Scranton, Pa. (Aug. 6, 2021) – Board-certified family medicine physician Steven Archambault, D.O., has joined The Wright Center for Community Health’s Scranton Practice at 501 S. Washington Ave., where he is accepting new patients of all ages.
A West Pittston resident, Dr. Archambault is a graduate of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He completed his family medicine residency training at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.
Dr. Archambault will provide primary and preventive care for patients ranging from pediatrics to geriatrics, as well as addiction and recovery services and women’s healthcare. Dr. Archambault is available for in-person or telehealth visits.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Archambault, visit TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-941-0630.
Scranton, Pa. (Aug. 6, 2021) – Satya Upadhyayula, D.M.D., a board-certified general practice dentist, has joined the oral health team at The Wright Center for Community Health, which includes two additional board-certified dentists and five certified public health dental hygienists. Dr. Upadhyayula is accepting new patients of all ages at The Wright Center’s Mid Valley location, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, as well as the Scranton location, 501 S. Washington Ave.
Dr. Upadhyayula is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. He earned his master’s degree in oral biology from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Kentucky, and his bachelor’s degree in dental surgery from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, India.
Prior to joining The Wright Center, Dr. Upadhyayula completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery internship at the University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, as well as externships with the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.
The Wright Center offers comprehensive dental services for the whole family, including emergency services and routine check-ups and cleanings, plus denture care, oral cancer screenings, extractions, fillings and X-rays. As a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, The Wright Center provides safety-net primary care — including dental, medical, behavioral/mental health, addiction and recovery, and Ryan White HIV services — regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, with a Sliding Fee Discount Scale available to eligible patients based on family size and income.
Scranton, Pa. (July 30, 2021) – The Wright Center for Community Health announces it has introduced a new software tool intended to help individuals who are coping with substance use disorder to better maintain their treatment plans and avoid relapse.
Patients use the app to securely message their healthcare team, chart daily progress and receive support from professionals and/or peers. The Wright Center’s healthcare providers, meanwhile, are able to view the patient’s real-time reporting and feedback, then use that information to quickly address any emerging challenges and make treatment decisions to promote a more successful recovery journey.
The app was developed by Q2i, a Boston-area digital health company, in partnership with UCLA. Their work is aimed at mitigating the nation’s ongoing opioid crisis, which reached a historic new level in 2020 – reportedly the deadliest year ever in the U.S. for drug overdoses.
Federal estimates released this month show a nearly 30% rise in fatal overdoses over the prior year, an increase that health officials attributed partly to the emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.
OARS can improve the success of medication-assisted treatment programs. The Wright Center’s primary care practices offer medication-assisted treatment – a whole-person approach to addiction that combines counseling and behavioral therapies with the use of approved medications such as buprenorphine.
“Tools like OARS, which extend our behavioral health team’s ability to connect with and support individuals in recovery, are especially useful and potentially can improve outcomes,” said Scott Constantini, The Wright Center’s Director of Behavioral Health. “We’re proud to be on the forefront of studying and introducing these kinds of technologies.”
In response to community needs, The Wright Center became an early proponent and provider of medication-assisted treatment and related services across a multicounty area in Northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2016, the state Department of Human Services designated The Wright Center as an Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence. Today the organization serves about 540 active Center of Excellence patients.
The Wright Center also co-founded the Healthy MOMS program, which assists pregnant and postpartum women who are coping with substance use disorder. The program currently has 121 active mothers.
The OARS app will be offered to The Wright Center’s Center of Excellence patients and the women enrolled in the region’s Healthy MOMS program. About two dozen patients have already adopted use of the app.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) had granted approval earlier this year for the OARS software to proceed to a Phase II clinical trial. The Wright Center, which operates primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties, served as a study site during Phase I and is also a study site for Phase II. For more information about The Wright Center’s healthcare services, visit thewrightcenter.org.
She becomes only the second area resident – and second Wright Center-endorsed candidate – to enter The Hometown Scholars program.
As a Hometown Scholar, Bartolai’s training at ATSU-SOMA will be unique from other medical schools. After spending her first year on campus in Mesa, Arizona, she will return to Scranton, training in the classroom while also rotating through The Wright Center for Community Health’s clinical settings at least once a week. Bartolai, 23, began her studies this month.
Through a partnership with A.T. Still University, The Wright Center’s Hometown Scholars Program targets and recruits future physicians, dentists and other medical professionals from Northeast Pennsylvania who want to serve as an aspirational example for young people in our region.
The program was created to support the applications of compassionate, community-minded individuals interested in becoming a doctor or other medical provider who want to serve the region they grew up in.
Along with meeting the rigorous requirements to apply to medical school, a Hometown Scholar must spend time in a community health center and receive the recommendation of a community health center leader. In Bartolai’s case, her endorsement came from Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and chief executive officer of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education.
“Moriah is dedicated to becoming a highly skilled, compassionate primary care osteopathic physician and healthcare leader who will both serve and advocate for vulnerable populations, communities and humanity,” said Dr. Thomas-Hemak. “Notably, she is to become a first generation physician.”
Bartolai, a 2016 alumna of Scranton Preparatory School, began working at The Wright Center’s Mid Valley and Scranton practices last year, serving as a medical scribe. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, she earned a bachelor of science degree in microbiology.
“I’m excited and thrilled for this Hometown Scholars opportunity,” she said. “When I received the call, I realized I would finally be able to move forward in achieving a major milestone … a milestone I’ve been working towards for the last few years.”
One of about 160 medical students in ATSU-SOMA’s Class of 2025, Bartolai will gain exposure to clinical settings sooner than many of her counterparts at other medical schools, which typically don’t offer clinical rotations until the third year.
“It does give you a leg up,” said Bartolai. “I’m going to get a lot more patient experience than I would at any other medical school.”
The Hometown Scholars program at ATSU-SOMA was developed to address the workforce needs of the nation’s community health centers, which provide affordable care to traditionally underserved populations, including low-income individuals and people who face other barriers to healthcare.
Today the program is helping to create a pipeline of exceptional, community-minded medical and dental students who are committed to serving in America’s health centers.
Educational opportunities are available for aspiring physicians, physician assistants and dentists. To learn more about these Hometown Scholars opportunities, please contact The Wright Center’s Office of Clerkships at 570-591-5132 or email howellse@thewrightcenter.org.
Scranton, Pa. (July 22, 2021) – The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have appointed Allison LaRussa, Scranton, as Director of Health Humanities.
In this newly introduced position, LaRussa will promote emotional wellness by engaging the organizations’ physician trainees, employees, patients and community members in artistic activities.
For patients and the general public, there will be art therapy initiatives addressing trauma and addiction as well as community art projects to help alleviate social isolation and foster connections. For health professionals, activities also will be designed to support their professional identity development and growth by providing opportunities for shared experiences, awareness, reflection and expression.
“As a valued member of our team, Allison will nurture positivity and resiliency within individuals and at the organizational level, which is particularly relevant as we collectively emerge from the pandemic experience,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, President and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education.
A special focus of LaRussa’s work will be The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s resident physicians and fellows. These trainees, like their counterparts in programs across the country, deal with the dual pressures of delivering top-notch care to patients and simultaneously completing rigorous graduate medical education requirements.
“Our art activities at The Wright Center will be designed to decrease a lot of stress and burnout,” said LaRussa. “The projects will allow people to be more mindful, to process more, so that they are better able to handle their work.”
A 2010 Marywood University graduate, LaRussa, 34, has long been active in the region’s arts scene, including First Friday Scranton.
Scranton, Pa. (June 18, 2021) – The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education proudly celebrated the accomplishments of its 2021 graduating class of residents and fellows on Friday, June 18. During a virtual commencement, tribute was given to 81 graduates for their resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic and their dedication to the medical profession as practitioners who are helping to address the shortage of primary care physicians in locations across the nation, including Northeast Pennsylvania.
Certain graduates, faculty members and community partners were recognized for their outstanding commitment to and success within the program. The ceremony for the 43rd graduating class, including award presentations, can be viewed at TheWrightGraduation.org. A full list of awardees appears below.
Career geriatrician Edward Dzielak, D.O., an alumnus of The Wright Center who recently set aside his retirement to serve as Program Director of our new Geriatrics Fellowship, was honored with the prestigious Bost Award. Named in honor of the late Dr. Charles Bost, an original founder of The Wright Center’s residency programs, the award is given to a community leader who most demonstrates inspiration, guidance and support for The Wright Center’s mission.
Several first-time awards, including one bearing the name of Jermyn resident Gerard Geoffroy, chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors, also were presented. The inaugural Gerard Geoffroy Patient and Community Engagement Award was bestowed on geriatrics fellow Nirali Patel, M.D. Dr. Patel intends to stay on as a faculty physician at The Wright Center, delivering care to older residents in Northeast Pennsylvania and training others to do the same in this or similar settings.
The first Dr. Sanjay Chandragiri Outstanding Psychiatry Resident Award was presented to Alex Slaby, M.D. Dr. Slaby plans to practice in the Lehigh Valley.
The inaugural Dr. Stephen J. Pancoast Compassion, Kindness, Service and Humility Award — which honors the legacy of Dr. Pancoast, who recently retired after serving as an integral member of The Wright Center’s Ryan White HIV care team for more than 20 years — was presented to The Wright Center’s first gastroenterology fellowship graduate, Mladen Jecmenica, M.D.
Also, The Wright Center “Values in Action” Spirit Award annually recognizes the members of one residency program and one fellowship program; this year’s recipients were the National Family Medicine Residency and the Gastroenterology Fellowship.
Bost Award winner Edward Dzielak, D.O.Gerard Geoffroy Patient and Community Engagement Award winner Nirali Patel, M.DDr. Stephen J. Pancoast Compassion, Kindness, Service and Humility Award winner Mladen Jecmenica, M.D.
Other awards included:
Teacher of the Year (Internal Medicine Residency) – Douglas Klamp, M.D.; co-Teachers of the Year (Family Medicine Residency) – Alexies Samonte, M.D., and Jason Scotti, M.D.; Faculty of the Year (National Family Medicine Residency) – Anam Whyne, D.O.; Teacher of the Year (Psychiatry Residency) – Sanjay Chandragiri, M.D.; Teacher of the Year (Cardiology Fellowship) – Samir B. Pancholy, M.D.; Teacher of the Year (Gastroenterology Fellowship) – Aman Ali, M.D.; Teacher of the Year (Geriatrics Fellowship) – Edward Dzielak, D.O.
The Robert E. Wright Award (for Internal Medicine) – Mousa Thalji, M.D.; the Moses Taylor Hospital Golden Stethoscope (for Internal Medicine) – Mousa Thalji, M.D.; Outstanding Fellow (Cardiology) – Gaurav Patel, M.B.B.S.; Outstanding Fellow (Gastroenterology) – Mladen Jecmenica, M.D.; Outstanding Fellow (Geriatrics) – Nirali Patel, M.D.; Intern of the Year (Internal Medicine Residency) – Usman Manzoor, M.D.; Intern of the Year (National Family Medicine Residency) – Carl Supnet, D.O.; Interns of the Year (Regional Family Medicine) – Mohamed El Ayashy, M.D., and Supriana Bhandol, M.D.; Intern of the Year (Psychiatry) – Erica Schmidt, M.D.
Chief Fellow (Cardiology) – Gaurav Patel, M.B.B.S.; Chief Fellow (Gastroenterology) – Mladen Jecmenica, M.D.; Chief Fellow (Geriatrics) – Nirali Patel, M.D.; Chief Residents (Internal Medicine) – Frank Frasca, D.O., Gowtham Gannamani, M.D., Daniel C. Kazmierski, M.D., Mousa Thalji, M.D., and Korinn Vandervall, D.O.; Chief Residents (National Family Medicine) – Dallin Erickson, D.O., Esther Quintero, D.O., Loc Nguyen, D.O., David Eki, D.O., Catherine Njiru-Sewer, D.O., and Sun-jae Kim, D.O.; Chief Residents (Psychiatry) – Shevani Ganesh, M.D., and Casey Lenderman, D.O.; Chief Residents (Regional Family Medicine) – Ebi Rowshanshad, D.O., and Lee Wagner, M.D.
The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Award – Lee Wagner, M.D. (Regional Family Medicine); Outstanding Resident Award (National Family Medicine) – Catherine Njiru-Sewer, D.O.; COPC Project Award (National Family Medicine Residency) – David Eki, D.O., and Afia Ukor Albin, D.O.; Practice Improvement Award (National Family Medicine Residency) – Xuan-Loc V. Nguyen, D.O., and Brandon John Miller, D.O.; AFMRD Family Medicine Resident Award for Advocacy (National Family Medicine Residency) – Catherine Njiru-Sewer, D.O.; Founding Member Award (National Family Medicine Residency) – Eleni O’Donovan, M.D.
Dr. Sanjay Chandragiri Outstanding Psychiatry Resident Award – Alex Slaby, M.D.; Dr. Stephen J. Pancoast Compassion, Kindness, Service and Humility Award – Mladen Jecmenica, M.D.; Gerard Geoffroy Patient and Community Engagement Award – Nirali Patel, M.D.; The Wright Center “Values in Action” Spirit Award – National Family Medicine Residency and Gastroenterology Fellowship; Bost Award – Edward Dzielak, D.O.
The virtual commencement recognized the accomplishments of all 81 graduating student learners, 10 of whom will stay in Northeast Pennsylvania to continue practicing medicine. The doctors studied in The Wright Center’s internal medicine, regional family medicine, national family medicine and psychiatry residencies as well as its cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology and geriatrics fellowships.
