NATIONWIDE — March 30 is National Doctors’ Day—a perfect opportunity to celebrate all the great physicians out there, including those who practice locally. 

The annual observance honors the “dedication, skill, and unwavering commitment of physicians in providing high-quality health care to individuals and communities worldwide,” according to the American Medical Association. 

The first National Doctors Day was held all the way back in 1933 by Dr. Charles B. Almond in Winder, GA. Now it’s observed by health care organizations across the country, offering institutions and patients the chance to express their appreciation for physicians working in all facets of medicine. 

At The Wright Center, we take immense pride in our doctors. Since our beginnings in 1976 as the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, we have been dedicated to providing high-quality primary and preventive care to the residents of Northeast Pennsylvania. Today, our doctors uphold a twofold mission: delivering comprehensive, whole-person primary health services to all – regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay – and educating the next generation of physicians and interprofessional health care professionals.

And as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike, or FQLA, we’ve been able to expand our local network’s locations in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne and Wyoming counties, as well as our Driving Better Health mobile medical and dental unit, that all told serve tens of thousands of patients annually. 

Our doctors follow a patient-centric model, with an emphasis on overcoming barriers to care by delivering coordinated and comprehensive services, including primary and preventive care, pediatrics, behavioral health, dental care, infectious disease services, lifestyle medicine, obesity medicine, and addiction recovery services. Through that full spectrum of care, we strive to improve access to care by emphasizing care management of patients with numerous medical needs, as well as through the use of key quality improvement practices, among them health information technology. 

It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve the people of Northeast Pennsylvania. 

Jignesh Y. Sheth, M.D., FACP, MPH, is senior vice president and chief medical and information officer at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. He is board-certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine.