Health center program - overview: the wright center for community health (twcch), a current health center program look-alike and pennsylvania state center of excellence for opioid/substance use…

The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded The Wright Center Medical Group (doing business as Wright Center For Community Health) $1.3 million in project grant funding on August 1, 2026, under the Health Center Program (CFDA 93.224) to establish and operate a new access point primary care clinic in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania.

The Wright Center will deliver the full scope of primary care, mental and substance abuse services, oral health, prenatal and postnatal services, pediatrics, telehealth, and case management services at the new Blakeslee clinic, located in Monroe County in rural northeastern Pennsylvania. The clinic will serve the population at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines, the uninsured, the underinsured, and the medically underserved in ZIP code 18610, an area of high unmet need contiguous with the organization's existing service area. The Wright Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and Pennsylvania State Center of Excellence for Opioid/Substance Use Disorder Treatment that currently operates health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties, serving over 50,000 patients. Seventy percent of patients at existing locations live at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines, with 46 percent living below 100 percent of guidelines.

Period of performance runs from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2027, with place of performance in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Health center program - overview: the wright center for community health (twcch), a current health center program look-alike and pennsylvania state center of excellence for opioid/substance use disorder treatment (COE), continues to serve the medically underserved in northeastern pennsylvania with accessible, affordable, quality primary health and human services. Twcch currently operates health centers in lackawanna, luzerne, wayne and wyoming counties. Seventy percent of patients seeking care at twcch live at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines (FPG) out of which 46% live below 100% FPG. New proposed community to be served: twcch is applying for $650,000 in community health center funding to establish a new access point primary care clinic in blakeslee, PA 18610. The community of blakeslee is in monroe county in rural northeast pennsylvania and is an area of high unmet need, contiguous with the current look-alike service area. Population to be served: while the center is open for all residents in ZIP code 18610, the focus would be to provide services to the population who are at or below 200% FPG, the uninsured, the underinsured, and the medically underserved. Need: across the existing and proposed service area of twcch, drug mortality is staggeringly high, and the population is concurrently challenged by preventable hospital stays, poor physical health, and high preterm births, among other concerns preventing timely care, such as poverty and limited vehicle access. Twcch seeks section 330 community health center funding for its existing look-alike locations, as well as a new access point location in a designated high-need area. Proposed services: twcch will provide the full scope of primary care, mental and substance abuse services, oral health, pre- and postnatal services, pediatrics, telehealth, and case management services. New access point funding from the health resources and services administration will allow twcch health center to improve its system of care, including the provision of enabling services such as screening for social risk factors, linkage to transportation, connection to medicaid and medicare enrollment and/or identification of potential health insurance options on the health exchange, and related services. Services will be provided to anyone regardless of their ability to pay, and patients will have access to a sliding fee discount. All people, regardless of age, english proficiency, disability, or other limiting factors, will be served. By providing easy access and optimum delivery of comprehensive health services, twcch will improve the quality of life for residents in blakeslee and the surrounding areas. Number of proposed new patients: twcch reported serving 28,187 unique patients in 2023. The health center proposes to use new access point funding to 1) add 3,044 patients to its existing health system and 2) 2,000 patients from the new location ZIP code and surrounding communities for an estimated total of 33,231 patients by december 31, 2026. Proposed service delivery site addresses monroe county (new location): 5251 RTE 115, blakeslee, PA 18610 luzerne county: 169 n pennsylvania AVE wilkes barre, PA 18701 wayne county: 1855 fair AVE, honesdale, PA 18431 103 spruce street, hawley, PA 18428 wyoming county: 5950 SR 6 STE 401, tunkhannock, PA 18657 lackawanna county: 5 s washington AVE, jermyn, PA 18433 (clinic and mobile unit shared address) 721 adams AVE, scranton, PA 18510 329 cherry street, STE 1B, scranton, PA 18505 1401 fellows ST, scranton, PA 18504 312 boulevard AVE, dickson city, PA 18519 260 daleville HWY STE 103, covington township, PA 18444 355 maple ST, scranton, PA 18505 1721 n main AVE, scranton, PA 18508 1145 northern blvd, south abington township, PA 18411 501 s washington AVE, scranton, PA 18505