Dr. Tejas Nikumbh, left, a resident physician in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Dr. Douglas Klamp, senior vice president, chief medical education officer, and physician chair of resident and fellow talent acquisition at The Wright Center, talk with patient Erylene Cooke aboard the 34-foot mobile medical and dental unit known as Driving Better Health.
Submitted Photo
Grant will help patients with transportation, hygiene supplies, and household items
Dr. Tejas Nikumbh, far left, a resident physician in The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, and far right, Dr. Douglas Klamp, senior vice president, chief medical education officer, and physician chair of resident and fellow talent acquisition at The Wright Center, treat patient Tyler Worden as part of a new street medicine program launched by The Wright Center. Since January, staff and resident physicians at The Wright Center have visited Scranton’s Community Intervention Center twice a week, performing more than 365 medical exams aboard the 34-foot mobile medical and dental unit, Driving Better Health.
Submitted Photo
Getting to doctors’ appointments will be a little easier for some patients in need, thanks to The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education and a grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation.
The $18,700 grant will be used to buy bus passes, transportation vouchers, and gas cards for patients enrolled in The Wright Center for Community Health’s Healthy Maternal Opiate Medical Support (Healthy MOMS) Program and patients being helped by The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s new street medicine program to get to and from doctor appointments at Wright Center community health centers and at community partners across the region.
The Wright Center will also use the grant to provide hygiene supplies and household items to patients at the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic.
Healthy MOMS focuses on helping mothers-to-be and mothers with substance use disorder, bringing together health care, legal, housing, and social services organizations from more than seven counties in Northeast Pennsylvania. Participants can join before giving birth and remain in the program until the child turns 2.
An assigned case manager helps with a range of support services, including medications for opioid use disorder, counseling, primary and OB-GYN care, parenting tips, legal advice, and more. Since its launch in August 2018, the program has helped more than 500 mothers and welcomed 348 babies.
The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s new street medicine team, composed of medical assistants, community health workers, addiction recovery specialists, resident physicians, and more, visits the Community Intervention Center in Scranton twice a week. Since it launched in January, the team has completed more than 500 medical exams aboard the 34-foot mobile medical and dental unit known as Driving Better Health. Many times, care provided by The Wright Center’s street medicine team will lead to referrals for follow-up care – either at The Wright Center’s community health center in Scranton or other providers who can assist them.
“Transportation assistance is essential to help patients access critical services and reduce barriers to care,” said Dr. Douglas Klamp, who leads the street medicine team and serves as The Wright Center’s senior vice president, chief medical education officer, and physician chair of resident and fellow talent acquisition. “By improving transportation access, patients will be better able to attend appointments, adhere to treatment, and remain engaged in care, especially if they are experiencing financial difficulties, housing insecurity, or other challenges.”
As a U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration-designated provider since 2002, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Clinic has provided whole-person primary health services to patients living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS. In 2008, the clinic expanded its offerings to include critical supportive services to help patients navigate their medical and support needs. Available ancillary services include housing assistance, medical nutrition therapy, emergency financial assistance, and more. Today, the Ryan White Clinic provides care to nearly 500 patients each year from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. More than 95% of the clinic’s patients have undetectable viral loads, meaning they cannot transmit HIV to others.
“Providing essential hygiene and household supplies addresses basic but often unmet needs among vulnerable populations,” said Melissa Bonnerwith, The Wright Center’s Ryan White grants administrator. “This is especially important for individuals managing chronic conditions such as HIV.”
The Wright Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026. Founded in 1976, The Wright Centers for Community Health, Graduate Medical Education, and Patient & Community Engagement is a physician-led, community-owned nonprofit and a cornerstone of health care in the region. The organization employs more than 677 professionals – including nearly 200 resident and fellow physicians – and trains more than 200 interprofessional healthcare learners each year.
In fiscal year 2024-25, The Wright Center served about 38,300 unique patients across its growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, as well as its mobile medical and dental unit, Driving Better Health.
As a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and safety-net provider, The Wright Center serves all patients, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.
Learn more at TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
