case Management team led the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Our team raised funds to purchase turkeys, vegetables, stuffing and desserts, providing complete Thanksgiving spreads for 51 of our patients and their families.
Graduate Medical Education Department Sponsored a Giving Tree for Four Local Families The Wright Center team came together once again over the holiday season to bring cheer to four families in our community by providing food, clothing, toys and sweets through generous employee donations.
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Clarks Summit Team Caroled in the Community Doctors and staff from the Clarks Summit practice visited some of their patients on Friday, December 18, spreading holiday cheer, singing songs of the season and passing out dozens of cookies to those who gathered to hear the group sing.
“This is awesome! We love when they come to sing each year. It’s more exciting than Christmas,” said Julie Smiegal as she hugged care manager, Rose Coupland. Ms. Smiegal has been a patient of Dr. Susan Baroody’s for the past two years. The Clarks Summit team also led the collection of 61 blankets, 7 hats and 132 pairs of socks for the St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen.
Events Trunk or Treat Held at The Wright Center for Primary Care Mid Valley We had many special guests visit on Friday, October 30 as we kicked off the Halloween festivities with a very well-attended Trunk or Treat. Thanks to the Mid Valley Auxiliary that organized the event and to everyone who came out to show off their awesome costumes!
The Mid Valley Staff Gathered to Celebrate the Holiday Season On Thursday, December 17, the team enjoyed food, games, prizes and a Secret Santa gift exchange. Fun was had by all!
The 39th Annual Graduation ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 25 at Fiorelli’s Catering, Peckville, to honor our 67 graduates. This year, we are especially excited, as our first class of Family Medicine National Network residents will complete their training with us. All Wright Center employees and board members are invited to attend with a guest. Please RSVP to Marianna Eisner at 570-591-5125 before June 8.
The Annual Wonderful Women Event was held on Thursday, May 19 at The Wright Center Mid Valley. Guests participated in expressive painting, won raffle prizes and enjoyed a night of networking with women of all ages. Dr. Christopher Peters of Northeast Radiation Oncology Center (NROC) and Sister Ruth Neely shared their thoughts as the evening’s speakers. Lori Ann Brunetti displayed her photographs. This event was made possible in collaboration with Susan G. Komen® NEPA Affiliate.
Designer Purse Bingo In October, employees at Tobin Hall dressed down on Fridays and raised $472 that was donated to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition. The Wright Center was also proud to support the great work of Susan G. Komen NEPA at the 25th Anniversary Gala for the Cure. Community Health Hub board members, Mary Marrara and Cara Sherman, were on the planning committee for the successful event.
Led by the Mid Valley Auxiliary This year’s Designer Purse Bingo was held at St. Michael’s Hall, Jermyn. Funds raised from this event went to the Food Pantry and the Special Angel Project that provides food and gift cards to patients in need. 11
Medical Education Board of Directors Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD, President/CEO Randall Brundage, DO,Chair Mark Perry, Esq., Vice Chair Marlene Karam, Secretary Cornelio Catena Ed Chabalowski Edward Dzielak, DO Linda Famiglio, MD Joseph Ferrario James Gavin Michael Hanley John Kearney Michael Kondash, DO, ex officio Douglas Lawrence, PhD Carlon Preate Brooks Turkel Robert Weil, MD Robert Wright, MD The Wright Center Medical Group, P.C. Board of Directors Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD, President/CEO Mladen Jecmenica, MD, Vice President Susan Baroody, DO, Secretary Timothy Burke, DO, Treasurer William Dempsey, MD Jignesh Sheth, MD Community Health Hub
Thank You to our Board Members who Unselfishly Dedicate their Time to The Wright Center’s Mission and Vision
The Wright Center for Graduate
Want to Learn More About What’s Happening at The Wright Center? Our most recent publication - The Wright Center’s 18 Month in Review is a comprehensive culmination of our unique high-level organizational successes over the past year and a half. Read it online or request a hard copy at thewrightcenter.org/publications.
Board of Directors Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD, Chair Gerard Geoffroy, Vice Chair Kellen Kraky, Secretary Mary Marrara, Treasurer Bryan Adkins Carol Chaykosky LeeAnn Eschbach, PhD
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Charles Hemak Michael Kushner Julio Ramos, MD Bette Saxton Elaine Shepard
The Wright Loop is published 4 times per year for employees, residents and friends of The Wright Center. If you have a suggestion for an article or would like to submit photos, please email news@thewrightcenter.org.
Cara Sherman Larissa Valonis Kathy Wallace Daniel West, PhD
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grants T91HP25793 $4,876,680, T91HP25794 $1,300,448, and T91HP21546 $3,248,722 of the Affordable Care Act Teaching Health Center (THC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) Payment Program. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.