Scranton doctor,
college receive grant
SCRANTON - Dr. Valerie Weber, of The Commonwealth Medical College, recently received a primary care pre-doctoral training grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
The award, totaling $875,000 over five years, provides funding for the implementation and evaluation of TCMC's innovative curriculum, which provides each medical student with a continuity mentor relationship with a primary care physician, from northeastern and northcentral counties, over the course of their four years at TCMC, a news release said.
The program aims to increase the number of TCMC students who will choose careers in family medicine, general internal medicine or pediatrics, an important regional and national need. The project aims to ensure that all TCMC graduates, whatever their specialty choice, will possess the skills to allow them to function well as members of interdisciplinary teams and the medical home model.
Weber, principal investigator on the grant, leads the team of faculty and staff who will carry out the project, which aims to foster student awareness of the importance of primary care clinicians in underserved and rural communities and positively affect their attitudes toward working in these settings.
She will lead a team that tracks the students' experiences at each level of the curriculum. At the end of the grant, TCMC will have an in-depth understanding how the program is working as part of the curriculum.
General surgeon joins Haven Associates
Lock Haven Hospital and Haven Surgical associates recently announced the addition of general surgeon Dr. Ahmad Ahad.
He is board certified in general surgery by the American Board of Surgery and recently completed fellowship training in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at the University of Texas Science Center, Houston, Texas.
Ahad served a general surgery residency at Providence Hospital, Southfield, Mich. While there, he also completed a research fellowship in craniofacial, plastic and reconstructive surgery.
He received a medical degree from King Edward Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan.
"With Dr. Ahad's arrival, we continue the process of growth and quality improvement of the services we provide," said John Zidansek, CEO of Lock Haven Hospital. "Dr. Ahad's fellowship training in laparoscopic surgery will make him a valuable addition."
Local medical center
recognized for patient safety improvements
Williamsport Regional Medical Center, part of Susquehanna Health, received the Surgical Care Improvement award for its successful implementation of best practices relating to improving patient safety.
The awards program is sponsored by Quality Insights of Pennsylvania, the Medicare Quality Improvement organization for the commonwealth, which provided education, training, regional collaboration, on-site consultations and improvement tools to prevent surgical infections, surgical complications and hospital readmissions.
To achieve the award, Susquehanna Health fostered collaborative efforts among several departments including nurses in surgical case management, same day surgery, preadmission testing, anesthesia, post-operative area and the surgical units, as well as with anesthesiologists, surgeons and pharmacists.
Behavioral Health Services receives praise
Behavioral Health Services at Susquehanna Health recently was surveyed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The areas of focus were patient care and quality of staff.
During the unannounced visits, surveyors talked with staff and patients, reviewed open records as well as closed records and attended staff and patient meetings.
The three-day survey yielded zero deficiencies and nothing but praise from the physician and nurse who examined the service. The surveyors complimented the service partner cooperation, the physicians and the aesthetics of the facility on fifth floor of Divine Providence Hospital, as well as the overall clinical services provided at the center.
"This accomplishment comes at a time when we have dramatically increased our patient census (and) added new programming," says Ronald J. Reynolds, vice president of operations and administrator for Divine.
The survey team worked with psychiatrists; Jennifer Othmer, administrative director; Karen Kling, manager of patient care, behavioral health; and Marie Scott, clinical supervisor, inpatient behavioral health.
"The survey was very intense, and we are very proud of the team and the service we provide for our region," Reynolds said.
