Legislators joined officials with The Wright Center for Community Health and Friendship House for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Oct. 24 to celebrate the Friendship House’s new Whole Person Care Center at 200 Wyoming Ave. in Scranton. (Courtesy: thewrightcenter.org)
The Wright Center for Community Health is partnering with Friendship House to improve access to responsive and inclusive whole-person primary health services, especially for individuals with complex mental health and/or substance use disorder needs.
Beginning November 5, the Wright Center is offering primary health services at Friendship House’s new Whole Person Care Center, 200 Wyoming Ave., Suite 250, Scranton. The new location will begin by opening from noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, providing a range of services such as checkups, physicals, screenings, and treatment for common illnesses and injuries.
These services will be available to individuals of all ages, regardless of their insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. Patients do not need to be clients of Friendship House to receive care at The Wright Center’s new location.
The new center’s goal is to integrate mental health, substance use disorder, and physical health services, improving health outcomes while optimizing the use of resources. Along with The Wright Center’s primary health services, Friendship House will offer mental health and substance use disorder services, and The Prescription Center will provide pharmacy services.
Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, says, “This exciting and important partnership allows The Wright Center to enrich and extend the delivery of our noble mission to improve the health and welfare of our communities through inclusive and responsive health services and the sustainable renewal of an inspired, competent workforce that is privileged to serve. By improving access to essential primary health care services for individuals who come to Friendship House, we will continue to enhance the overall health and well-being of our shared community.”
Friendship House provides support to children, adolescents, and adults facing developmental disabilities, emotional or behavioral challenges, or the effects of trauma from loss, abuse, or neglect. In March 2022, the nonprofit acquired the two-story, 22,000-square-foot facility, which spans the Davidow Building at 200-216 Wyoming Ave., and the former Murray Building at 413-415 Biden St.
Staffing a recent food pantry at The Wright Center for Community Health – Mid Valley location, from left, are Gerri McAndrew, co-director of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement, and Internal Medicine residents Drs. Archana Sridhar, Preya Patel, and Shreyas Patil.
A pallet of food sat near the storage shed at The Wright Center for Community Health – Mid Valley location, delivered that morning by a friendly driver from the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank.
In two hours, vehicles would begin lining up in the parking lot next door – the drivers and passengers waiting for much-needed help to fill their pantries and fridges.
Before distributing the nutritious food, however, volunteers from The Wright Center had to unload the delivery and pack hundreds of bright blue cloth bags with fresh produce, milk, juice, meat, and other items.
Gerri McAndrew, director of development and relations for community outreach and co-director of The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE), clapped her hands once to get the attention of a group of volunteers. “OK! Let’s start lining up the produce in the front here, but put the cold stuff back in the shade,” she said. “Then we can start filling the bags assembly-line style.”
Soon, deep purple eggplants and round, shiny spaghetti squash made their way into each bag, followed by bags of yellow potatoes, grapefruits, and much more. Volunteers were careful not to crush the delicate items, including the cartons of eggs. Bags were then lined up on two distribution tables, and McAndrew, who oversees the monthly food pantries organized by PCE, began approaching vehicles to greet the people waiting to pick up the bounty.
September is Hunger Action Month, a time to raise awareness about hunger in communities across America. McAndrew is familiar with the need locally. She oversees regular food pantries at The Wright Center’s community health centers in Mid Valley, North Pocono, and Hawley. Additional pantries, including two recent pop-up events at Scranton’s Weston Field, are held as needed. The Wright Center began hosting food giveaways about a decade ago, McAndrew said, thanks to some help from Volunteers of America and, later, Friends of the Poor.
The need increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and leaders at The Wright Center recognized an opportunity to help patients and others in the community they serve. In addition to the Weinberg Food Bank, The Wright Center partners with a variety of community groups to help distribute food, including the Wayne County Food Pantry and the city of Scranton.
“It was a small program that grew to address the needs of our communities,” McAndrew said. “There are a lot of people in need who don’t drive. The more places you can offer for people to come and get food, the better for the community.”
As the pandemic eased, the need for nutritious food did not disappear. Neither did PCE’s mission to improve the health of our communities through education, advocacy, and patient-centered services that help individuals overcome food insecurity, homelessness, transportation issues, and other factors known as the social determinants of health. In 2023, food distributions organized by The Wright Center helped nearly 900 families. PCE also donated more than 300 turkeys, turkey breasts, and hams to families for their Thanksgiving meal that same year.
“A lot of families are being squeezed by rising prices. Gas, utilities, and rent are all getting more expensive,” McAndrew said. “People are facing tough choices – pay their light and water bills or pay for food. And some months, it may be a choice between buying their kid cleats for soccer or putting food on the table.”
Channel Kearse, an outreach coordinator for the city of Scranton, said many in the Electric City are familiar with those difficult choices. The city began hosting pop-up events in 2022 to increase access to food for Scranton residents and is happy to partner with The Wright Center.
“We know there’s a great need, based on what we’re seeing and what our community partners are seeing,” Kearse said. “Why not bring the resources right to the neighborhoods? We’re going to take every opportunity we can to help people access services.”
Back at the Mid Valley health center, the number of bags dwindled as people arrived to pick up food. McAndrew’s smile grew as she greeted each person individually, jotting down some basic information to report back to the Weinberg Regional Food Bank.
“No one will be turned away,” she said, glancing at the volunteers placing bags in each vehicle. “If we run out, we have resources to make sure no one leaves empty-handed.”
Peckville resident Margaret Esgro, a regular at the Mid Valley food distribution location, appreciates the assurance.
“I’ve been coming to this food bank for years,” she said. “What I can’t use, I’ll pass out to my neighbors in need. It’s a great variety of veggies and meats. And it really helps when you need to stretch your money. I’m very grateful for this food pantry being close to where I live.”
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.
