Press Releases

Eighth Congressional District, Pennsylvania – Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced that Scranton Primary Health Care Center, Inc.; the Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania; and Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers will receive a total of $5,108,458 in Health Center Cluster grants from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw how essential it is for all Americans to have access to quality, affordable health care in their own backyards. Scranton Primary Health Care Center, Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania and Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers are doing remarkable work to support the health care needs of our region’s rural communities and moderate to low-income patients,” said Rep. Cartwright. “As these three health care centers accept the final installment of this multi-year grant, I am proud to reaffirm my commitment to supporting a robust and sustained national investment in health care.”

“The Health Center funding that we receive through HHS is integral to our ongoing operations. It allows us to provide needed services in the community including pediatrics, family & internal medicine, women’s health, gynecology, prenatal & postpartum care, infectious disease care, behavioral health, general dentistry, and assistance in navigating the health insurance marketplace. Representative Cartwright has always shown a keen interest in our activities, and this was never more evident than during the height of the pandemic when he made several visits to our health center to thank our staff for their hard work, and ensure we had what we needed to continue serving our patients and meeting our mission in the community,” said Joseph H. Hollander, CEO Scranton Primary Health Care Center, Inc. 

“This funding is mission critical to our organization and contributes greatly to our operational funding. These dollars alone help bring medical, dental, and pharmaceutical services close to home, where our patients need it most – therefore, greatly improving patient access and quality outcomes,” said Tiffany L. Tankalavage, President and CEO of Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern PA.

“The $1,405,471 grant represents nine months of the total award of $1,873,961 granted to Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers.  WMCHC has been awarded this grant since its inception in 2007. This annual Community Health Center Program grant is supported by Representative Cartwright and is one of the true successful bipartisan programs in place today.  Approximately $900,000 of this grant award is used annually to provide free and reduced care to uninsured medical, dental and behavioral health patients. in Wayne and Pike Counties and the Carbondale in Forest City areas.  The remainder helps the development of the rural health care infrastructure.  Utilizing these funds, the health center has grown to over 19 sites with over 70 professionals in the last 15 years, providing the residents of these rural communities with affordable accessible care close to home,” said Frederick Jackson, Executive Director of Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers.

The Health Care Cluster Grant is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of HHS. It is the primary federal agency for improving health care for those who are geographically isolated or economically or medically vulnerable, working to improve health outcomes and health equity across the country. HRSA supports more than 90 programs that provide funding to over 3,000 grantees to help them meet the health care needs of tens of millions of Americans.