Category Archives: September 2024

Wright Center in Cardiovascular Hall of Fame

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Colleen Dougherty, vice president and chief clinical operating officer and director of certified registered nurse practitioner and physician assistant services at The Wright Center for Community Health, holds the certificate The Wright Center received for being named a 2024 Cardiovascular Health Hall of Fame Champion by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Cardiovascular Health Program.

The Wright Center for Community Health was named a 2024 Cardiovascular Health Hall of Fame Champion for making significant contributions to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Cardiovascular Health Program for 2023-24. 

The Wright Center worked with Quality Insights, a group dedicated to improving health and care through data-driven solutions, to contribute to the CDC program.

As part of their involvement in the CDC program, Colleen Dougherty, vice president and chief clinical operating officer and director of certified registered nurse practitioner and physician assistant services at The Wright Center for Community Health; Kari Machelli, RN, associate vice president of Integrated Primary Health Services; and Nicole Sekelsky, outreach and enrollment coordinator, shared information during a “Lunch and Learn” session hosted by Quality Insights about the unique strategies The Wright Center utilized to improve the overall health and well-being of patients. 

“Our team was honored to participate in this Q&A initiative to share our experience in managing high cholesterol and highlighting the importance of patient-centered care. We incorporated real stories where clinicians helped empower patients to take an active role in their health,” Dougherty said. “By adopting a team-based approach to primary care, we can identify and manage patients with high cholesterol and those at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which is commonly called ASCVD. Early intervention is crucial in preventing devastating health events and improving our patients’ overall well-being.”

During the 30-minute open panel discussion, The Wright Center’s presenters discussed how community health workers (CHWs) and nurses work together to support patients identified with high cholesterol and other chronic conditions. CHWs at The Wright Center connect patients to a variety of social services and community resources, including local food pantries, medication discount programs, transportation to and from doctor appointments, and more to help patients focus on improving their health.   

“At The Wright Center, our community health workers serve as a link for the patient, clinician, and outside resources,” said Sekelsky, who has worked as a CHW for The Wright Center since 2022. “We have the ability to assist and educate patients to help them take control of their own health, no matter the diagnosis.” 

The Wright Center, headquartered in Scranton, operates nine primary and preventive care health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wayne counties, with two more scheduled to open in early September – in Dickson City, Lackawanna County on Sept. 3, and in Tunkhannock, Wyoming County, on Sept. 9. It also operates a mobile medical and dental unit called Driving Better Health. The Wright Center’s locations offer responsive and inclusive whole-person primary health services. Patients typically have the convenience of going to a single location to access integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health care, as well as community-based addiction treatment and recovery services. For more information, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. 

Students at Perry’s celebrate Farm Week

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Perry’s Academy of Learning  Centers concluded the summer educational series by celebrating Farm Week. Students heightened their awareness and appreciation for animals and the important resources they provide. Students were also able to harvest their own cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes and herbs.

Cemetery Chronicles: George P. Friant

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Visitors to Scranton’s Everhart Museum can view hundreds of wildlife specimens ranging from forest animals to birds. In many cases, examples in this menagerie of fauna have been in the possession of the museum for over 100 years. One man, buried in the Dunmore Cemetery, had a hand in their creation and care which may also have contributed to his death.

Little is known about the early years of George P. Friant. What is known is that he was born in 1859 in Scranton, the son of David and Catherine Shoemaker Friant. The Friant family men were avid hunters and through this hobby George Friant became interested in the field of taxidermy. He then studied under the tutelage of Dr. Isaiah Everhart. The earliest account of Friant’s work appears in 1883 when he stuffed and mounted a wildcat that was exhibited at a local Hyde Park hotel. Following this, Friant regularly advertised his trade in local newspapers stating that preserving birds was his specialty. 

In 1892 Friant assisted the state ornithologist at Harrisburg in the preparation of the Pennsylvania display for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and the 1895 Cotton States and International Exhibition  in Atlanta, Georgia. The exhibit highlighted forest animals that inhabited the woodlands of Pennsylvania and Friant earned a Gold Medal for his efforts from both events. 

Also in 1893, Friant worked extensively on the restoration and remounting of a preserved mountain lion that was donated to Penn State University. For former students and followers of that school, the preservation of that specimen in the history of the university certainly holds a special significance.

In addition to his work in taxidermy, Friant also reported to the Pennsylvania Agricultural Department regularly. As a taxidermist, Friant could relay information such as population count and diseases on birds and other wildlife in the region to this department. 

In 1908 Friant worked with numerous wildlife specimens from the personal collection of Dr. Everhart and those purchased by Everhart from the collection of Williamsport brewer August Koch. Koch, like Dr. Everhart, traveled extensively and collected a vast number of museum worthy pieces.    

Friant played a significant role in cataloging and preparing the vast array of wildlife for display in the Everhart Museum. Over the next few years, Friant worked diligently to prepare hundreds of specimens and exhibits for the Everhart Museum. In 1912, he was appointed taxidermist for the institution, but his tenure would be short-lived.

George Friant died at the age of fifty-six on January 25, 1916. His death certificate reports that his death was due to chronic kidney disease. Newspapers of the day reported that Friant died as a result of arsenic poisoning. In his work as a taxidermist Friant used substantial amounts of arsenic and sulfuric acid. Both substances are toxic and continued exposure to the chemicals required for his work could have been contributing factors in Friant’s death. George Friant was laid to rest in Section 10 of the Dunmore Cemetery.