Chelsea Hafner, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC, always knew she wanted a career where she could help her friends and neighbors lead healthier, happier lives.
She found her professional home at The Wright Center for Community Health School-Based Health Center at West Scranton Intermediate School, where she works as a certified registered nurse practitioner.
She and her staff work hand in hand with Scranton School District to improve access to affordable, high-quality, whole-person primary health services for students, their families, school staff, and anyone else who needs care.
“The Wright Center’s School-Based Health Center is unique in our area and in the country. Having a community health center inside West Scranton Intermediate has expanded care not just to Scranton School District students, but also to parents, teachers, staff, and community members,” Hafner said. “Since the health center opened in 2017, we have treated more than 6,100 unique patients, more than half of whom are covered by Medicaid or Medicare.”
The 33-year-old works hard to make the health center inside the intermediate school a welcoming place for students, families, and residents seeking care. The exam rooms are painted in cheery colors and have little touches that reflect Hafner’s lifelong love of everything Disney. One of the rooms features comfortable furniture, a shaggy rug, and vibrant paintings – creating a welcoming space for patients of all ages.
In addition to providing primary health services, Hafner also ensures her patients have access to other services offered by The Wright Center, including behavioral health counseling and dental care. In some cases, patients can obtain those services right in the intermediate school’s health center, so parents don’t have to take time off work to transport their children to medical appointments.
The health care provider makes it a priority to talk with parents and guardians about the science behind vaccinations and ensure all her patients are up to date on their required vaccinations.
Hafner got her first glimpse of The Wright Center’s school-based community health center while earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Penn State. She trained at a former location of The Wright Center’s school-based health services and was inspired by the unique approach to care. She began working at The Wright Center full time in 2019, after earning her master’s of science in nursing from the University of Scranton. She then completed her doctor of nursing practice from the University of Scranton.
Fortunate to have had many amazing mentors throughout her journey, Hafner noted that Jo Ann Nicoteri, Ph.D., CRNP, FNP-BC, a professor at the University of Scranton, and Kathleen Barry, deputy chief operating officer at The Wright Center, supported her during crucial times in her professional development. She said her mother has been her greatest cheerleader as she has pursued her career in health care.
“There is still so much more to learn, do, and accomplish,” Hafner noted. “By working hard, staying focused on my goals, and striving for the best that any person can achieve, I feel a strong sense of accomplishment and a continuing drive to keep learning and improving.”
When she’s not treating her patients at the health center, the Scranton native can often be found volunteering for back-to-school nights in the Scranton School District and helping with the school district’s parent-teacher associations. She has served as a panelist twice at American Cancer Society-hosted forums focused on the human papillomavirus, commonly referred to as HPV. It’s a topic Hafner studied as she earned her advanced degrees.
In her spare time, she enjoys visiting Disney and Epcot theme parks in Florida, where she’s participated in several 5K and 10K races.
Chelsea Hafner
Age: 33
Home: Moosic
Title/Company: Nurse Practitioner at the Wright Center School-Based Health, West Scranton Intermediate, 1401 Fellows St., Scranton