Celebrating Pride Month in June

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Alexies Samonte, M.D., MBA, FAAP, vice president of Sponsoring Institution Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), will present a monthly video addressing important topics that enable The Wright Center to achieve DEI in the workplace, as well as in the greater community.

The inaugural video celebrates Pride Month in June and offers three important ways everyone can show their support of the LGBTQIA+ community here in Northeast Pennsylvania and around the world.

DEI strategist Arthur Chan once said, 鈥淒iversity initiatives, though well intentioned, are not merely enough if organizations are not focused on the outcome 鈥 belonging.鈥 Therefore, 鈥淒iversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an action. Belonging is an outcome,鈥 he said.

Please turn to our news page or monitor The Wright Center鈥檚 social media platforms for Dr. Samonte鈥檚 monthly DEI video.

The Wright Center offers COVID-19 vaccine appointments to youngest children, ages 6 months to 5 years

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Dr. Jignesh Sheth

Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth,
Chief Medical Officer

Infants and preschoolers are now able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and appointments can be scheduled for children in this age group (ages 6 months to 5 years) at several of The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人鈥檚 primary care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania.

The littlest children became eligible for the vaccines last week, after federal regulators granted approval to using mini-doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna products that have proven to be so effective in protecting older children and adults.

The approval means that about 18 million additional American children can become vaccinated against the very contagious and potentially deadly virus. All children, including children who have already had COVID-19, should get vaccinated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

鈥淧arents and caregivers with concerns about the safety or effectiveness of the vaccines in young children should contact their health care provider to have a fact-based, non-judgmental conversation,鈥 said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, chief 皇家华人 officer of The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人. 鈥淎t The Wright Center, we want our patients to make informed decisions about the care that they and their children receive.鈥

Appointments for preschoolers to receive the vaccine can be made at any of these Wright Center primary care clinics:

  • Kingston Practice, 2 Sharpe St., Kingston: 570.491.0126
  • Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn: 570.230.0019
  • Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., Scranton: 570.941.0630

Pfizer鈥檚 vaccine has been approved for youngsters ages 6 months through 4 years. Its shots for this age group are only one-tenth its adult dosage and will be given in a three-shot series.

Moderna鈥檚 vaccine is intended for youngsters ages 6 months through 5 years. Its shots for this age group contain one-quarter the dose of the company鈥檚 adult vaccine. It will be administered in a two-dose series, and the company expects to later offer a booster.

Pharmacists in Pennsylvania are allowed to provide COVID-19 vaccines only to children ages 3 and up, according to the state Department of 皇家华人. Parents and guardians seeking appointments for children under 3 years old should contact a pediatrician, family doctor or other qualified physician.

For more information about The Wright Center鈥檚 services, including its COVID-19 vaccination, testing and treatment services, call 570.230.0019 or visit TheWrightCenter.org.

The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人 accepting COVID-19 vaccination appointments for children ages 5-11

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Scranton, Pa. (Nov. 3, 2021) 鈥 The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人 began scheduling and administering kid-sized doses of Pfizer-BioNTech鈥檚 COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at four regional primary care practices in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the vaccines for the pediatric age group.

The unanimous decision by the CDC on Nov. 2 enables this new age group to receive 10-micrograms of the Pfizer vaccine 鈥 a third of the amount given to teens and adults. With parental consent, eligible children will receive two shots, three weeks apart. The Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization of the vaccine on Oct. 29.

鈥淎pproval of the pediatric vaccine by the CDC is an important development as we work together to end the global pandemic through vaccinations, masking and social distancing,鈥 said Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth, chief 皇家华人 officer and senior vice president at The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人. 鈥淭he vaccine will offer a high level of protection for children ages 5-11 and slow the spread of the virus among others in our community, especially during the upcoming holiday season. It is also another step closer to normalcy for society and helping our school-aged children to remain in school for in-person learning.鈥

Due to the CDC鈥檚 recommendation, which was also fully endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatricians, about 28 million children in the new age group will be eligible to receive a vaccination. The CDC recommended vaccinations for children, ages 12-15, in May. 

鈥淲e will continue to encourage all Pennsylvanians to get their COVID-19 vaccine, and we are very excited that we can now include children ages 5 and over in that effort,鈥 Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of 皇家华人 Alison Beam said in a state Department of 皇家华人 press release. 鈥淭o fellow parents I say: If you have a child between 5 and 11, get them vaccinated and give your child the power to safely learn, play and be a kid.鈥

Appointments to receive the pediatric vaccine may be made at the following Wright Center for Community 皇家华人 clinics: Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave.; Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn; South Franklin Street Practice, 335 S. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre, and West Scranton Intermediate School-Based 皇家华人, 1401 Fellows St., Scranton. To make an appointment, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. 

The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人 has been administering third doses and booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to eligible age groups as per CDC guidelines. People should talk to their health care provider about their 皇家华人 condition and whether or not getting an additional dose or booster is appropriate for them.

The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人鈥檚 Driving Better 皇家华人 offering vaccinations and well-check services at Keystone Mission

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Scranton, Pa. (Oct. 14, 2021) 鈥 The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人 is partnering with Keystone Mission to provide on-site COVID-19 testing, well-check services, and COVID-19 and flu vaccinations to residents of the mission and surrounding North Scranton neighborhood from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 8-12 W. Olive St., Scranton.

The regional health care provider will utilize its 34-foot mobile 皇家华人 clinic, Driving Better 皇家华人, to provide services in conjunction with its community partner. Keystone Mission is an award-winning, regional faith-based, nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of homeless men and women in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.聽

鈥淜eystone Mission works hand in glove with regional community social service agencies to provide support to people in our homeless communities in Northeast Pennsylvania,鈥 said Justin V. Behrens, L.S.W., CEO and executive director of Keystone Mission. 鈥淚 believe I am speaking for everyone at Keystone Mission when I say we are extremely grateful for the 皇家华人 attention The Wright Center is providing to the people we serve. Together, we are working to provide them with healthy minds, bodies and spirits.鈥

The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人 will administer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which was approved in August by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for individuals 12 and older. Although the health care screening and vaccinations are primarily for residents of Keystone Mission, walk-up appointments also are welcome throughout the day.

To make an appointment call 570-343-2382 or go online at TheWrightCenter.org. The Wright Center will never deny health care services based on a patient鈥檚 inability to pay. 

鈥淭he Wright Center for Community 皇家华人 works collaboratively with community agencies to make outreach to underserved communities in Northeast Pennsylvania,鈥 said Robin Rosencrans, practice manager for Driving Better 皇家华人. 鈥淥ur mobile clinic makes vaccinations and well-check services accessible for people who otherwise might not have necessary transportation for appointments with primary care providers.鈥

Driving Better 皇家华人 features two fully equipped examination operatories. It is a way to bring health care to the region鈥檚 most vulnerable, underserved populations. It is staffed by a multidisciplinary, bilingual primary care team of clinicians who will deliver primary health care to those most in need. 

GME鈥檚 National Family Medicine Residency Program Offers 鈥業nnovations in Community Care’

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A Virtual Series that Addresses Innovative 皇家华人 Care for Underserved Populations

Scranton, Pa. (Oct. 8, 2021) 鈥 The Wright Center for 皇家华人 Medical Education is offering the nine-week video series, 鈥淚nnovations in Community Care: A Virtual Series,鈥 on The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人鈥檚 YouTube channel. 

The informative series includes brief talks about topics in community medicine and how faculty and residents in a family medicine residency program provide innovative, high-quality care to underserved populations in communities they serve. The series鈥 playlist can be

The series was produced under the guidance of Lawrence LeBeau, D.O., national family medicine residency program director at The Wright Center for 皇家华人 Medical Education. The presentation and discussion series was organized by faculty in The Wright Center for 皇家华人 Medical Education鈥檚 National Family Medicine Residency Program鈥檚 affiliated community health center partners: El Rio 皇家华人, Tucson, Arizona; Unity 皇家华人 Care, Washington, D.C.; 皇家华人Source of Ohio, Hillsboro, Ohio, and 皇家华人Point, Auburn, Washington.

The topics include: 

  • 鈥淰alue of POCUS in Low-Resource Settings,鈥 with Andrew Will Dixon, M.D., and James Huang, M.D.;
  • 鈥淚nnovative Approaches to Refugee 皇家华人 Care in the FQHC Setting,鈥 presented by Dr. Shoshana Aleinikoff, M.D.;
  • 鈥淔QHC-Hospital Partnership,鈥 with Tara Simpson, M.D.; 
  • 鈥淟ifestyle Management through Group Visits,鈥 presented by Darlene Lawrence, M.D.: 
  • 鈥淎sylum Evaluations,鈥 with Andrew Will Dixon, M.D., and Catherine Njiru-Sewer, D.O.;
  • 鈥淟ow Barrier Care Model for People with Substance Use Disorders,鈥 presented by Nathan Kittle, M.D., and Cara Dalbey, Psy.D.;
  • 鈥淢edicine for the Incarcerated,鈥 with Eleni O鈥橠onovan, M.D., and Khalid Ebrahim, M.D.;
  • 鈥淢edicine for the Unhoused,鈥 presented by Andrew Will Dixon, M.D., and Anam Whyne, D.O.;
  • 鈥淥steopathic Practice in the FQHC Setting,鈥 with Gayatri Menon, D.O.

Support, Aid People in Recovery

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Newspaper guest column written by William Dempsey, M.D., Deputy Chief Medical Officer at The Wright Center for Community 皇家华人 – The opioid crisis continues to take a terrible toll on Pennsylvania, stealing lives and inflicting suffering on affected families as well as entire communities, including rural and urban areas in our region. Overdose deaths in the state increased last year by 14 percent over the prior year, according to recently released preliminary data.

The spike in overdoses during 2020 can be pinned, in part, on fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which spawned job losses, higher anxiety, greater isolation and, in some instances, reluctance to seek proper care.

Today is Opioid Misuse Prevention Day. It鈥檚 important for area residents to consider how pervasive the opioid problem has become and how each of us has a critical role to play in preventing addiction and shattering stigma. After all, we all have some sort of addiction in our lives.

All too often, outdated notions about addiction and the stigma surrounding substance use disorder continue to be major barriers to wider implementation of effective interventions 鈥 such as medication-assisted treatment 鈥 that enable recovery while preventing overdoses and deaths.

Addiction is a lifelong disease, and no two paths of recovery are the same. But through team-based, whole-person care, the energy of addiction can be rerouted to make long-term recovery possible. Patients in pain and patients with a substance use disorder need comprehensive treatment, not judgment. The key to lasting recovery is compassionate support.

For example, individuals currently undergoing treatment and living in recovery need opportunities to join 鈥 or rejoin 鈥 the workforce. For employers in the region, adopting hiring practices that consider people in recovery is one way of expanding the applicant pool during these challenging recruitment times. Plus, people living in recovery often prove to be especially loyal, motivated and hardworking employees if given the chance.

The Wright Center鈥檚 Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence is proud to be a part of the larger effort to address the crisis and to assist area residents on their recovery journeys. Our certified addiction medicine specialists, case workers and therapists all offer hope and proven solutions.

Please consider how your words and actions can also help to lessen the severity of the opioid crisis in our region. Together, we can make Northeast Pennsylvania a more supportive, recovery-oriented community.