Nursing scholarships awarded

HONESDALE, PA — Four local 2019 high school graduates aspiring to become nurses were awarded scholarships through the generosity of two families with ties to Wayne Memorial Hospital. The awardees, donor family representatives and officials from Wayne Memorial Hospital recently met to discuss the students’ educational paths and offer congratulations.

Recipients of the Dr. Howard R. and Marian C. Patton Scholarship were two graduates of Wallenpaupack, Hannah Smith of Hawley and Isabella Calabrese of Lords Valley, along with Deposit High School graduate Ashly Davis of Deposit, New York. A graduate of Western Wayne High School, Paige Barillo of Lake Ariel, was the recipient of the Cathy Collins Scholarship.

Applicants were judged on academic achievement, community service, volunteerism as well as extracurricular activities. Additionally, students were required to complete an essay, provide references and sit for a face-to-face interview with a selection committee made up of Wayne Memorial Hospital auxilians. Scholarship opportunities were open to school districts located within the Wayne Memorial Health System service area.

Keepin’ it cool with a luau

HONESDALE, PA — Wayne Memorial Hospital respiratory therapists Valerie and Steve Stout threw a beach luau party on July 19 to celebrate their patients surviving the first major heat wave of the summer.

“Air is heavier in higher humidity,” explained Sean McVeigh, MD, medical director of the hospital’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation Department. “The times between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. are peak hours where people should try to keep hydrated, stay inside and keep their bronchodilators close by.”

Pulmonary Rehab is a multidisciplinary program where patients come in for 36 sessions of exercise tailored to their abilities and level of shortness of breath. Each patient is also educated on proper oxygen use and medication during their time in the program.

 “When I leave here, I feel like I can take on the world,” said Sandy DeGroat, Honesdale, who has been in the rehab program for a month. “I was so nervous about that heat wave, but I couldn’t believe how well I took it on.”

The main goal of Pulmonary Rehab is sustainability or increasing the patient’s endurance to take on and complete daily tasks that can be strenuous to someone living with shortness of breath.

“We just try to make the program fun once in a while,” continued Valerie. “They say laughter is the best medicine—and we really do have a lot of laughs.”

Wayne Memorial gains pediatric practice

WAYNE COUNTY, PA — After more than 40 years as a privately-owned practice, Pediatric Practices of Northeast Pennsylvania (PPNP) will become part of Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers (WMCHC). Beginning August 1, the three Pediatric Practice locations in Honesdale, Waymart and Sterling will join the multi-specialty network of physician offices with sites throughout Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties.

As part of the transition, all three offices will be renamed to reflect the area they serve as well as carry the WMCHC identifier as a “health center.” According to Dr. Paul M. Diamond, MD, FAAP, board-certified pediatrician and one of four physician partners of PPNP, the move from independently owned to member-organization practice offered significant benefits. He anticipates a seamless transition, and anticipates that patients will likely not notice any changes. WMCHC is a federally qualified health center clinically affiliated with Wayne Memorial Health System, Inc.

Free emergency preparedness training

HARRIS, NY — The Catskill Regional Medical Center will host the New York Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program, a free disaster preparedness training program, on August 1. The session will be offered at 1 p.m. and again at 4 p.m. in Board Room A and B at Catskill Regional Medical Center, located at 68 Harris Bushville Rd. All interested citizens may attend and no advanced registration is required.

The event is part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s continuing Citizen Preparedness Training, which provides citizens with the knowledge and tools to prepare for emergencies and disasters, respond accordingly and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions.

The training program covers a broad range of emergency preparedness topics, like developing a family emergency plan, stocking up on emergency supplies and registering for NY-Alert, the free statewide emergency alert system. Following the session, participants will receive a training certificate.