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Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD, Medicine/Pediatrics, Scranton, PA

LindaJThomas-HemakMDFACP, FAAP

Medicine/Pediatrics • Scranton, PA

Addiction Medicine, Health and Culture, Obesity Medicine and Nutrition

President and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education

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  • Office

    501 S. Washington Ave.
    Suite 1000
    Scranton, PA 18505
    Phone+1 570-343-2383

Summary

  • Linda J. Thomas-Hemak, MD, FACP, FAAP, serves as President and CEO of The Wright Center for Community Health and The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.

    A healer at heart and Jermyn, Pennsylvania native, Dr. Thomas-Hemak is a visionary leader and compassionate physician who blends executive expertise with hands-on patient care.

    Quintuple board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, addiction medicine, obesity medicine, and nutrition, she provides care to multi-generational families at The Wright Center’s Mid Valley community teaching health center in her hometown in Jermyn. The Wright Center for Community Health earned the coveted Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike designation in 2019 from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

    Dr. Thomas-Hemak champions Patient-Centered Medical Home delivery, advocating for patient-centric, team-based care enhanced by health information technology, integrated behavioral health services, and strong community resource networks. Her leadership focuses on fostering joy in practice, addressing provider burnout, and honoring the noble privilege of serving as a physician.

    After graduating as a Michael DeBakey Scholar from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, she completed Harvard’s rigorous Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Program in Boston. Her academic and professional career is marked by her commitment to medical education and interprofessional workforce development.

    Under her stewardship, The Wright Center trains over 200 residents and fellows in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, and Geriatrics, equipping them with 21st-century competencies to thrive in America’s evolving health care landscape.

    As an active physician-faculty leader and mentor, Dr. Thomas-Hemak finds immense joy in integrating medical education with patient care and leveraging local resources to improve health outcomes within her community.

Clinical Expertise

  • Addiction medicine, Nutrition, Obesity and obesity-related disorders, Pediatrics, Teaching, Patient education, Patient-centered medical homes, Internal medicine, Substance use disorder, Interprofessional health care workforce development, Socioeconomic determinants of health, Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) advocate, National EHR/EMR interoperability advocate, Health care delivery innovation, Hands-on medical practitioner, Graduate Medical Education Safety-Net Consortium, School-based health centers

Education & Training

  • A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA)
    A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA)Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, 2022
  • Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
    Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical SchoolResidency, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, 1994 - 1998
  • Baylor College of Medicine
    Baylor College of MedicineClass of 1994
  • University of Scranton
    University of ScrantonBS, Biology, 1986 - 1990

Certifications & Licensure

  • PA State Medical License
    PA State Medical License 1998 - 2026
  • American Board of Internal Medicine Internal Medicine
  • American Board of Pediatrics Pediatrics
  • American Board of Obesity Medicine Obesity Medicine
  • American Board of Preventive Medicine Addiction Medicine
  • National Board of Physician Nutrition SpecialistsNutrition Certified

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

  • Pennsylvania Power of Diversity: Women 100 (Pennsylvania’s most influential female leaders) City and State Pennsylvania, 2024
  • Hometown Scholars Advocate of the Year National Association of Community Health Centers and A.T. Still University, 2024
  • Trailblazers in Healthcare City and State Pennsylvania, 2024
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Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Journal Articles

  • THE MIND-HEART CONNECTION: ATRIAL FIBRILLATION AND NEW ONSET DEPRESSION, INSIGHTS FROM NATIONAL READMISSION DATABASE  
    Anand Reddy Maligireddy, JANGA CHAITRA, NISCHAY SHAH, PRANAV V KARAMBELKAR, Purveshku Patel, PRANJAL BORUAH, LINDA THOMAS-HEMAK, Chest, 10/9/2023
  • Association between insurance status and in‐hospital outcomes in patients with out‐of‐hospital ventricular fibrillation arrest  
    Samir B. Pancholy MD, Gaurav A. Patel MD, Dhara D. Patel MD, Neil Patel MD, Shivam A. Pancholy, Purveshkumar Patel MD, Linda Thomas-Hemak MD, Tejas M. Patel MD, David ..., Clinical Cardiology, 10/9/2023
  • Closing the Referral Loop: Improving Ambulatory Referral Management, Electronic Health Record Connectivity and Care Coordination Processes  
    Linda Thomas-Hemak, Stephen L Davidow , Jignesh Sheth, Constance S Sixta, Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 10/2018
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Abstracts/Posters

  • Developing a Learner-Driven Culture of Improvement through an Interactive Web-Based Practice-Based Learning and Quality Improvement Management System (PBLI/QIMS)
    Linda Thomas-Hemak, IHI National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care, Orlando, FL
  • A National Consortium Pathway to Single GME
    Linda Thomas-Hemak, ACGME Annual Educational Conference, Orlando, FL, 2019
  • Innovative Training Relationships with Community Health Centers-Big Data, High Value, and Common Sense
    Linda Thomas-Hemak, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) Annual Conference, Educating Leaders 2019, Washington, D.C., 2019
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Lectures

  • HRSA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home Health Equity Technical Assistance Symposium (PHETAS) “Leveraging Collective Impact: Strategies for Addressing Opioid Use Disorder... 
    7/16/2024
  • ACGME National Learning Community for Sponsoring Institutions Meeting Presenter: “Teaching Health Centers: An Emerging Model of Community-Based Residency Education to ... 
    Chicago, Illinois - 9/19/2023
  • Our Forever Evolving Primary Care Behavioral Health Integration Story - An Opportunity for Revenue and Resource Diversification by Expanding Primary Care Towards Whole... 
    Forvis Best Practices Workgroup - 2023
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Other

  • Testimony, “Actualized, Actionable, and Sustainable Solutions for Primary Care Workforce Development: Evidence-Based Outcomes of a Fifteen Year Journey of Teaching Hea... 
    Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Standing Committee
    https://www.nationalacademies.org/event/42471_05-2024_standing-committee-on-primary-care-may-meeting
    Washington D.C. - 5/20/2024
  • Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Internal Medicine Interest Group Physician Panel 
    Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD
    Scranton, Pennsylvania - 2023

Authored Content

  • All across America, local community health centers are improving the health and welfare of communitiesAugust 2024
  • Local community health centers are improving the health and welfare of communitiesAugust 2024
  • Local community health centers are improving the health and welfare of communitiesAugust 2024
  • Be thankful for community health centersAugust 2024
  • Local health centers improving health, welfare of communitiesAugust 2024
  • Community Health Centers hold incredible valueAugust 2024
  • Help mandate technology to coordinate careApril 2023
  • The Wright Medicine: Celebrating primary health care providersAugust 2022
  • The Wright Medicine: What you need to know about omicronFebruary 2022
  • The Wright Medicine: Vaccines remain best weapon against COVID-19December 2021
  • The Wright Medicine: Childhood obesity a growing problemNovember 2021
  • The Wright Medicine: Vaccines play vital role in healthAugust 2021
  • The Wright Medicine: Decades of Progress and Ongoing Advocacy in the Fight Against HIV/AIDSJune 2021
  • The Wright Medicine: Finding a silent killerMay 2021
  • The Wright Medicine: Celebrating womenMarch 2021
  • The Wright Medicine: Busting COVID-19 vaccine mythsFebruary 2021
  • The Wright Medicine: COVID-19 vaccine more than a shot in the armJanuary 2021
  • The Wright Medicine: The gift of healthDecember 2020
  • The Wright Medicine: Strides made in AIDS treatmentNovember 2020
  • The Wright Medicine: Celebrating Health Literacy MonthOctober 2020
  • The Wright Medicine: Getting to the ‘heart’ of the matterSeptember 2020
  • The Wright Medicine: Working together for community healthAugust 2020
  • Region’s new golden age of medical educationMarch 2020
  • New program to stem shortage of psychiatristsJune 2017
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Press Mentions

  • Wright Center awarded grant to boost breastfeeding resources for Healthy MOMS program
    Wright Center awarded grant to boost breastfeeding resources for Healthy MOMS programNovember 5th, 2024
  • Wright Center President/CEO receives state award for leadership
    Wright Center President/CEO receives state award for leadershipOctober 18th, 2024
  • ‘We will take care of a lot of people here’
    ‘We will take care of a lot of people here’December 15th, 2022
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Professional Memberships

  • American Academy of Pediatrics - AAP
    Member
  • American College of Physicians - ACP
    Fellow
  • American Medical Association - AMA
    Member
  • Society of General Internal Medicine
    Member
  • Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine
    Member
  • Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine - AAIM
    Member
  • American Academy of Family Physicians - AAFP
    Member
  • Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians
    Member
  • Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative
    Member
  • Primary Care Progress
    Member
  • Northeast Counties Medical Society
    Member
  • Pennsylvania Medical Society
    Member
  • Agency for Health Education Center
    Member
  • Advisory Council on Graduate Medical Education of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration
    Member
  • American Society of Addiction Medicine - ASAM
    Member
  • National Association of Community Health Centers
    Member
  • Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers
    Member
  • Eastern Region of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American College of Physicians
    Governor
  • American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
    Member
  • National Area Health Education Centers
    Alumni / Advocate
  • Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center Governing Board
    Chair
  • Keystone Accountable Care Organization
    Governing Board Member
  • The Institute Board of Directors
    Member
  • Center for Health and Human Services Research and Action Board of Directors
    Member
  • Pennsylvania Patient-Centered Medical Home Advisory Council
    Member
  • Northeast Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center Governing Board
    Member
  • American College of Physicians - ACP
    Member
  • Health Federation of Philadelphia’s Health Center Controlled Network
    Member

Industry Relationships

  • Governor, Eastern Region of the American College of Physicians’ Pennsylvania Chapter (PA-ACP)The ACP, the nation’s largest medical-specialty organization, enhances the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in medicine and promoting quality patient care, advocacy, education, and career fulfillment in internal medicine and its subspecialties.2023 - Present
  • Appointed Board Member of Federal Advisory Committee, The Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME)COGME provides ongoing assessment of physician workforce trends, training issues and financing policies, advises and makes recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and House of Representatives.2021 - Present
  • Advocate, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' HIV Care ContinuumActive engagement in the US Department of Health and Human Services' HIV Care Continuum in Northeast Pennsylvania2019 - Present
  • CEO Workgroup Member, Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers2019 - Present
  • Member, Circle 2000An invitation-only senior executive women consortium in Northeastern Pennsylvania2009 - Present
  • Quality Assurance Director, Traditional Home Health Care2007 - Present
  • Board of Trustees, Misericordia University2019 - 2021
  • Medical Executive Committee, Geisinger Community Medical Center2014 - 2021
  • Member, University of Scranton Graduate Nursing Program Advisory Committee2015 - 2020
  • Board of Trustees, Athletes Caring TogetherA non-profit organization whose mission is providing life-changing opportunities to children and empowering athletes to make a difference through the sports they love.2015 - 2017
  • Physician Leadership Operating Committee, Geisinger Community Medical Center2013 - 2015
  • Chair, committee and board positions, Commonwealth Health Systems2009 - 2012: Physician Leadership Committee 2001 - 2013: Chair of Pediatrics 2001 - 2012: Medical Executive Committee: 2011, Secretary, Interim Transitional Regional Hospital Governing Board Member; 2009-11, Medical Staff President; 2007-09, Vice President; and 2005-07, SecretaryDisclosure: Previously Mercy Hospital; Became Regional Hospital of Scranton after Community Health Systems, operating as Commonwealth Health Systems, purchased it in 2011.2001 - 2013
  • Founding Member, Northeastern Pennsylvania Medical Education Development ConsortiumEstablished to explore, create, and then launch Commonwealth Medical College of Northeastern Pennsylvania (now called Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine)2005 - 2007

External Links

Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD, Dr. L Thomas-Hemak, Dr. Linda J Thomas-Hemak