Snapshot of Luzerne County’s health and demographic profile
Luzerne County continues to rank below average statewide and nationwide in key health outcomes and factors, according to the latest annual County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report. The City of Wilkes-Barre is the county seat of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Health outcomes measure how long people live on average and the quality of their physical and mental health throughout their lives, while health factors represent the things people can improve to live longer and healthier lives. Both health outcomes and factors are indicators of the current and future health of communities.
The 2024 report, a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, shifts away from historical numerical rankings. Instead, it adopts a continuum approach, enabling counties to reflect and assess their health by identifying meaningful similarities and differences with others. This method helps those working to improve the health of their communities connect with others in counties facing similar challenges, fostering collaboration and shared solutions.
However, an independent analysis of the data in the 2024 report shows Luzerne County continues to be ranked overall among Pennsylvania’s least healthy counties — 57th of 67 counties. In the 2023 report, Luzerne ranked worse — 60th, indicating emerging improvements.
Unfortunately, Luzerne County still lags behind in most health outcomes and factors compared to most of the state’s 66 other counties. The chart on the next
Primary health provider shortages
page details the findings from the 2024 report and compares Luzerne County’s data with the state and national averages.
Compared to state and national averages, Luzerne County has higher percentages of adults reporting fair or poor health, struggling with adult cigarette smokers, adult obesity (a body mass index of 30 or greater), physical inactivity, food insecurity, and insufficient sleep.
Luzerne County is a federally designated medically underserved area with critical shortages of primary care physicians, dentists, and mental health providers, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The 2024 report shows that in Luzerne County, there is one primary care physician per 1,320 people; one dentist per 1,530 people; and one mental health provider per 750 people — each worse than Pennsylvania averages.
The breakdown of the county’s 326,369 population is: Non-Hispanic White, 75.2%; Hispanic, 17.3%; NonHispanic Black, 4.6%; Asian, 1.5%; American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%; and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 0.1%. More than half the population, 50.1%, is female. Three percent of the population is not proficient in English, which is higher than the state average of 2%.
Of its 65,927 children under the age of 18, about 21% live in poverty, 33% live in single-parent households, and 5% are uninsured.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Luzerne County was 4.1% in July 2024, which was higher than the state unemployment rate of 3.4%. The national rate increased by two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.3%.
Luzerne County Pennsylvania United States
• 1 Primary Care Physician for every 1,320 residents
• 1 Dentist for every 1,530 residents
• 1 Mental Health Provider for every 750 residents
• 1 Primary Care Physician for every 1,260 residents
• 1 Dentist for every 1,400 residents
• 1 Mental Health Provider for every 370 residents
• 1 Primary Care Physician for every 1,330 residents
• 1 Dentist for every 1,360 residents
• 1 Mental Health Provider for every 320 residents
2024 County Health Rankings
326,369
Luzerne County Population
Strengthening the workforce pipeline through Anchors in Equity multi-partner project
As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the interprofessional health care workforce pipeline and meet the health care needs of local communities, The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have joined a project focused on identifying and addressing workforce challenges in the region.
The Anchor Economy Initiative at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia explores how anchor institutions sustain jobs, drive economic growth, and support equitable regional development. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia solicited proposals for regions and organizations to participate in the Economic Mobility Project’s Research in Action Lab for Equity in Anchors. Northeast Pennsylvania, with The Institute functioning as the lead community organization, is one of only two communities awarded the Request for Proposals in the threestate district.
trusted, frontline public health workers who provide a vital connection between resources and the people who need them most. Their role in addressing socioeconomic determinants of health and other barriers is so significant that 2025 has been designated as “The Year of the Community Health Worker.”
Our region is well-positioned to benefit from the Anchor Economy Initiative, with our 13 higher education institutions and five major health care systems, inclusive of The Wright Center known as anchor institutions playing a crucial role. As some of our region’s largest employers, these anchor institutions are pivotal in both connecting people to job opportunities and training the workforce.
CEO
The project is a collaborative initiative led by The Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, that specializes in economic and social innovation research and policy in Northeast Pennsylvania. The project is a joint effort between the Anchor Economy Initiative and the Economic Growth & Mobility project, both based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Wright Center not only serves on the project’s advisory committee but also will provide workspace for The Institute at our emerging Health City Hub in Wilkes-Barre.
Northeast Pennsylvania is an ideal candidate for this initiative due to a structural mismatch in the region’s employment landscape. Barriers such as poverty, transportation, and child care access prevent many individuals from securing and maintaining employment. The project’s aim is to develop careers, such as Community Health Workers (CHW), that allow for upward economic mobility and a family-sustaining wage. CHWs serve as
Over the next 18-24 months, The Institute will lead a multi-partner effort to address a specific workforce challenge, with anchor institutions playing a central role. This initiative aligns closely with our noble mission to improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.
Joining us on the project’s steering committee are Allied Services, the City of Scranton, the Commission on Economic Opportunity, Commonwealth Health Systems’ Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital, Luzerne County, Luzerne County Community College, the Scranton Area Community Foundation, and United Neighborhood Centers.
The Institute’s President and CEO is Teri Ooms, who has led the nonprofit since its inception in 2004. We are honored that she also serves on our Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors. Supported by a team of talented individuals, Ooms has expanded The Institute’s services to private and nonprofit sectors for research and analysis including its annual Indicators Report that have resulted in new jobs and new legislation in Pennsylvania.
Teri Ooms, MSF President and
of The Institute
Patrick T. Harker President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia headquarters
Unique partnership helps The Wright Center meet communities’ health care needs RISE-ing together
To address the pressing need for responsive and inclusive whole-person primary health services, including in Wilkes-Barre, The Wright Center is leveraging a unique partnership that removes socioeconomic barriers for individuals looking to enter the workforce and earn life-sustaining wages.
NEPA RISE, or Readiness in Skilled Employment (risenepa.org), is a workforce development program organized in 2021 by the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, Johnson College, United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and The Institute. The RISE Program offers residents of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties the opportunity to obtain technical training while accessing additional support to remove any socioeconomic barriers that stand in the way of completing the program and starting a new career.
Students participate in the hands-on, intensive program that requires a weekly 40-hour commitment for nine months. Program participants go on to pursue high-needs careers in health care, information technology, diesel mechanics, building and property management, welding, and industrial technology – all of which were identified as careers where need in our region outpaces the qualified workers locally.
The program boasts a 76% in-field placement across all sectors, said Liz Finley, NEPA RISE’s Program Director at the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund. For the Medical Assistant track, the most popular career training program, that placement rises to 94%, she added.
Like most NEPA RISE graduates, Nicole Sekelsky, who joined The Wright Center, is more than just starting a new job — it’s the beginning of a meaningful, family-sustaining career in health care with countless opportunities for growth and advancement.
After completing the NEPA RISE Program to become a Medical Assistant, Sekelsky enrolled in the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center’s (NE PA AHEC) National Health Corps-Community Health Fellowship to enhance her Medical Assistant training with skills like first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Instead, she discovered her true passion as a Community Health Worker.
The RISE and NE PA AHEC training opened her eyes to a new path and deep commitment to helping others, teaching her how to provide health education and connect individuals to essential resources like housing, food, and transportation.
After completing her Medical Assistant certification and the NE PA AHEC Community Health Worker Program, she joined The Wright Center in 2022. Her dedication and strong work ethic soon opened new doors. She became a certified Community Health Worker II, and by May 2024, she was promoted to Community Outreach and Enrollment Coordinator. Just three months later, she took on the role as our Director of Needs Responsive Outreach, Engagement, and Enrollment.
“The Wright Center has proven to be a wonderful employer partner of the NEPA RISE Program and we hope to bridge more collaborative opportunities in the future,” Finley said. “We recognize there is a great need for more skilled health care workers in our region, and our partnership strives to meet that need by creating a supported pathway to higherwage earnings for our graduates.”
Nicole Sekelsky, a Certified Community Health Worker and Medical Assistant, completed the NEPA RISE Program and NE PA AHEC National Health Corps-Community Health Fellowship with the goal of finding a fulfilling, family-sustaining career in health care. Today, she is the Director of Needs Responsive Outreach, Engagement, and Enrollment at The Wright Center for Community Health. Current NEPA RISE partners
Liz Finley NEPA RISE’s Program Director
Finding the ‘Wright’ opportunity
Happenstance plays a role in single mom discovering a rewarding career as a community health worker
In November 2021, Nicole Sekelsky made the courageous decision to leave a 25year marriage marked by abuse. As a manager at the North Scranton Dunkin’, she soon recognized that her $13.25 hourly wages were insufficient to provide her four children with the stability they needed.
“I was working for DoorDash and Uber Eats; I donated plasma — whatever it took — to put food on the table and not get evicted,” said the Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, native. “At one point, I had to sell my wedding ring. It was brutal.”
While pursuing her Medical Assistant certification at Johnson College in Scranton, Pennsylvania, through the NEPA RISE, or Readiness in Skilled Employment, partnership workforce development program, Sekelsky spotted a flyer about a class to become a Community Health Worker. She saw it as an opportunity to gain some essential skills.
Instead, the classes offered by the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center changed her career trajectory. Today, the certified Community Health Worker II is our Director of Needs Responsive Outreach, Engagement, and Enrollment at The Wright Center for Community Health, helping people just like her find resources to improve their health and lives.
“The Community Health Worker classes allowed me to explore an opportunity to work closely with individuals that I, unknowingly, would forge amazing future relationships with,” said Sekelsky.
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Using cultural savvy to improve health, well-being of community
Dominican-born Scarlet Pujols Recio first showed signs that she was destined to work in health care at about 6 years old, using parts from a pen to pretend to give IV fluids to her Barbie doll.
Pujols Recio remains driven to heal, but she has advanced from daydreaming about relieving people’s pain to actually working to improve the lives of Northeast Pennsylvania residents, including some of her Luzerne County neighbors.
The Hazleton Area High School graduate today serves as a Community Health Worker II at The Wright Center for Community Health after completing a program with the AmeriCorps-funded Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center’s (NE PA AHEC) National Health Corps-Community Health Fellowship Program to become a Community Health Worker, a role in which she improves access to health care by breaking down cultural and other common barriers.
During her training, she was based at our primary care center in Scranton, which also hosted another NE PA AHEC AmeriCorps National Health Corps-Community Health Fellowship Program member, Jullie Makhoul, as they worked together to complete the program that prepared them to become certified Community Health Workers.
Nicole Sekelsky
NIMAA partnership expands MA career opportunities, tackles critical shortages
A strategic partnership established in 2021 between The Wright Center for Community Health and the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement (NIMAA) is tackling a critical shortage of Medical Assistants.
Through our partnership with NIMAA, we are able to offer the nonprofit educational institute’s unique, fully accredited, affordable eight-month Medical Assistant (MA) Training Program annually to our staff and region.
Certified Clinical Medical Assistants play a vital role on care teams by rooming patients, recording and updating medical histories and contact information in patient files, scheduling patient appointments, and performing standard care procedures, such as taking blood samples, measuring and recording vital signs, and more.
The Wright Center for Community Health celebrated two students completing their education and training with the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement Program in October 2023. Celebrating the accomplishment, from left, are Nicole Munley, Medical Assistant Manager; Alexa Petroziello, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant; Dorothy Huff, Medical Assistant; and Amber Bello, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and Co-Manager of Medical Assistants.
While federal financial aid assistance is available for those who qualify, we proudly are paying the Spring 2025 program’s $7,360 cost for four individuals with a two-year employment agreement after successful program completion.
The program, with flexible online courses, and paid internships at one of our primary care Teaching Health Centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, offers a pathway to take the National Healthcareer Association Medical Assistant examination to receive their Certified Clinical Medical Assistant credential. It also paves the way for employment and career advancement in health care, while addressing current and expected workforce shortages.
Employment for Medical Assistants is projected to grow by 15% from 2023 to 2033, with an estimated 119,800 job openings annually and a predicted shortage of qualified professionals to meet the increasing demand, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Making PROGRESS: Program supports training of Certified Recovery Specialists and Certified Family Recovery Specialists, addressing the stigma of employing people in recovery
After weathering the challenges of substance use disorder and working to transform his life, Rick Frey’s participation in a novel program trained him to help others follow that familiar path.
The Certified Recovery Specialist at The Wright Center for Community Health’s primary health care center in Wilkes-Barre began his journey to sobriety in 2020 and found his way to Project PROGRESS, a program that focuses on developing employment opportunities for people with substance use disorder while also addressing the stigma of employing people in recovery.
“I now use my experiences to help others who are walking a similar path,” said Frey, who was a speaker during a recent reception that celebrated the success of Project PROGRESS. “As someone who has been there, I understand the pain and the fear, but I also know that recovery is possible for individuals struggling with substance use disorder.”
In collaboration with partners across a multicounty area heavily impacted by the ongoing opioid crisis, we launched Project PROGRESS to provide access to training as Certified Recovery Specialists, Certified Family Recovery Specialists, and Community Health Workers. The three-year effort was funded in part through an Appalachian Regional Commission INSPIRE grant and AllOne Foundation. The acronym PROGRESS stands for Providing Recovery Opportunities for Growth, Education, and Sustainable Success.
“Through this impactful project, we provided critical job training and support to 76 people who have been able to pursue employment in the field,” said Meaghan P. Ruddy, Ph.D., our Senior Vice President of Enterprise Wellness and Resiliency, Assessment and Advancement, and Chief Strategic Research & Development Officer. “Project PROGRESS also served as an important call to our communities to recognize addiction as a chronic illness and to work across sectors to create a traumacompetent recovery ecosystem in which people moving from treatment to life in recovery are compassionately supported.
“That ecosystem requires us to build links among not only recovery communities and health and human services programs, but also many other sectors, including transportation, public safety, housing, education, and employment providers.”
A Certified Recovery Specialist is someone who has overcome
substance use disorder and who works as part of a multidisciplinary care team to help other individuals achieve and maintain longterm sobriety. Using their own life experiences, Certified Recovery Specialists mentor, motivate, and advocate to ensure patients are supported on their journey toward wellness. Certified Family Recovery Specialists support families affected by substance use disorder, and Community Health Workers connect people to resources, including food, clothing, housing, utility bill help, health insurance, transportation to and from doctor’s offices, and more.
As part of Project PROGRESS, individuals who met the eligibility requirements to enroll in the training were able to take the classes for free. The grant project also covered the cost of their certification examination fees.
“Professional Certified Recovery Specialists play a valuable role in addiction recovery services in Northeast Pennsylvania,” said Mary K. Murphy, a Certified Recovery Specialist trainer at Luzerne County Community College. “Their experience, strength, and hope, combined with the tools and education provided by Project PROGRESS, empower Certified Recovery Specialists to assist individuals on their journey to recovery from addiction.”
In addition to Luzerne County Community College, we collaborated with the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center, The Institute, and the Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance to deliver the recovery-to-work initiative in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. Assistance and guidance were also provided by the AllOne Foundation, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, the Wayne County Commissioners, the Wayne Economic Development Corporation, and the office of Congressman Matt Cartwright.
Frey is one of several people who completed their training through Project PROGRESS and are now employed at The Wright Center, which offers responsive and inclusive whole-person primary health services and the delivery of community-based substance use disorder treatment and recovery services at our primary health care centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.
“Project PROGRESS gave me the tools and confidence to change my life. I was once in a place of uncertainty, but today, I am proud to say I have turned my life around,” Frey said.
Colleagues from The Wright Center who participated in Project PROGRESS’ celebration dinner, from left, are our President and CEO Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD., FACP, FAAP, Director of Addictions Services Maria Kolcharno, Project Manager Shannon Osborne, Case Manager Edward Walsh, and Associate Vice President of Primary Care and Recovery Services Integration Scott J. Constantini.
The city of Wilkes-Barre is in Luzerne County, the most populous county in Northeast
Prioritizing the availability of translation services for patients with limited English language skills
At The Wright Center for Community Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, we immerse our workforce and resident and fellow physicians in our clinical locations in Northeast Pennsylvania to train and serve diverse communities in need, including community members with limited proficiency in English.
To ensure meaningful communication with the rising number of patients and their family members who speak English as a second language, we subscribe to Propio to provide on-demand language assistance services.
Propio, a fee-based monthly service for The Wright Center, translates more than 350 languages, including sign language, offering our clinical teams numerous
opportunities to meet the linguistic needs of patients at the point of care. We cover the cost of this essential service, despite insurance companies not currently reimbursing for language services. We also actively advocate for insurance coverage to support our patients with language translation services.
Source: Propio, January 2024 through August 2024
POWER TO CHANGE
To promote energy conservation, Rachel Huxhold, front, who recently earned her master’s degree at the Harvard Extension School, volunteered to develop a sustainability action plan for The Wright Center for Community Health. Huxhold and John Slater, environmental, social, and governance specialist at The Wright Center, aim to lower utility costs and limit our impact on climate change.
The Wright Center focuses on environmental sustainability to impact patient health
It’s a bright idea with an impact that could reverberate across our region: installing solar panels at our Wright Center-owned facilities and using the resulting energy credits to offset patients’ utility bills.
John Slater, our Environmental, Social, and Governance Specialist, first learned of the idea in early 2024 while working with Rachel Huxhold, a Harvard Extension School student at the time who was earning her master’s degree in sustainability. As part of Huxhold’s capstone project, she identified ways we could improve environmental sustainability and created a sustainability action plan for our community health centers, which she presented to our leadership team in April 2024.
While Huxhold praised many of the environmental sustainability initiatives we were already undertaking, she also made a few recommendations, including that we explore placing solar panels at our Community Health Centers in Jermyn and Wilkes-Barre, where we own the buildings. Along with a federal tax credit that supports nonprofits installing solar panels, switching to solar would enable us to assist our patients with their utility bills.
In 2023, Boston Medical Center became the first hospital in the country to pass energy credits generated by its buildings’ solar panels onto patients to defray their utility bills. The Clean Power Prescription Program, focuses on patients in need.
The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement focuses on improving population and community health through a myriad of patientcentered services that address food insecurity, homelessness, transportation, and other factors known as the socioeconomic determinants of health. In addition to food pantries, clothing closets, backpack giveaways, and other events, we also help people find housing, get to and from doctor appointments, and offer help paying utility bills.
“This is something we’re already doing,” Slater said. “If we could do the same thing but with solar renewable energy, we can have a positive impact in a sustainable self-renewing manner that addresses those negative environmental drivers of health over the long view.”
As our Environmental, Social, and Governance Specialist, Slater steers us on a path toward sustainability – from its impact on the environment to its governance practices and how we develop and maintain relationships with inclusive community stakeholders, customers, and employees.
Slater’s efforts have already made a significant impact on our environment. In 2023 alone, he helped divert over 62,700 pounds of waste from landfills, including 338 pounds of electronic waste. Simple yet effective actions, such as educating staff on recyclable materials, played a key role in this achievement. Additionally, in 2024, he organized five Earth Day cleanups across our locations in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, resulting in the collection of approximately 80 30-gallon bags of trash.
“Getting into a sustainability mindset is No. 1,” said Slater. “And then, No. 2 is understanding that the issue of environmental health isn’t going away.”
PRIMARY HEALTH CENTERS
Scranton School District Scranton, PA Lackawanna County
Tunkhannock,
Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, PA
PA
County
Scranton
North Scranton
Scranton,
Lackawanna
“Promoting a diverse workforce is a core part of our mission at The Wright Center for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education,” said Deborah Kolsovsky, Chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors. “When we embrace different perspectives and backgrounds, it not only drives our innovation and growth, but we create a stronger team that can better understand and serve the needs of our diverse communities here in Northeast Pennsylvania. By building this type of inclusive culture, we are doing the right thing and positioning ourselves for sustainable success and impact.”
— Deborah Kolsovsky Chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors
Mid Valley Jermyn, PA
Lackawanna County
Dickson City
Dickson City, PA
Lackawanna County
North Pocono
Covington Twp., PA
Lackawanna County
Hawley
Hawley, PA Wayne County
Our 12-person passenger van
At the American Heart Association training site operated by The Wright Center for Community Health, the aim is to provide life support training to anyone in our region who wants or needs it. In addition to Basic Life Support, there are courses for professionals who require certification, or recertification, in Advance Cardiovascular Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and other levels of training.
The Wright Center promotes a prepared community and touches additional lives by
becoming a training site for life support
Our American Heart Association-designated site offers CPR and related courses to professionals and people wanting skills to respond in cardiac emergencies
Longtime paramedic and volunteer firefighter Carmen Passaniti understands that saving the life of someone in cardiac arrest often hinges on actions taken before emergency responders arrive.
“If CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) isn’t started immediately, the chances of a successful outcome are extremely low,” said Passaniti, our Director of Employee Health and Continuing Medical Education Coordinator at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “Without early intervention – without basic life support – nothing matters more in such circumstances.”
Passaniti spearheads an initiative to offer various levels of life support training to anyone in our region, from health care professionals to those with no medical background.
Under his leadership, we became an official American Heart Association training site in August 2023, allowing us to provide critical certifications to the communities of Northeast Pennsylvania. We offer affordable training programs in Basic Life Support, Heartsaver Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization (PEARS).
“Establishing an American Heart Association training site for your communities is a vital step toward saving
lives,” said Kristen Martin, Northeast Pennsylvania Development Director of the American Heart Association. “By providing accessible, high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care education, The Wright Center is empowering individuals to act confidently and swiftly in critical moments.
“The knowledge gained can make the difference between life and death, ensuring that more people are equipped to respond to heart-related emergencies. Building a culture of preparedness strengthens the health and safety of our communities, creating a ripple effect of resilience and care.”
For beginners, Passaniti covers essential topics such as Narcan training, recognizing signs of sudden cardiac arrest, and using an automated external defibrillator (AED), a device that helps restore the heart’s rhythm. All courses follow the AHA’s training site guidelines, which are recognized as the gold standard.
The establishment of our training site enables us to efficiently train and recertify our provider care teams, physicians in training, students and staff, while also addressing the broader needs of our communities.
First-time participants in Passaniti’s basic-level training are not only taught critical life-saving skills but also given the confidence to act. Many people are understandably anxious about intervening in an emergency, worried they might cause harm or face legal consequences. Passaniti
reassures them that every state has Good Samaritan laws to protect those who offer help, emphasizing the importance of taking immediate action in these life-or-death moments.
“Anything you do is a positive,” said Passaniti, who also oversees the health aspects of new employee onboarding to ensure compliance with health mandates like vaccinations. “People worry about doing CPR incorrectly or causing injury, but it’s always better to try. Some CPR is better than no CPR.”
From August 2023 through September 2024, Passaniti has provided both certification and non-certification training. During this period, 2,065 individuals have earned certifications in various areas: Basic Life Support (1,212), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (265), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (93), and Heartsaver First Aid & CPR (495). In addition, individuals have received noncertification instruction in hands-on CPR and AED training (139) and Stop the Bleed (16), sepsis (15), and stroke (10) care.
We have also distributed over 1,700 nasal spray kits of Narcan to our regional communities and provided training to more than 160 people about the proper use of the life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospital settings each year in the United States, according to the AHA. Yet in only about 40% of those cases do the victims get the immediate help they need before the arrival of emergency responders. CPR, if administered immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival, according to the AHA.
That’s why people like Passaniti are eager to spread training throughout our communities, increasing the odds that life-saving help might be close at hand when needed at homes, houses of worship, workplaces, sports fields, grocery stores, and other social spaces.
Life-saving training
Carmen Passaniti offers numerous academic institutions, first responders, health care providers, community organizations, and members of the community an opportunity to earn certifications or recertifications for Basic Life Support, Heartsaver Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization (PEARS). For more information, call 570.335.3307.
Wright Center trains others how to properly use life-saving medication
The Wright Center for Community Health is an approved Pennsylvania Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence and an approved communitybased distribution site for Narcan, a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. We have distributed over 1,700 Narcan nasal spray kits in Northeast Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Overdose Prevention Program. Scott J. Constantini, far right, our Associate Vice President of Primary Care and Recovery Services Integration, provided hands-on training for Narcan administration to employees at Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers in Wayne County.
Partnership with NE PA AHEC fuels vital training of community health workers
Delivering responsive interprofessional training and educational programs for workforce development
The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education as a Safety-Net Consortium have established a strong, enduring community partnership with the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (NE PA AHEC) to advance interprofessional education and workforce development through collaborative education and training initiatives.
Our partnership embodies a collaborative care delivery and education model by integrating interprofessional education and hands-on training that fosters teamwork among health care professionals to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care in underserved communities.
“We’re here to support the health care workforce development in any way that we can,” said Debra Youngfelt, MCHES, CTTS, NE PA AHEC’s Executive Director and member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors since 2021. “We want everybody to have health care. We want everybody to have a good job, and there are so many health care jobs.”
Some of our successful partnership initiatives
• Our National Health Corps-Community Health Fellowship: A year-long, on-the-job training AmeriCorps Program that trains local community residents as Community Health Workers who are committed to addressing the unmet health and socioeconomic needs of underserved populations
• Virtual Lunch and Learn Speaker Series: For primary care teams, offers topics like the integration of services for pediatric and adolescent behavioral health issues, oral health, and diabetes care
• Interactive Poverty Simulation Program: Helps increase public understanding of the daily challenges many low-income individuals and families face; since March 2023, 128 of our residents, fellows, and interprofessional learners have participated in this program
• Reentry Simulation Program: Helps participants understand the significant obstacles faced by individuals released from incarceration
• “Friday Night at the ER” Simulation Program: Teaches applied systems thinking, collaboration, critical thinking, decision-making, and creative problem-solving
• Freedom from Smoking Program: A free, eight-week smoking cessation program in collaboration with the American Lung Association and led by certified facilitators
• Diabetes Prevention Program: A free, year-long lifestyle modification program to help adults at risk for type 2 diabetes lower their chances of developing the disease
To further strengthen our partnership and expand its impact, plans are underway for NE PA AHEC to locate an office within our emerging Health City Hub in the City of Wilkes-Barre. This will
Kathleen Doyle, our Director of PatientCentered Services, second from left, poses with our Community Health Workers at the Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn, Pennsylvania. Also pictured, from left are, Nicole Sekelsky, Kathleen Doyle, Joe Kelly, Jessica Rosario, and Kristin Zaorski.
Debra Youngfelt, MCHES, CTTS Executive Director of the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center
support our innovative and progressive Health City Hub model to deliver comprehensive, responsive, and inclusive whole-person primary health services while seamlessly integrating clinical care, interprofessional workforce education and development, and community-focused public health education and outreach under one roof to effectively address pressing community health challenges.
One of our most impactful collaborations with NE PA AHEC has been the development of a comprehensive pipeline for recruiting, training, certifying, and employing Community Health Workers in first-level positions, offering substantial opportunities for career growth and advancement. Our Community Health Workers play a critical role as trusted bridges between us and our communities, improving well-being by offering health education, support, and connections to essential services like housing, food, transportation, and more.
Established in July 1999, NE PA AHEC became the first AHEC in Pennsylvania to be named an AmeriCorps-funded National Health Corps (NHC) host operating site. Through its Community Health Fellowship Program, NE PA AHEC trains local residents as Community Health Workers and places them in our Community Health Centers and other host sites for a year of on-the-job training after completing the NHC Program.
To date, NE PA AHEC has successfully trained nearly 150 Community Health Workers, including 30 through the NHC program, said Youngfelt. Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FACP, FAAP, our President and CEO, proudly chairs NE PA AHEC’s Board of Directors, helping to steer and support the nonprofit’s direction and growth.
Community Health Workers are among the fastestgrowing roles in health care, with a 13% projected job increase from 2023 to 2033, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To support Community Health Workers, U.S. Senator Bob Casey introduced the Community Health Worker Access Act in March 2024, which would eliminate copays for Medicare-eligible individuals accessing Community Health Workers. The bill, under Senate finance committee review, also encourages states to cover Community Health Worker services under Medicaid.
The Pennsylvania Community Health Worker Collaborative, of which we are a member, has been working with the state to secure Medicaid reimbursement for Community Health Workers, with plans to submit a state plan amendment to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services next year, further solidifying 2025 as “The Year of the Community Health Worker.”
Interprofessional workforce pipeline creates jobs with economic mobility
In collaboration with our national and local partners, our Graduate Medical Education SafetyNet Consortium (GME-SNC) is pioneering the delivery of responsive and inclusive whole-person primary health services and interprofessional workforce development that promises a healthier, more effective, and affordable future for health care and medical education.
Our dual mission is to improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. We fulfill that noble goal by utilizing our innovative GME-SNC model to integrate teaching into patient care delivery by aligning educational goals with the population health needs of individuals and our communities in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Associate
education pipeline collaborations continues to emerge.
Obadia, D.O.
Over the years, we have developed strong partnerships to help prepare individuals for family-sustaining careers in the health care industry. Examples include serving as a training site for a Medical Assistant training program with the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement and the A.T. Still University College’s Central Coast Physician Assistant Program.
Dean of Clinical Education and Services and
Associate
Professor of Internal Medicine at A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, and member of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors
We also offer opportunities for immersive hands-on training for medical students at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona at our Community Health Centers in our region.
Our transformative community-based approach tackles the national shortage and misdistribution of primary care physicians while addressing related health care and career access disparities. Our GME-SNC force-multiplies public investments in equitable whole-person primary health services, interprofessional workforce development, and community health initiatives.
Our workforce pipeline offers various programming and clinical rotations, such as the nationally successful Hometown Scholars Program that helps Community Health Centers recruit and develop a future health care workforce from the communities they serve.
From July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2024, we hosted 819 interprofessional learners, exclusive of resident and fellow physicians. Our strategic delivery of clinical learners in community-based, needs-responsive health services continues to grow and evolve as our regional work on interprofessional
Our President and CEO, Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FACP, FAAP, chairs the Board of Directors for the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (NE PA AHEC), a nonprofit organization focused on improving access to primary health care and enhancing the quality of life for residents of Northeast Pennsylvania, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas.
Her mission-focused leadership role on the board and work with Debra Youngfelt, MCHES, CTTS, the Executive Director of NE PA AHEC who serves on our board of directors, is aligned with broadening and deepening our interprofessional health care workforce pipeline to address health disparities through successful collaborations on educational initiatives in our region.
Partnering with NE PA AHEC and organizations, such as The Institute under the direction of President and CEO Teri Ooms, MSF, who serves on our board of directors, are examples of crossorganizational, high-impact leadership in workforce development to improve access to health services, reduce health disparities, and create jobs of economic mobility.
Sharon
Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FACP, FAAP, our President and CEO, met with student interns. From left, first row: Caroline McAndrew, East Stroudsburg University; Patricia McAndrew, Lakeland High School; Nora Evans, Saint Joseph’s University; Maha Sami, Marywood University; and Nancy Ho, University of Pittsburgh. Second row: Jason Saunders, Saint Joseph’s University; Angelo Zarola, Misericordia University; Andrew Clark, Duquesne University; Nicholas Clark, Dickinson College; Quentin Birch, Penn State University; Dr. Thomas-Hemak; Luke Klamp, Penn State University; Paige Boland, Loyola University of Maryland; Carl Yastremski, King’s College; and Maya Hemak, Fairfield University.
Interns successfully present work at Capstone Project Presentation & Poster Day
The Wright Center’s Summer Internship Program celebrated the accomplishments of its 2024 cohort during our Intern Capstone Project Presentation & Poster Day in August. High school and college students from 14 academic institutions, highlighted in the above photo, participated in our annual program that features
internship opportunities in clinical care, human resources, finance, marketing and communications, and more.
Since 2020, our summer internship program has provided expanded hands-on learning opportunities for 65 students. Click here to learn more about internship opportunities at The Wright Center.
The Wright Center’s rich interprofessional learning network for student rotations
The Institute will
find a new
home at The Wright Center’s Wilkes-Barre Health City Hub
Expanding our impact on regional health and economic growth
As we continue focusing on new, innovative ways to improve community health, we’re elevating a longstanding partnership with a local think tank whose work benefits our entire region by putting data into action.
The Institute, a nonprofit economic and social innovation research and policy organization based in and focused on Northeast Pennsylvania, operates a partnership of 14 colleges and universities, including The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and our business community. The Institute has used temporary office space inside our Health City Hub in Wilkes-Barre since summer 2022, where it continues offering a wide array of services to help organizations across our region boost productivity, improve our economy, create jobs, and be successful in their missions.
workspace for team collaboration and to carry out our organizational mission in general.”
To enhance the quality of life and living standards for residents of Northeast Pennsylvania, The Institute studies the region’s health care needs, health care delivery systems, and health-related costs, as well as education, workforce development, employment, the economy, housing, and other socioeconomic issues.
Teri Ooms, MSF President and CEO of The Institute
With a mission to empower business and community leaders with research-based insights and strategies for informed decision-making, The Institute offers independent, non-biased research to identify the opportunities, issues, and challenges unique to our region and to find innovative solutions to help us solve the problems facing our communities. The Wright Center has been a generous supporter and community partner of The Institute for over two decades, said Jill Avery-Stoss, MBA, The Institute’s Chief Operating Officer.
“The new space at the Health City Hub in WilkesBarre is a perfect example,” she said. “We use it as a
The Institute has also completed a number of projects for The Wright Center, including our annual economic impact reports, which outline the value we generate through job creation, employee wages and spending, tax revenue, physician graduate retention, and more. The Institute also has conducted our community health needs assessments, which help us identify the most pressing health needs in our region as well as barriers to care faced by various segments of our regional population. We use the data collected and analyzed to be sure our strategies are responsive to the needs of the communities we serve in Northeast Pennsylvania.
In addition to using research to foster growth and progress, we tapped key staff to participate in Institute-led task forces, contributing their expertise and learning about various topics, including health care, our regional economy, inclusive education, and career readiness. Because of the value, we are a silver sponsor of The Institute’s annual Indicators Forum, which highlights economic data and quality-of-life trends critical to the region’s future.
Our ongoing journey to Sanctuary Certification to become a trauma-competent,
Trauma is common in health care and medical education. The incongruity between the immense responsibilities placed on primary care teams and the resources available to support them creates a deep and often unspoken strain. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this trauma to unprecedented levels, catalyzing our committed search for meaningful solutions – ultimately leading us to the Sanctuary Certification opportunity.
After more than two years of enthusiastic preparation, our 645 employees and volunteer board members of our governing boards continue to learn more about how to heal themselves and the organization from trauma and its historical and ongoing effects.
optimal employer
accelerate our progress to Sanctuary Certification. The 25-member team, now in its second year, includes clinical and administrative employees from across our enterprise.
For the past year, our key staff members have focused on updating and integrating our policies and procedures to reflect Sanctuary language and principles, which are rooted in four pillars: Trauma Theory, S.E.L.F. (Safety, Emotions, Loss, and Future) Framework, Sanctuary Toolbox, and the Seven Commitments, which include democracy, non-violence, social responsibility, open communication, social learning, growth and change, and emotional intelligence.
Our journey to implement the Sanctuary Model and achieve certification from the Sanctuary Institute in Yonkers, New York, began with an on-site assessment by Sanctuary faculty in August 2022. The Sanctuary Model acknowledges the impact of trauma on individuals, organizations, and systems, delivering services in a manner that avoids retraumatization while addressing underlying traumas that prevent progress.
Since then, we’ve conducted four intensive training sessions for our executives, board members, and key administrative and clinical staff – more than 100 individuals in all – and proudly created an inclusive Sanctuary Core Implementation Team to continue to shepherd and
Sanctuary Core team members
• Bryan Boyle
• Scott Constantini
• Ron Daniels
• Jane Danish
• William Dempsey
• Beth Ebersole
• Christy Gariepy
• Sheridan Kaschak
• Emmy Kinsey
• Chris Kirby
• Allison LaRussa
• Marianne Linko
• Raelynn McCafferty
• Lacey McEachern
• Kim McGoff
• Betsy Miller
• Shannon Osborne
• Carmen Passiniti
• Kim Robinson
• Meaghan Ruddy
• Brenda Samony
• Kelly Simmons
• John Slater
• Megan Tremback
• David VanBuskirk
• Sharon Whitebread
The next activities are potentially the most impactful to date, said Meaghan Ruddy, Ph.D., our Senior Vice President of Enterprise Wellness and Resiliency, Assessment and Advancement, and Chief Strategic Research & Development Officer. Soon, Ruddy and other members of the Core Implementation Team will develop a digital resource library for Sanctuary topics that our employees can access as needed. Then, core team members will forcemultiply the educational impact with cascading messages to employees in small groups and introduce the concepts and tools.
“The big lift is making sure all our staff members know what Sanctuary is and why we’re doing this,” she said. “Let’s give everyone the foundation of knowledge, let them internalize the purpose, and then we can drop into huddles and support a deeper understanding and application of the tools.”
Inclusion and diversity are core strengths of The Wright Center
Resident and fellow physicians from around the world ensure patients receive culturally competent, nondiscriminatory health services
The Wright Centers for Community Health, Patient & Community Engagement, and Graduate Medical Education ensure access to responsive and inclusive whole-person primary health services to vulnerable and medically underserved populations of all ages, regardless of ethnic background, ZIP code, insurance status, or ability to pay.
As an essential community provider, we also recognize Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDIB), as essential domains of wellness for successful primary health care centers.
We boast one of the most diverse workforces in Northeast Pennsylvania, with 202 resident and fellow physicians from across the globe. The diversity of our physicians and general workforce ensures that patients receive culturally competent, nondiscriminatory care from highly skilled providers.
Sanctuary Frameworks, and Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDIB), we prioritize JEDIB principles. This intentional focus ensures our delivery of high-quality, compassionate health services and education in the most effective ways possible.
AVP, Health Humanities, Trauma Informed Sanctuary Frameworks, and Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
Our current efforts include JEDIB-related sponsorships, written communications, blogs, presentations, and the development of a JEDIB-informed curriculum in collaboration with the National Association of Community Health Centers. Additionally, we are implementing a company-wide traumacompetent model, known as Sanctuary, to foster a trauma-competent culture of safety and support.
Under the leadership of Allison LaRussa, our Associate Vice President of Health Humanities, Trauma-Informed
Languages Our Employees Speak
• Arabic
• Armenian
• Bantu
• Bisaya
• Burmese
• Cantonese
• Chinese
• Dutch
• English
• Farsi
• Filipino
• French
• Georgian
• German
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Igbo
• Italian
• Kannada
• Kapampangan
• Konkani
• Korean
• Maithili
• Malayalam
• Mandarin
• Marathi
• Nepali
• Portuguese
• Punjabi
• Romanian
• Russian
• Sanskrit
• Serbian
• Serbo-Croatian
• Sindhi
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Tharu
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Vietnamese
Sanctuary certification encompasses initiatives aimed at creating social, psychological, moral, and physical safety for all staff, trainees, patients, and learners addressing systemic challenges related to the social, economic, and political determinants of health and trauma.
Allison LaRussa
Bhutan
Canada
China
Egypt
England
Georgia
Countries of origin
Residents and fellows: 2024-25 Academic Year
India
Indonesia
Jordan
Lebanon
Nepal
Nigeria
Resident and fellow physician demographics
Data from September 2024
Pakistan
Philippines
Saint
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sudan
Taiwan
Trinidad
Turkey
Uganda
UAE
United
Languages Our Residents and Fellows Speak
• Arabic
• Armenian
• Bantu
• Bisaya
• Burmese
• Cantonese
• Chinese
• English
• Filipino
• French
• Georgian
• German
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Igbo
• Kannada
• Kapampangan
• Konkani
• Korean
• Maithili
• Malayalam
• Mandarin
• Marathi
• Nepali
• Punjabi
• Russian
• Serbian
• Sindhi
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Tharu
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Vietnamese
Our path to becoming a diversity champion
In the heart of Northeast Pennsylvania, where health care needs mirror the diversity of its residents, The Wright Centers for Community Health, Patient & Community Engagement, and Graduate Medical Education stand out for their unwavering commitment to fostering Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
We have not only delivered responsive and inclusive whole-person primary health services and medical education to our communities, but we have also advocated for inclusivity in ways that have earned us the esteemed 2024 Diversity Champion Business of the Year Award from the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Our journey to this honor is anchored in the belief that health care, education, and community engagement are interconnected. Our approach is simple yet profound: Every individual, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, ability to pay, race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation, deserves not only access to health services and health care careers, but also respect, dignity, and equity in every interaction.
One of the most prominent examples of our commitment to diversity is our ongoing role as the presenting sponsor of the Rainbow Alliance’s annual Pridefest Parade and Celebration in Wilkes-Barre. Together with our Ryan White HIV/AIDs Clinic, this collaboration reflects our longstanding, steadfast advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community.
Our leadership team understands that a true “Diversity Champion” leads by example. Our dedication to our patients and communities extends to our workforce, which is among the
most diverse in our region. Through our Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives, we welcome workplace diversity and nurture an inclusive, welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and embraced.
Consider the monthly blogs and workshops led by Allison LaRussa, our Associate Vice President of Health Humanities, Trauma-Informed Sanctuary Frameworks, and Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDIB), to promote our trauma-informed Sanctuary journey.
Each month, she educates her colleagues on critical issues through insightful blog posts and interactive workshops that go beyond superficial diversity practices. They cultivate a culture of understanding, empathy, and awareness, empowering employees to recognize their own cognitive biases and personal trauma exposures while equipping them with the tools to advocate for all.
LaRussa’s efforts extend into our communities, where she actively participates on the Diversity Council of the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce and delivers innovative, engaging workshops for seniors, colleagues, people experiencing homelessness, and the Bhutanese community.
Receiving the Diversity Champion of the Year Award was more than just recognition for LaRussa’s and our collective efforts; it validated our unwavering leadership in driving meaningful JEDIB cultural change across industries. Our work goes beyond building a diverse team or sponsoring community events; it is about fostering a health care system and community where no one feels marginalized, overlooked, or left behind.
Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Mission Statement
The Wright Centers for Community Health, Patient & Community Engagement, and Graduate Medical Education intentionally embrace and seek to engage an inclusive diversity of stakeholders to deliver our mission to improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.
Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDIB) inspire and unify us as noble and vital principles of our enterprise identity. We recognize the compromise and, too often, the absence of these ideal principles cause experiential and vicarious trauma within the health care delivery and medical education industries, our organizations, our communities, and our world.
We are deeply committed to becoming and thriving as a trauma-competent enterprise so that we may generate and support
continuous internal organizational and external community progress in these humanistic realms to positively impact our care delivery and educational systems, and external environments.
Striving to empower individuals, families, and communities to own and optimize their health, we continue to focus on expanding access to affordable, high-quality, nondiscriminatory, whole-person primary health services and health care careers, while ensuring address of trauma exposure and complex socioeconomic determinants of health and barriers to health equity.
We deeply value and commit to energizing a therapeutic atmosphere that creates a sense of belonging, allowing and empowering individuals to reach their fullest potential and nurture their authentic selves, while honoring their life journeys and stories, and celebrating their unique and meaningful contributions.
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Data:
The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, community health workers address socioeconomic drivers impacting health
To ensure our patients receive the inclusive and responsive whole-person primary health services they deserve, The Wright Center for Community Health screens for both socioeconomic determinants of health that impact individuals in their homes, workplaces, schools, and communities, as well as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that can predict poor health outcomes and premature mortality in adulthood.
Our subsidiary, The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (TWCPCE) enhances our primary health care centers’ ability to address these socioeconomic determinants of health through advocacy, programming, and missiondriven efforts that support the most underserved individuals and families in Northeast Pennsylvania, including those facing challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, literacy challenges, social isolation, domestic violence, substance use disorder and other hardships.
Our Community Health Workers leverage their knowledge of local resources to assist individuals in meeting basic needs such as housing, utility bills, nutritious food, clothing, insurance, and transportation to and from medical appointments. In fiscal year 2024, our Community Health Workers engaged with patients 9,720 times, providing
services, ranging from help with holiday meals, clothing, transportation, or insurances.
For instance, a patient facing financial hardship may be forced to choose between purchasing food or medication. By connecting our patients with a local food pantry, we can help them afford the life-saving medication prescribed by their doctor. Through our 340B discount program, we can also support their abilities to purchase food.
In fiscal year 2024, we donated nutritious food to 6,300 families through regional food banks, recognizing a healthy diet is key to preventing disease; gave away 835 backpacks filled with school supplies to children, ensuring they had the tools they needed to succeed in school; offered transportation support to 834 individuals to help them attend medical appointments; supplied utility assistance to 687 people; recruited donors for blood drives, collecting 194 pints of blood – potentially saving up to 582 lives; distributed free clothing to 563 individuals; and participated in over 250 community events, including health fairs, library events, and school programs.
Click here to support our efforts to assist the most underresourced individuals and families in our communities.
Families Fed from Regional Food Drives
Medicaid Patients Served
Patients Served by Community Health Workers
Patients Given Transportation Patients Provided Free Clothing
Students Given Stocked Backpacks
IMPROVING ACCESS
TO PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR
EVERYONE
New initiative to improve access to enriched primary health services with integrated specialty engagement
The Wright Center for Community Health will launch an innovative initiative at our emerging Health City Hubs to improve equitable access to enriched primary health services with integrated specialty engagement for vulnerable and underserved populations.
We have a long history of providing patient-centered, high-quality enriched primary health services with integrated specialty engagement, such as addiction medicine, obesity medicine, lifestyle medicine, rheumatology, nutrition, geriatrics, and HIV/AIDS care. With this new initiative, we will further enrich primary health services with cardiology, gastroenterology, hematology/ oncology, and nephrology specialty-guided point-of-care primary health services.
Approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services as within our Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike scope, our enriched primary health services specialists will focus on enhanced health outcomes of patients with difficult to manage hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, Hepatitis C, cirrhosis, newly diagnosed prostate and breast cancers, anemia, and others conditions for one to two half-days per month, all under one roof in our Health City Hubs.
Cardiologists Samir Pancholy, M.D., FACC, FAHA, MSCAI, and Haitham Abughnia, M.D., both of North Penn Cardiovascular Specialists in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, and gastroenterologist David Reynolds, M.D., of Northeastern Gastroenterology Associates in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, will be among the highly respected and skilled physicians to work hand-in-hand with our primary care teams.
Integrating enriched primary health services with specialty engagement with our primary care providers will increase access to vital health services to our patients and also create valuable interprofessional training opportunities for our medical residents, fellows, medical students, and interprofessional learners.
Many people in Luzerne County, especially those on Medicaid or living in underserved areas, face challenges in accessing fundamental and specialty health services. They often encounter long wait times, difficulty coordinating appointments, and transportation issues. These barriers can lead to delayed diagnoses, worsening chronic
conditions, and, ultimately, poorer health outcomes and premature mortality.
Our patients will benefit from easier, nondiscriminatory access to whole-person primary health services close to home; timely interventions for chronic conditions; improved management of health issues such as hypertension, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, and anemia; better coordination of care between enriched primary health services with integrated specialty engagement and primary care providers; and more opportunities to receive preventive care that can reduce acute complications, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and mortality.
Having enriched primary health services with integrated specialty engagement available under the same roof with our primary care physicians, dentists, nutritionists, nurse care managers, Community Health Workers, and others, as well as with representatives from local social services agencies and other nonprofits, makes it easier for patients to receive the support they need in one location.
Our primary care teams will also play an important role in coordinating enriched primary health services with integrated specialty engagement by reviewing specialist recommendations and ensuring follow-up appointments, testing, or procedures are scheduled. Our dedicated care coordination teams will oversee the seamless communication between the enriched primary health services with integrated multi-specialty engagement and primary care providers, ensuring no lab result, test, or recommendation goes unnoticed. This team-based approach will enhance the overall quality of primary health services while improving patients’ experiences.
By combining enriched primary health services with integrated specialty engagement with the strength of whole-person primary health services in our patient-centered medical homes, our initiative marks a significant step forward in reducing health disparities, promoting healthier lives, improving health outcomes, and reinforcing the critical role of Community Health Centers as vital hubs of both health care delivery and education.
Who We Are
The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bureau of Health Manpower awarded The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education a Primary Care Workforce Development Grant to create and launch its very first residency program in internal medicine in Northeast Pennsylvania almost 50 years ago.
Mission Vision
To improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve
For our Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium framework that integrates patient care delivery, workforce development and innovation to be the leading model of primary health care in America
Core Values
Do the Wright thing
Be privileged to serve
Be an exceptional team player
Strive for excellence
Be driven for great results
Spread positivity
