The Wright Governance
1975
- Rand Corporation completes a study with Dr. Sol Sherry on internal medicine residencies in community hospitals.
- Dr. Sherry asks Dr. Robert Wright to start Scranton-Temple Residency Program.
1976
Dr. Wright files articles of incorporation for the Scranton-Temple Residency Program. A U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Primary Care Workforce Development Award supports the venture.
1977
The first class of internal medicine residents begin training.
1980
1994
2007
Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FACP, FAAP, is named president of The Wright Center Medical Group. She was already serving as program director of the Scranton-Temple Residency Program’s Internal Medicine Residency.
2008
2009
The Wright Center joins the newly launched Pennsylvania Collaborative Chronic Care Initiative, which focuses on primary and patient-centered care, as well as innovations in practice redesign and health information technology.
2010
- Community Health Hub (CHH) incorporates and applies to become a Federally Qualified Health Center. The application was unsuccessful.
- The official names of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education and its affiliated entity, The Wright Center Medical Group (doing business as The Wright Center for Community Health), were adopted by unanimous votes of the governing boards to rebrand the Scranton-Temple Residency Program in honor of founder, Dr. Wright.
2011
- The Wright Center joins a national movement known as the Beyond Flexner Alliance, which focuses on promoting health equity and training health professionals as agents of more equitable health care.
- Mid Valley and Clarks Summit practices are awarded the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home Level Three Certification.
2012
Dr. Wright retires, and Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak is named president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education.
2015-2016
- Work begins to formally align The Wright Center Medical Group, TWCGME, and CHH under a parent entity called Alliance. The realignment is inspired by Elinor Ostrom’s Nobel Prize-winning economic theory of common pool resource management/governance, which promotes collaboration, synergy, collective accountability, and stewardship.
- Affinitas Health Innovations incorporates as a for-profit company under The Wright Center to sell intellectual property, under the Alliance umbrella. It still exists today.
- Patient Engagement Council (PEC) incorporates to help The Wright Center patients across Northeast Pennsylvania.
- CHH applies for FQHC. The application was not successful.
2018
- After working with a consultant, Wright Center leaders identified The Wright Center Medical Group as the appropriate applicant for FQHC Look-Alike status instead of CHH. To prepare for the application, the Medical Group board changed from being physician-led to a patient- and community-led entity that rebranded as The Wright Center for Community Health (TWCCH).
- PEC joins forces with our staff-run auxiliary to strengthen fundraising and oversight efforts to fundraise for patient needs and create more financial oversight. Staff who served as auxiliary officers are appointed to the PEC board, a first in The Wright Center’s history. A co-director of patient engagement and a co-director of community engagement positions were created and filled. The board also amended the bylaws to include an electronic health record lead, social worker, and lead nurse on the board to better identify patients’ social determinants of health.
2019
- The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) approves TWCCH’s FQHC Look-Alike (FQHC LAL) designation.
- To align with HRSA’s FQHC LAL requirements and to ensure independence, TWCCH and TWCGME made changes to the governing board membership to reduce the number of board members that crossed over between corporations.
- PEC amends its bylaws to allow residents to have voting rights on the board. Two residents – a chief and leader – are appointed to the board of directors as voting members.
2020
PEC legally changes its name to The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement (PCE) to align with The Wright Center branding.
2021
CHH conjoins with the American Association of Teaching Health Centers (AATHC), which requires CHH board members to vote to remove the existing board and appoint a newly formed board and other bylaw amendments. All remaining CHH funds are transferred to PCE.
2023
TWCGME board amends bylaws to remove a class of members to simplify the entity’s governance. Today’s board is made up of hospital partners, community members, and more.
Our 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.
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