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The Wright Center for Community �ʼһ��� has received a nearly $60,000 grant to expand treatment and recovery services in Pike County for pregnant women and new mothers with substance use disorders.

The funding will support the �ʼһ���y Maternal Opiate Medical Support, more commonly known as the �ʼһ���y MOMS program, a multi-agency effort that The Wright Center co-founded five years ago to help combat the opioid crisis. The �ʼһ���y MOMS program was launched in Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties but has grown to serve women and their families throughout much of Northeast Pennsylvania.

The newly awarded grant will be used to assist Pike County Children and Youth Services’ clients who are referred to the program. The financial support was provided jointly by two federal agencies – the Administration for Children and Families and the Substance Abuse and Mental �ʼһ��� Services Administration – and made available through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and Pike County.

“Pike County Children and Youth Services is excited for this opportunity to not only support mothers, infants, and their families to live healthier lives, but are forever grateful for this collaborative approach as we continue our community outreach,” said Michele Burrell, administrator, Pike County Children and Youth Services. “The �ʼһ���y MOMS program, while working in conjunction with the Pike County Children and Youth team, will be able to offer an extensive community approach.”

Established locally in late 2018, the �ʼһ���y MOMS program is modeled after a program of the same name in Ohio and aims to help pregnant women and new mothers achieve and maintain sobriety. To date, it has supported more than 450 mothers and 233 babies.

Participants are offered blanket services, including medication-assisted treatment and addiction services, primary health care, OB-GYN care, counseling, parenting tips, legal advice, and various other supports. Each mom ideally remains engaged in the program until her child turns 2 years old.

A collaborative venture from the start, the �ʼһ���y MOMS program relies on the substantial and sustained contributions of dozens of community partners, including Maternal and Family �ʼһ��� Services Inc., the Lackawanna/Susquehanna Office of Drug and Alcohol Programs, area hospitals, Outreach, and many other social service, government and health-related agencies.

More information about the project and its partners is available at or 570-995-7821.

Brian Ebersole of Taylor, a longtime health care change agent and community organizer, has been named vice president of academic affairs and associate designated institutional official for The Wright Centers for Community �ʼһ��� and �ʼһ��� Medical Education.

Ebersole previously served The Wright Centers as senior vice president for mission delivery and business development, where he secured over $48 million in new federal, state, and local resources to create new and support established programming throughout the enterprise. He developed and led the creation of the national family medicine residency program and worked with the leadership team to grow the residency and fellowship programs from 36 internal medicine residents to more than 190 resident physicians training in internal medicine, regional and national family medicine, and cardiology.

In addition, The Wright Center for �ʼһ��� Medical Education offers residencies in psychiatry and physical medicine & rehabilitation, as well as fellowships in gastroenterology and geriatrics.

Ebersole earned a Bachelor of Arts in politics and education from Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. He resides in Taylor with his husband, Jeff Smith, and son, Keegan.

Representatives of The Wright Centers for Community �ʼһ��� and �ʼһ��� Medical Education, from left, Gerard J. Geoffroy, chairperson, Community �ʼһ��� Board of Directors and immediate past chairperson, Patient & Community Engagement Board of Directors; Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community �ʼһ��� and �ʼһ��� Medical Education; Laura Spadaro, VP, primary care and public health policy; and Jennifer Walsh, Esq., senior VP, enterprise integrity, executive counsel, and chief governance officer, pose for a picture after the ceremony.

Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community �ʼһ��� and �ʼһ��� Medical Education, received a 2023 Pennsylvania Impact Award from City & State Pennsylvania magazine, recognizing her leadership in social responsibility.

Dr. Thomas-Hemak, a Lackawanna County native, was one of 75 honorees from across the commonwealth to be chosen by the magazine for its special recognition. She accepted the award during a ceremony in Philadelphia.

“I am extremely humbled and honored to be recognized for living the mission of The Wright Center,” said Dr. Thomas-Hemak. “Together, we are building a preferred future in which everyone will benefit from a health system that prioritizes equity, quality, and affordability of comprehensive primary health care services and career opportunities.”

The Pennsylvania Impact Awards honor residents “who are pillars of sustainability, diversity and inclusion, charity, and community engagement,” according to the publication, known for its coverage of the Keystone State’s business, political, and community leaders.

The publication noted that “there are a lot of ways to make a difference.” For example, the changemakers “have raised funds and galvanized support for patients with Alzheimer’s and autism and for children in need of early intervention.” In addition, “they have programmed software to help Pennsylvanians access �ʼһ��� care and legal services.”

Dr. Thomas-Hemak also serves as board co-chair of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, a subsidiary of the health center. The group is active throughout the year in providing material goods and other support to community members challenged by poverty and other negative social determinants of health, such as food insecurity and homelessness.

Earlier this year, Dr. Thomas-Hemak hired the enterprise’s first environmental, social, and governance (ESG) specialist. He is now developing a strategic plan to tailor existing policies and decision-making systems so the enterprise can fulfill its mission while being socially responsible to the community and the planet.

Similarly, The Wright Center’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is evident in the year-round programming offered to employees and community members, including a monthly DEI blog and workshop. An emphasis is currently being placed on fostering a safe, trauma-informed workplace for employees, patients, and visitors.

Dr. Thomas-Hemak, who has served as The Wright Center’s top executive for more than a decade, has helped the health center optimize federal and state resources, allowing it to establish 10 primary and preventive care clinics that collectively serve more than 32,500 patients a year. She also expanded the enterprise’s graduate �ʼһ��� education programs, which now train about 250 resident and fellow physicians annually in eight residency and fellowship programs. These programs attract needed �ʼһ��� expertise, such as behavioral health and specialized geriatric care providers, to the region.

Her leadership has enabled the enterprise to create hundreds of jobs and improve community health. Today, The Wright Center employs about 645 people.

Dr. Thomas-Hemak graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and completed Harvard’s Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency in Boston, Massachusetts, before returning to Northeast Pennsylvania to practice primary care. She is quadruple board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, addiction medicine, and obesity medicine. She directly cares for patients weekly. In April, she began a four-year term as governor for the eastern region of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians.