Press Releases

Today, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded three grants worth $9,088,536 combined to the Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education for it’s continuing mission and operations.  

The Wright Center provides medical residency training for primary care physicians in northeastern Pennsylvania and across the country through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Teaching Health Center (THC) initiative.  The THC initiative addresses physician workforce shortages, particularly in rural and inner-city areas; distribution of resources; and escalating health care disparities in the U.S.

“I applaud the Wright Center in being recognized for the critical services it provides Northeastern Pennsylvania residents,” said Rep. Cartwright. “Many people in the region still need better access to quality health care, and these funds will help the Wright Center get well-trained doctors into our health systems to meet community needs.”

The Wright Center operates two community health centers, the Wright Center for Primary Care in Scranton and the Wright Center for Primary Care in the Mid-Valley.  The Wright Center’s mission is to provide excellence in graduate medical education in an innovative and collaborative spirit in order to enhance the quality of health care for the people of northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Wright Center is a non-profit organization recognized by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as the largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education consortium in the country.  Physicians trained in THCs are twice as likely to practice in underserved areas as compared to those not trained in THCs.

“As the largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Consortium in the nation, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is privileged to train physician leaders who are interested in making a genuine difference in the lives of their patients and communities. The THCGME program has successfully ignited and leveraged clinical educational environments in numerous community-based venues across the country, and especially in northeast PA, while delivering competent, public health-minded physician leaders. This initiative has received notable bi-partisan support and will be a catalyst for a larger conversation surrounding the transformation of our American healthcare delivery and medical educational systems. We are honored to be recipients of this significant federal award and remain energized around our mission to continuously improve education and patient care in a collaborative spirit to enhance outcomes, access and affordability,” said Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD, President/CEO, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.