Commonwealth Health Physician Network
William Auriemma, Commonwealth Health (SUBMITTED)
The physician network announced that William Auriemma, M.D., FACS, FASCRS, has joined its provider team and is now accepting new patients in Scranton. Auriemma is also a member of the medical staff at Regional Hospital of Scranton.
A board-certified colorectal and general surgeon, Auriemma provides comprehensive surgical care for a wide range of conditions, including colon and rectal disorders, hernias, gallbladder disease, appendicitis and more. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal conditions such as colon cancer, diverticular disease, inflammatory bowel disease and hemorrhoids.
Auriemma is experienced in both traditional and minimally invasive surgical techniques and offers advanced robotic-assisted surgery to help improve precision, reduce recovery times and enhance patient outcomes.
Auriemma earned his medical degree from Hahnemann University Medical School. He completed his residency in general surgery at Episcopal Hospital in Philadelphia and a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown. He is board certified by both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.
Scranton Area Community Foundation
Williams, Scranton Area Community Foundation (SUBMITTED)
The foundation announced that Vivian Williams, vice president of strategy, has been appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro to serve on the newly established Governor’s Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities.
Created through Executive Order 2026-02, the commission was established to advise the governor and state agencies on policies affecting Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Commissioners will help identify barriers, recommend policy improvements, strengthen collaboration across all levels of government, and promote greater access to programs and resources that support individuals with disabilities and their families throughout the state.
Williams joins 27 other commissioners from across Pennsylvania who represent a broad range of lived experiences and professional expertise related to intellectual, developmental, physical, sensory and other disabilities. She will serve a two-year term representing Lackawanna County.
As vice president of strategy, Williams leads initiatives that strengthen community partnerships, advance equitable opportunities and help guide the foundation’s efforts to address the region’s most pressing needs. Her appointment reflects both her long-standing commitment to disability advocacy and her dedication to fostering communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
University of Scranton
Stampone, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Ashley L. Stampone, Ph.D. ’10, G’11, Ph.D ’23, assistant professor of accounting, is currently serving as a vice president on the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants board of directors. She previously served a one-year term as a vice president and is now in her second year of a two-year, at-large term that will extend her service through April 2027.
Stampone was formally sworn in at PICPA’s annual meeting, held May 5 at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa in Bedford County.
The PICPA board of directors oversees the organization’s property and affairs. It includes officers and directors who advance the organization’s mission of serving, supporting and advocating for the profession while serving as a valuable resource to its nearly 18,000 members.
Stampone, who joined the university in 2016, is a five-time recipient of the Kania School of Management’s Teacher of the Year award, presented by KSOM students. She has received numerous state and national awards and professional honors, including PICPA’s Young Leaders Award in 2021.
Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers
Plonska-Brown, Wayne Memorial (SUBMITTED)
The health centers announced that Renata Plonska-Brown, LCSW, has joined its Integrated Behavioral Health Services team and is currently seeing patients at both the Sterling Pediatric Center in Lake Ariel and the Women’s Health Center in Honesdale.
Through its Integration of Care model, WMCHC uses a collaborative approach to treatment by embedding behavioral health clinicians within primary care office settings.
Plonska-Brown has been a clinical social worker for nearly 15 years. Her extensive experience spans across hospital, community, outpatient mental health and private-practice psychotherapy settings. She specializes in trauma, anxiety, mood disorders, personality disorders and relationship conflict. She is skilled in crisis intervention and evidence-based treatment such as acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy and mindfulness approaches.
Prior to joining WMCHC, Plonska-Brown was employed by the Jacobi Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y., for 13 years. She served as a clinical social worker through the center’s Psychiatric Emergency Program for nine years before taking on the role of clinical social work supervisor, a position she held for the past four years.