a newsletter for the employees, residents, and friends of ... · clarks summit, jermyn, &...

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The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education & Primary Care er 2012 Clarks Summit, Jermyn, & Scranton, PA • (570).343.2383 r 2012

October & November 2012 Vol. 1, Issue 5

A newsletter for the employees, residents, and friends of The Wright Center

In a fast-paced, continually shifting environment, resilience to change is often the single most important factor that distinguishes successful organizations. A "Learning Organization" is an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future. It is continuously learning new ways of doing things and is necessarily

engaged in a continuous reflective process of forgetting old ways of doing things that no longer work. It is never static. People continually expand their capacity to create

the results they truly desire; New and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured; Collective aspiration is set free; People are continually learning to see the whole together in a Culture of Shared Accountability. - The Fifth Discipline - the Art and Practice of the Learning Organization: Peter Senge

We are now embarking on our second quarter of our organizational development since my appointment as President and CEO. I continue to learn so much each

day from you, our valuable employees, as I witness your intense commitment to the mission of The Wright Center to provide excellence in Graduate Medical

Education in an innovative and collaborative spirit in order to enhance the quality of healthcare for the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am evolving my

new frame of reference as an organizational leader and definitely understand The Wright Center's greatest asset to be you, its human capital. As a vested advocate

of optimal and healthy work environments, especially in healthcare education and delivery, I am excited to announce the mid October arrival of our new Director

of Human Resources, Kellie Knesis, who will join our top management team to lead the strategic development of our long awaited, internal Human Capital

Management (HR) Department. Kellie brings extensive expertise in healthcare HR systems and infrastructure to promote individual and team based alignment and

accountability, which are crucial for organizational high performance. She will be the primary liaison to our Employee Advisory Committee and will oversee

workforce relations. I am certain Kellie will create enormous organizational value as she oversees talent attraction and management, recruitment and selection,

job training and performance assessments at the individual and team level, and also incentive based employment organizational restructuring. She will ensure

compliance with employment and labor laws and strategically lead our Affirmative Action Employment compliance strategy as a federally funded nonprofit

organization.

As we evolve our culture of healthy team dynamics, mindfulness of our individual team based roles, and shared accountability for mission delivery, it is crucial

for everyone to understand the positive intent of this organizational strategy in both medical education and healthcare delivery. Mindfulness is bringing one’s

complete attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis; it is a purposeful, nonjudgmental, present-centered awareness that reduces errors.

Accountability is acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for one's actions, decisions, and work implementation within the scope of one's role or

employment position and encompasses the obligation to report, explain, and be answerable for resulting consequences. Accountability is central to discussions

related to problems in the public sector, nonprofit, and private corporate worlds. Accountability is often misused as ammunition for blame or punishment,

but well executed can have very positive organizational effects: better effectiveness, leaner workflow, less stress, and higher employee satisfaction. In traditional

organizations, workers are individually accountable to their bosses or direct reports. In a high performing, team based organization, team members are

individually accountable to each other and mutually accountable to their customers and mission delivery. Healthy culture strives to provide each employee in their

work a sense of purpose, accomplishment, expectancy, value, and security in an organizational spirit, where employees continually expand their collective

capacity to create the results they truly desire as a whole, together. This requires a mind shift from seeing parts to seeing wholes, and requires people to evolve

from helpless reactors to strategic, solution-oriented, and empowered contributors to defining the organizational future. To make great strides towards an optimal,

empowering healthcare delivery, education, and work environment, each employee at The Wright Center will be called upon to contribute to defining its bright,

impactful future as the leading agency fueling inter-professional healthcare workforce preparation and the development of high performing healthcare delivery

systems that are relevant and responsive to the needs of our regional community.

Given The Wright Center's powerful mission in our community and the collective power of all of you, I am privileged and most grateful for my role as

President/CEO. The Wright Center is poised, because of our investment, as a well recognized, authentic, mission-driven community asset and steward of

healthcare as a common good community resource. We must all recognize that this auspicious poise bestows incredible social responsibility to exemplify the

changes we want to see in healthcare education and delivery. True organizational power is in people and their ability to collaboratively work together as a high

performing team. Healing healthcare must be delivered in healthy, caring, proactive, and strategic work environments, where there is a culture of collaboration,

mutual respect and value, engaged mindfulness of mission, and shared pursuit of excellence in its delivery. Working well together, we must strive for a culture of

shared accountability and continuous improvement to deliver mission excellence. I commit to do my part working hard to enable our collective effort and success

and to serve you, our trainees, and our patients. As truthfully disclosed in last Wright Loop letter, I am a well-intended Pollyanna, often misperceived as a

perfectionist. This misperception can overshadow, prevent appreciation of, and undermine my passionate commitment to continuous, "endless" quality

improvement in patient care and education. Discovering everyday my strengths and weaknesses as a leader renders me excited, but humbled by a keen sense of

my enormous responsibility to all of you. As humans, interdependence is as essential as self sufficiency. Strong communities and organizations are rooted in

participatory citizenship. I know I can count on all of you to welcome Kellie, embracing accountability in your personal and team-based job performance and

engaging in the opportunity to explore and unfold, with her management led guidance, your valuable contribution to the motivated delivery of The Wright

Center's wonderful dual mission of high quality graduate medical education and patient care delivery.

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David Knorek: Scranton, Pennsylvania Dr. Knorek earned his Bachelor of

Science in Nutrition and Dietetics

from Marywood University in

Scranton, PA. He completed his

medical studies at St. Matthew’s

University School of Medicine in

Grand Cayman in the Caribbean

Islands as well as earned his

Master’s Degree in Healthcare

Management at Davenport University in Grand Rapids,

MI. Dr. Knorek has an extensive history of research with

food supplementation products, transplantation grafts,

and treatment of aneurysms. He maintains membership

and involvement in many regional and national

professional medical organizations. In his free time, Dr.

Knorek enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with

his wife and dogs. He admits to being an avid Yankees

and Steelers fan.

Michael Saleeb Ibrahim: Cairo, Egypt

Dr. Saleeb completed his medical

studies and internship at Ain

Shams University in Cairo,

Egypt. He then worked as a

general practitioner at Geziret

Badran Health Center in Cairo

and began his Internal Medicine

Residency at EL-Sahel Teaching

Hospital in Cairo. Dr. Saleeb

conducted extensive research on glucose intolerance as

part of his thesis to earn his Master’s Degree in Internal

Medicine. He later completed an observership at the

Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH, where he

contributed to many publications. Dr. Saleeb has served

his community through his involvement with the St.

Stephen group and serving children with visual

impairment at the Elkarma Charity in Egypt. In his free

time, Dr. Saleeb enjoys playing soccer, chess, and going

to movies with friends.

The cold, hard facts…. As the weather changes, so does the human preference in food. Colder weather causes humans to crave carbohydrates to keep warm through the winter.


10/6 • Fall Health Fair 12:00 - 4:00pm • MVP

10/6 • ACP Medical Student Annual Conference 8:00am - 3:00pm • TCMC

10/8 • Columbus Day

10/14 • TCMC Health Fair 12:00 - 3:00pm • TCMC Science Building Lobby

10/31 • Halloween

11/2 • RPC/CHCC Learning Session 8:00am (All Day) • Eden Resort, Lancaster, PA

11/11 • Veterans’ Day

11/14 • General Staff Meeting 8:00am • Tobin Hall (Breakfast served at 7:45am)

11/22 • Thanksgiving Day Offices Closed 11/22 & 11/23 • MVP Open

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Doors were opened for the first time at the new MVP facility Monday morning, September 10th. After a

ceremonial ribbon cutting, physicians, residents, and staff moved into the new building to begin the day seeing

and serving patients. The new 19,000 square foot facility more than triples the size of the former MVP building

and will be finished in 2013 after construction on Phase II dental offices and medical labs are complete. The

original MVP facility was opened in 2000 by Dr. Linda Thomas and was quickly outgrown in 12 short years by

the needs of the community. Through a generous land donation by local developers, Ken and Linda Powell, a

Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant supported by the governor, and the support of the

community, The Wright Center was able plan, contract, and construct a new, leading-edge facility to meet the

growing needs of the community as well as to continue TWC’s leading model of patient-centered, transformative

care. The integration of patient, resident, administrative, and physician space allows residents to learn, teach,

promote, and gain an understanding of patient and community health through inter-professional education.

Celebrations for the opening of the new practice will

take place throughout the month of October,

including a formal celebration on Friday, October 5th

and a health fair on Saturday, October 6th. All Wright

Center residents, physicians, staff, family, and

friends are invited to participate and celebrate this

momentous and exciting opportunity for The Wright

Center and for the health and quality of care it

provides to the people of Northeast Pennsylvania.

An update from the New Mid Valley Practice

GENERAL STAFF MEETING

There will be a General Staff Meeting on

Wednesday, November 14th at 8:00am

at Tobin Hall.

All employees of The Wright Center are invited

and strongly encouraged to attend. (Breakfast will be served at 7:45am)

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AAWWAARREENNEESSSS MMOONNTTHH

As part of The Wright Center’s Wonderful Women initiative to create awareness and offer

support to women and their families who are or

who have been impacted by breast cancer, we are

distributing pins and asking all employees to wear

them for the month of October as a visible sign of

the organization’s support for research, treatment,

and recovery of those affected by the disease.

Thank you for your participation in this initiative!

The Research Department would like to announce and invite anyone interested to the 2012 American

College of Physicians Associates’ and Medical Students’ PA Chapter Eastern Region Annual Research

Conference, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the ACP and The Wright Center. The

conference will be held at The Commonwealth Medical College (525 Pine Street) on Saturday,

October 6th, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The conference will feature a scholarly work poster judging

competition of 41 best entries in three categories: Clinical Vignettes, Quality Improvement, and Clinical

Research. Prizes will be awarded for outstanding posters. Participants include physician residents from

nearly 10 Internal Medicine residency programs in Eastern Pennsylvania including our own residents

from right here at TWC! The schedule for the conference is as follows:

8:00am - Registration, Breakfast, Poster set-up, and Abstract booklets

8:50am - Welcome and Speakers Dr. Linda Thomas, President & CEO, WCGME & Dr. Daniel Kimball, Governor, PA Chapter of the ACP

9:15am - Poster Judging

10:45am - Medical Jeopardy (Preliminary Rounds)

12:30pm - Lunch

1:00pm - Presentation of Awards

1:30pm - Medical Jeopardy (Final Round)

Come support our TWC residents who submitted abstracts and those who will be presenting at the

conference. For more information, please contact Richard May at [email protected].

RReesseeaarrcchh DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt

October:

10/2 • Dr. Vijay Muppidi

10/8 • Dr. Nick Ierovante

10/10 • Kellen Kraky

10/10 • Dr. Pranjal Boruah

10/11 • Dr. Manoj Das

10/11 • Dr. Stephen Pancoast

10/14 • Dr. Arjinder Sethi

10/16 • Jodilyn Coleman

10/19 • Laura Jones

10/20 • Dr. Cherif Abdelmalek

10/23 • Lori Carlin

10/25 • Dr. Mina Makary

10/26 • Richard May

10/30 • Dr. Mark Jia

November:

11/6 • Dr. Kumar Yellappa

11/6 • Hans Christianson

11/8 • Mark Smerdon

11/11 • Dr. Sitasravya Devathi

11/11 • Kari Machelli

11/12 • Donna Wisneski

11/13 • Jamie Ranslow

11/16 • Dr. Charles Deck

11/17 • Dr. Mehul Patel

11/22• Donna Uchic

11/26• Dr. Gregg Novak

11/28• Dr. Sindu Chandran

11/30• Dr. Edward Dzielak


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The Wright Center Mid Valley Practice has been identified as an “exemplar practice ” by a program funded by the Robert Wood

Johnson Foundation called The Primary Care Team: Learning from Effective Ambulatory Practices (LEAP). The goal of the LEAP

project is to identify and share innovative workforce practices that make primary care more accessible and effective for patients. Out

of hundreds of practices that were nominated and underwent a rigorous rating process, MVP is one of only 30 practices across the

nation selected for this distinction! In addition to receiving recognition for this honor, MVP will be part of a Learning Community

with the other exemplars to share and learn from each other.

As part of our participation in the LEAP program, MVP was visited by 3 members of the LEAP project on September 25th. The

site visitors were interested in understanding how MVP works together as a team, with a focus on its innovative approaches. They

observed clinical workflows and talked to staff in order to gain various opinions

about teamwork, job roles and responsibilities, and meeting the needs of the

patient population. This site visit was an opportunity to share TWC’s knowledge

and creativity about how to develop an effective primary care team and deliver

high quality, patient-centered health care. The information obtained during the

site visit will be used to develop training and technical assistance materials for practices interested in improving patient care through

innovations in staffing models.

Congratulations to the physicians, residents, staff, care teams, administration, and all involved at MVP for successfully bringing such

innovative and collaborative care to its patients and for continuing to highlight and exhibit The Wright Center’s leading model of

patient care in the NEPA region. For more information on RWJF’s LEAP initiative and details on MVP’s involvement, please visit

www.rwjf.org or contact Brian Ebersole at [email protected].

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TWC’s newest breast cancer support and awareness initiative, Wonderful Women, hosted its kick-off event September 12th at MVP. Over 50 women, friends, and TWC staff attended the evening, participating in raffles, receiving pink hair extensions, mini manicures, enjoying a spread of food donated by involved members and area catering companies, and listening to breast cancer survivor Barbara Connolly speak of her experience coping with and recovering from breast cancer. Special thanks to the team of Wonderful Women for bringing such success to the evening. For more information, or to attend any of the upcoming sessions, please contact Lindsay Gress at 570-383-9934.

Employment Opportunities at

The Wright Center

As of October1, 2012, the following

positions are open and available for

application:

-2 Providers (either NP or PA)

Mid Valley Practice

-MEDENT Application

Specialist & Trainer

Tobin Hall

-Nurse Practitioner

HIV Clinic

If you or someone you know is

interested in applying for any of these

positions, please send your resume

and application to Carrie

Hodovanec-Krott at

[email protected]

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The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend physicians provide

alcohol screening and counseling as part of a patients annual wellness visit. The Wright Center has implemented two

screening tools that can be accessed through the DM/HM in Medent. The CRAFFT screening, recommended by AAP, is

intended for adolescents aged 14-18. The AUDIT, recommended by WHO, is intended for patients ages 19 years and older.

Both tools were developed as a simple, yet effective method of screening for excessive drinking and they assist in the

delivery of brief intervention. An upcoming training on intervention for those patients who have a positive screen is being

planned for providers and residents.

The Mid Valley Practice is also excited to be participating in the Chronic Care Initiative (CCI) Smoking Cessation

Challenge. The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians Foundation has challenged CCI practices to help at least 20

diabetic patients who smoke to quit between November 2012 and June 2013. PAFP is offering free training for physicians

and providers on Friday, October 26th from 12:00n ~ 1:00pm. To register, please visit www.pafp.com or contact Lindsay Gress

at [email protected].

Smoking cessation is strongly encouraged through all patients, employees, and loved ones of The Wright Center. Patients

no longer need a physician referral to receive counseling and up to an 8 week supply of nicotine patches, which are

available in all 3 strengths, through the PA Free Quitline. Beginning in January 2013, the lozenge and nicotine gum will also

be available from the Quitline. A reminder

to providers who have not yet completed

the smoking cessation training to please

do so and submit their certificate to

Michele Snipes in the billing department. NNeeww TTHHCC SSiitteess:: FFiirreedd uupp…….. RReeaaddyy ttoo ggoo!!

Another year of resident training is up and running and off to a

great start! New Teaching Health Center (THC) environments

were added this year and are already receiving positive

feedback from resident evaluations. New locations to the THC

site list include NEPA Community Health Center in Hallstead acting

as a continuity clinic site, MFHS Circles of Care in Scranton

focusing on female reproductive health and family

planning, the Dental Hygiene Clinic at Scranton Primary

Health Care Center for oral hygiene, and psychiatric

primary care at MVP, which will involve resident

interaction with our newly hired Psych CRNP, Cherie

Soprano. In addition to this continued growth, the

original THC sites established in 2011 at SPHCC and Pike

County Family Health Center are still going strong and

producing notable results in The Wright Center’s THC residents.

We are proud to be training and producing such energetic and

enthusiastic physicians looking to improve the health

of their patients and their community. The continued

growth and success of the THC program ensures the continued

and improved health The Wright Center provides to the people of

Northeast Pennsylvania.

TWC residents:

making a difference

in the community,

changing the lives of

our patients.

THC Residents

2012-2013

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MMVVPP CCoollllaabboorraatteess wwiitthh WWiillkkeess UUnniivveerrssiittyy ffoorr

PPaattiieenntt PPhhaarrmmaaccyy SSaaffeettyy

In November 2011, in collaboration with The Wright Center for Primary Care Mid Valley Practice, the Wilkes University School of Pharmacy established a 6 week advanced ambulatory care pharmacy rotation experience for 6th year Doctor of Pharmacy students. Under the direction of faculty member Jen Malinowski, PharmD, students engage in a medication reconciliation service that provides drug therapy reviews for patients and captures potential pharmacotherapeutic interventions for providers. Jen and the pharmacy team also participate in the Patient Safety Pharmacy Collaborative (PSPC) 4.0, which was launched soon after the students arrived. The PSPC is a Health Resource Service Administration (HRSA) supported approach designed to produce optimal health outcomes in high risk patients through clinical pharmacy service integration. The clinic targeted geriatric patients with elevated blood pressure who take multiple medications. As of July 2012, 85% of patients achieved their goal blood pressure without the expense of increased adverse events. The success of this program can be attributed to the current clinic team, also known as the Wright Script. The team includes Dr. Linda Thomas, Dr. Jignesh Sheth, Brian Ebersole, Jen Malinowski and students, Alycia Coar, Kari Machelli, Tiffany Elkins, Jasmine Cloud, Jackie Kobal and Sherin Nasr. One initiative in which the Wright Script will participate is a poster presentation at the Quality Day conference at Geisinger in Danville, PA. The poster is entitled The Impact of Pharmacy Students in Geriatric Patients with Hypertension. The Geisinger Quality Day conference, themed Patient Safety and Quality: The Journey from Data to Outcome will be held Friday, October 19th. Posters selected addressed all aspects of quality and safety and include quality improvement initiatives, best practices, education and professional practice and work environments. Congratulations to the Wright Script for this accomplishment! Stay tuned for the Quality day conference results as well as future PSPC populations as the Wright Script team embarks on PSPC 5.0! For more information, please contact Jen Malinowski at [email protected].

NNeeww FFaacceess aatt TThhee WWrriigghhtt CCeenntteerr Over the course of the summer months and throughout September, meetings, recommendations, and interviews were conducted in search for a Director of Human Resources. After a competitive hiring process and many intensive interviews, Kellie Knesis was found to be the best candidate and was selected to fill the position. Kellie will be managing the day-to-day policies, procedures, developments, and employee relations of The Wright Center. She will be charged with continuing to create a high-performance culture of quality, productivity, and goal attainment, as well as recruitment and ongoing development of the superior workforce here at The Wright Center. Kellie will begin in mid-October.

In June, Belinda Morgantini began working as a LPN at the Mid Valley Practice and in July, Cherie Soprano also began working at MVP, serving patients as a Psych CRNP. At the end of August, we welcomed Kaitlyn McAfee to the Student Health Center as a Medical Assistant. She will be interacting with students, both medically and administratively, to assist them in wellness knowledge and support them in living a healthy lifestyle. In addition, Hans Christianson began working at Tobin Hall as TWC’s new Communication and Development Coordinator. Hans will work to develop and implement new strategies of delivering the organization’s mission, activities, and events to the community in attempts to build community partnerships and relations. As well as serving as an in-house writer and editor, Hans will also assist in writing and researching grant opportunities.

Throughout the month of October, we will be happy to welcome Donna Trusky and Roos Coffield to The Wright Center team. Donna will be filling an Administrative Assistant position at the Mid Valley Practice and Roos will be serving patients at the Scranton Clinic as a new Medical Assistant. We are excited for their presence and involvement in the organization and look forward to the difference they will make in the lives of our patients.

To all new members of The Wright Center family…. Welcome!

TThhee hheeaalltthh ooff tthhee ppeeooppllee iiss rreeaallllyy tthhee ffoouunnddaattiioonn uuppoonn wwhhiicchh aallll tthheeiirr hhaappppiinneessss aanndd aallll tthheeiirr ppoowweerrss aass aa ssttaattee ddeeppeenndd..

-Benjamin Disraeli

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a newsletter for the employees, residents, and friends of ... · clarks summit, jermyn, &...

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