New VP of Strategic Marketing and Communications Joins The Wright Center

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Wendy K. Wilson has joined The Wright Center as Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications. A graduate of West Scranton High School and San Jose State University, she previously served as Vice President of Media and Corporate Communications for Geisinger Health System and as Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Scranton’s Community Medical Center.

Prior to the past 15 years working in the healthcare sector, she was a journalist, starting her career at The Scranton Times-Tribune as a reporter before being promoted to Managing Editor of the newspaper’s Community Newspaper Group. She later joined WVIA Public Media as Vice President of Corporate Communications.

In this new organizational role, she will be responsible for developing and implementing strategic marketing and communications initiatives to enhance the overall effectiveness and awareness of the Wright Center’s mission to improve the health and welfare of our community through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve.

The position oversees internal and external communications, media and public relations, advertising, community relations, special events, patient communications and website/digital content and design.

“As a former journalist, I’m a storyteller at heart,” she explained. “And The Wright Center has a wealth of stories to tell. Our clinical locations are taking care of the region’s most vulnerable patients regardless of their ability to pay. Our eager and engaged learners are active in the population health efforts of our community with a majority of them committing to staying in our area after graduation to serve. We’re expanding services and locations across the region while at the same time offering new and innovative educational tracts across the country. And our dedicated workforce continues to expand, attracting the best and the brightest to an already-remarkable team. I feel incredibly lucky to now call myself a member of The Wright Center family.” Wendy and her husband, Ben Payavis, reside in Waverly Twp. Her daughter, Lily, lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is a musician.

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors Welcomes Prominent New Members

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The Board of Directors of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education (TWCGME) conducted its annual meeting at the new integrated clinical, educational and administrative hub at 501 S. Washington Ave. in Scranton on Jan. 31, 2020. During the meeting, new board members were welcomed, officers were elected and the board celebrated its recent momentous expansion to reflect its national presence.

“It is so remarkable that, right here in Scranton, The Wright Center is spearheading nationally significant innovations in primary care physician training that have been deployed across the country with the goal of increasing the number of primary care physicians in underserved areas. The next logical step for our high-performing, nonprofit governance model was to include the important voices of our valued, nationally-spread community health center partners on our Board of Directors to ensure cross-organizational learning and engagement without geographic boundaries,” said Jennifer Walsh, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for TWCGME.     

Of particular note regionally, a pair of prominent area physician leaders and a local expert in healthcare finance joined the board as directors, bringing decades of experience in innovation, technology, health care and education: Patrick D. Conaboy, M.D., Michael J. Paglia, M.D., Ph.D., and Thomas Bisignani.

Dr. Conaboy, an Archbald resident,is the Chief Medical Officer for Commonwealth Health’s Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital. A graduate of Scranton Preparatory School, the University of Scranton and Georgetown University School of Medicine, he served a decade in the U.S. Army before returning to Scranton where he opened a family practice that would become Cognetti and Conaboy Family Practice.

Dr. Paglia, a Shavertown resident, is Associate Designated Institutional Official for Geisinger Health System and a Clinical Associate Professor at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Dually board-certified in obstetrics/gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine, he currently serves on Geisinger’s Systemwide Hospital Lab Formulary Committee and the Board of Directors for the local branch of the March of Dimes.

Mr. Bisignani, an Olyphant resident, is the Market Chief Financial Officer for Commonwealth Health System – the largest network of hospitals in Northeastern Pennsylvania – overseeing Moses Taylor Hospital, Regional Hospital of Scranton, Physician’s Health Alliance, Commonwealth Health Emergency Medical Services and Great Valley Cardiology. He is a graduate of the University of Scranton with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board also welcomed the following new board directors:

  • Robert Naismith, Ph.D., Chairman of Mentor Insight; Jujuama Inc.; and Jujama Solutions Pvt. Ltd.; Professor of Clinical Sciences at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (who was appointed Secretary of this board)
  • Carol W. Rubel, Adjunct Professor of Education at University of Scranton
  • Jumee Barooah, M.D., Designated Institutional Official of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education
  • Judy Featherstone, M.D., Chief Health Officer at HealthPoint in Auburn, Washington
  • Vincent Keane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Unity Health Care in Washington, D.C.
  • Kim Patton, President and Chief Executive Officer of HealthSource in Ohio
  • Douglas Spegman, M.D., Chief Clinical Officer of El Rio Health in Arizona
  • Sharon Obadia, D.O., FNAOME, Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Services and an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

Led by President Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., these recently appointed board members joined valued existing directors: Harold Baillie, Ph.D. (Chair); James Gavin (Vice Chair); John Kearney (Treasurer); Carlon Preate; Gerard Geoffroy; Mary Marrara; Sister Maryalice Jacquinot; and Lia Richards-Palmiter, Ph.D.

ABOUT

The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has trained physicians for more than 40 years and aims to develop primary care doctors who will continue to practice in underserved regions after graduation. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is a non-profit organization recognized by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as the largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium (GME-SNC) in the country. The Teaching Health Center initiative addresses physician workforce shortages (particularly in rural and inner-city areas), mal-distribution and escalating healthcare disparities in the United States.

The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors Welcomes Prominent New Members

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The Board of Directors for The Wright Center for Community Health (TWCCH) conducted its annual meeting at the new integrated clinical, educational and administrative hub at 501 S. Washington Ave. in Scranton on Jan. 31, 2020. TWCCH was designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration as of June 1, 2019; 76% of this board of directors is composed of a majority of patients and other users of TWCCH’s services, exceeding federal requirements. Carlon Preate, who chaired the board during its inaugural year as an FQHC Look-Alike, was honored for his service with a crystal gavel presented in touching tribute by incoming Chair Gerard Geoffroy. Mr. Preate now assumes the role of Immediate Past Chair.

Mr. Preate, a Clarks Summit resident and TWCCH patient, has more than 40 years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant in Northeast Pennsylvania. Prior to retirement, he supervised operations of a regional branch of Parente Beard LLC.

Mr. Geoffroy, a Jermyn resident, has been a patient of TWCCH for more than 20 years and is a fervent advocate of the patient’s voice at the governance table. His passion for health care was ignited while caring for his late wife during her illness, and he continues to advocate for patient education and quality health care delivery. He has worked in the fields of mental health and education for more than 40 years, retiring as an Adjunct Professor from the University of Scranton. 

The Wright Center for Community Health also recently welcomed the following new directors to the board:

  • Tracy Hunt, Assistant Vice President of In-Home Services at Allied Services Integrated Health System
  • Deborah Kolsovsky, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Institutional Advisory and Retirement Solutions at PNC Bank
  • Ellen Walko, a retired Speech Therapist from Susquehanna Community School District

These recently appointed board members joined valued existing directors: William Waters, Ph.D. (Vice Chair); John Kearney (Treasurer); Mary Marrara (Secretary); James Gavin; Mary Ann Chindemi; LeeAnn M. Eschbach, Ph.D.; Patricia DeSouza; Susan Duckworth; Melissa Simrell; the Honorable Edward G. Staback; Kim Heritscko;  Francis Stevens; Lewis Marcus; Jeffrey Metz; and Jody Cordaro.

Dr. Enrique Samonte Named Medical Director of Mid Valley Practice

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Announcement is made that Enrique Samonte, M.D., has been named medical director of The Wright Center for Community Health’s (TWCCH) Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn. In this new leadership role, Dr. Samonte will ensure the delivery of quality, integrated patient care across the clinic’s service lines, including primary care, dental health, addiction services and behavioral health, for children and adults.

A graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines, Dr. Samonte completed his residency at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Board of Family Physicians and the Philippine Medical Society. A diplomat of the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology, he is waivered in Medication-Assisted Treatment for Substance Abuse Disorder.

Portrait of Enrique Samonte, MD

In addition to this promotion, Dr. Samonte continues to serve as associate program director for regional family medicine as well as a member of the physician faculty. He has assisted in administrative and clinical oversight of the graduate medical educational program and has also overseen workforce development and community partnerships to enhance primary care delivery in the region.

“Throughout Dr. Samonte’s tenure with The Wright Center, he has shown that he cares deeply about our patients by embodying our core values of being an exceptional team player, striving for excellence and spreading positivity,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, TWCCH Chief Medical Officer.

Jumee Barooah, MD, Named Designated Institutional Official for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education

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Jumee Barooah, MD, has been named Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.

Originally from India, Dr. Barooah attended Gauhati Medical College and Hospital and worked as an internal medicine provider at a tertiary center before relocating to the United States. She completed her internal medicine residency at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education in 2013 and served as a provider at the Mid Valley Practice for a year before moving to Washington state. She re-joined the organization in 2016 as physician-faculty, and held the role of Medical Director of the Jermyn clinic until her appointment as the new DIO.

Dr. Barooah is a dually board-certified internist and attained her Addiction Medicine Board Certification in 2017. She has been involved with research, quality improvement and educational initiatives, including the training of residents and interprofessional learners, and she is a strong advocate for teaching primary care residents in our Patient-Centered Medical Home model.

“The joyful and most welcomed, formal appointment of my partner Dr. Jumee Barooah as The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Designated Institutional Official is a notable landmark achievement for our organization and my executive tenure. Through her early years with our organization as an internal medicine resident and her subsequently joining as clinical faculty, she blossomed in her career as the Ambulatory Associate Program Director of our Internal Medicine Residency and Medical Director of the Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice. Jumee is a fabulous testament of delivery of our mission to improve the health and welfare of the communities we serve through innovative and responsive health services and sustainable renewal of an inspired and competent workforce that is privileged to serve. She is well respected and loved by her patients and their families and our learners, as well as all of us who have the privilege to work with her. Her commitment to lifelong learning demonstrated through her impressive academic achievements, including her pioneering leadership and board certification in Addiction Medicine, is simply awesome. As our physician DIO, Jumee will be an incredible, collaborative and high integrity ambassador of our Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium throughout our community-based partnership training network. We are so happy and proud of her,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, CEO of The Wright Center for Community Health and President of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.

“I have been privileged to work alongside Dr. Jumee Barooah, who is a fellow graduate of The Wright Center’s residency program, and watch her grow along with our organization. As a respected colleague and also a personal friend, I’m proud to support her in this expanded role,” said Dr. Jignesh Sheth, Chief Medical Officer of The Wright Center for Community Health and Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. “Training at The Wright Center under the leadership of Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak has been an extraordinary journey. She really made me understand the strength of primary care in serving the community and building those relationships. I will work with our resident and fellowship learners as well as our provider faculty to help them all achieve their educational and professional goals and to continue to grow our programs. Spreading the word about The Wright Center across the country will be key to reaching our 10-year vision, which is to be recognized by the President of the United States as the Health and Human Services gold standard of a community-based model for primary health care and integrated workforce development. Part of my vision as the new DIO is building up an alumni network and outreach so that we can all connect and support each other. There is a huge gap in primary care not only in Pennsylvania, but also nationwide, so I feel communication will allow us to work together to identify and fulfill the needs of both our local communities and those throughout the country. I’m very humbled that I have been offered this opportunity. I have seen how much The Wright Center has grown since my early years with the organization as a resident, and I feel ready to assume this role and to further the expansion of the next generation of providers and integrated primary care,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, new DIO of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.

The Wright for Community Health Awarded More Than $1.5 Million in Federal Funds for Medication-Assisted Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

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The Wright Center for Community Health (TWCCH) has received a federal grant of more than $1.5 million to help Northeastern Pennsylvania residents who are coping with opioid use disorder (OUD), according to an award notification this month from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The grant, totaling $1,561,494, will fund a three-year initiative that is expected to assist more than 1,550 people in Lackawanna County and several nearby counties. In particular, the administration’s grant will allow TWCCH to target its OUD treatment efforts at four particularly vulnerable, hard-to-reach populations: individuals involved with the criminal justice system, veterans, the elderly and pregnant women.

TWCCH’s physicians and other healthcare providers will work collaboratively with local partners such as the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas treatment courts, the Area Agency on Aging, the Veterans Justice Outreach Program, Maternal and Family Health Services, police departments and first responders. Their collective goal: Save lives by increasing the number of individuals who receive medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and the support of long-term recovery services.

TWCCH, a provider of primary healthcare services, began offering MAT to patients three years ago, responding to the nation’s opioid crisis and its disproportionately lethal toll on communities in Lackawanna, Luzerne and surrounding rural counties. At the time, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services designated TWCCH as a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence. TWCCH uses a team-based approach to provide MAT, compassionately delivering a whole-person intervention that includes physical and behavioral healthcare, case management, self-help, pain management, and referrals for social supports such as housing, job training and life skills. MAT should be offered to individuals with an OUD or an alcohol use disorder “on a routine basis,” according to advocates at SAMHSA.

“This generous federal grant from SAMHSA gives us the opportunity to launch to the next level of care delivery. It will bring us deep into the criminal justice system, where we will be able to offer more therapeutic alternatives and help people suffering from OUD. Our local criminal justice system is so ready for this type of needs-responsive care, which connects behavioral health with primary care, addiction medicine and oral care in the integrated Patient-Centered Medical Home model that we work within. These SAMHSA funds will enable us to continue finding the sweet spot that affords patients we serve their due privacy and confidentiality, while also letting us explore the new frontier of careful information sharing across cooperative platforms,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, CEO of The Wright Center for Community Health and President of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.

“The Wright Center for Community Health has moved toward behavioral health and primary care integration, and this has definitely showed a very positive impact on our patient population. Though it is still in its infancy, we are getting better at identifying barriers for treatment in terms of the socioeconomic determinants of health and channeling our energy toward a more whole-person approach for better patient outcomes,” said Dr. Jumee Barooah, Designated Institutional Official for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.

“This SAMHSA grant will allow us to optimize services to our clients, and it also supports our efforts to pioneer the training of psychiatry and primary care residents in this integrated-care model,” said Dr. Sanjay Chandragiri, Psychiatry Residency Program Coordinator for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.

“The encouragement and support we are receiving through this federal grant is imperative for our organization so that we may continue successfully in our daily commitment to serving our community in the best and most effective ways,” said Dr. Tasneem Khan, Psychiatry Residency Associate Program Director for The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and Behavioral Health Medical Director for The Wright Center for Community Health.