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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Ron Beer, chief administrative officer of Geisinger&rsquo;s northeast region, Thursday said the investments Geisinger makes are all designed to make health care easier for its neighbors.
				Beer was on hand Thursday for a sneak peek at one of those investments &mdash; the new Geisinger 65 Forward facility that will open on Monday.
				&ldquo;The community has been asking for us to bring services to downtown Wilkes-Barre, and we&rsquo;ve listened,&rdquo; Beer said. &ldquo;When we opened the first 65 Forward in Kingston, the response was overwhelming. Now, we&rsquo;ve opened a health and wellness center that we know our members really enjoy and it&rsquo;s all designed to keep them healthy.&rdquo;
				Beer said the new facility, which is located in space that was once occupied by Katana Restaurant and other retail shops in downtown Wilkes-Barre&rsquo;s Midtown Village off of South Main Street, is the latest in a line of investments totaling more than $120 million Geisinger has made in Luzerne County in just the last two years &ldquo;to make health easier for the people of northeastern Pennsylvania.&rdquo;
				Those investments also include:
				&#8226; An 8,000 square-foot inpatient wing at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre with 14 private rooms for patients with medical and surgical needs;
				&#8226; The Central Utility Plant at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, which increased utility capacity and decreased energy consumption by 40%;
				&#8226; The installation of S7 CyberKnife technology &mdash; the first unit of its kind in the world &mdash; to provide targeted radiation therapy at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center;
				&#8226; Construction is underway for the renovation and expansion of Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center and the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center;
				&#8226; And 65 Forward Health Centers in Kingston and West Hazleton;
				The new 65 Forward center is part of Geisinger&rsquo;s plan to expand and invest in senior-focused primary care, said Juliann Molecavage, associate vice president, adding that the 9,600 square foot facility represents a $3 million investment by Geisinger.
				Molecavage said there will be 12 full-time employees at the center to start, including four physicians, nurses, a receptionist, a wellness coordinator and a community specialist. Stephanie Pacovsky is the operations manager for the downtown center.
				The 65 Forward center will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Hazleton 65 Forward center is expected to open within two weeks, adding it to the downtown center and others in Kingston, Scranton and Shamokin Dam. Molecavage said Geisinger plans to open a total of 20 65 Forward facilities throughout the region.
				&ldquo;Our presence in downtown Wilkes-Barre is extremely important to Geisinger,&rdquo; Molecavage said. &ldquo;There is a significant senior population close by and we feel it is important form us to be in the community and close to allow easy access for so many patients.&rdquo;
				Dr. George Avetian was also on hand to0 answer questions and explain the 65 Forward concept.
				Molecavage and Dr. Avetian explained that the 65 Forward concept brings high-end, VIP-type care to Geisinger patients and health plan members by placing a comprehensive set of the most-used health services by those 65 and older into one location, conveniently located in the heart of the Diamond City.
				With doctor visits of up to one hour, the more intimate patient experience means doctors can focus on early detection and discussion of possible health concerns and better care management of complex, chronic and other medical conditions.
				The health center is designed like a community center &mdash; it features fitness equipment, space for exercise and wellness classes, and a rotating list of activities that can be done virtually, or in small groups in a COVID-19 safe environment.
				In addition to making health care easier for those 65 and older, the center is designed to address the concerns of isolation and loneliness some people experience later in life.
				The new center is more than a doctor&rsquo;s office &mdash; it is also has a fully equipped fitness center, education space for workshops and cooking classes, arts and crafts classes, an area for social interaction, like playing games and even yoga.
				Geisinger expects the regional population of those 65 and older is expected to grow 11 percent, or by 22,000 people, over the next five years.
				That&rsquo;s why the Kingston facility is just then first of 15 that Geisinger will open for those 65 and older over the next two years. An 11,000-square-foot 65 Forward clinic opened in Scranton in October.
				65 Forward enrollees have access to lab services, X-ray services, behavioral health services, community support services, outpatient services and pharmacy home delivery all at one time.
				Plus, a personal health care advocate is available to help coordinate appointments, specialist care, hospitals and insurance.

Geisinger 65 Forward center to open Monday in downtown Wilkes-Barre