UM Shore Regional Health’s Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology offers four diabetes support groups that are free and open to those with diabetes or pre-diabetes, as well as families, caregivers and friends of those living with diabetes. Led by certified diabetes nurse educators, these support groups provide informative presentations as well as fellowship and support for persons affected by diabetes.

Participants gather to discuss their successes and their fears while learning about meal planning, monitoring and managing blood sugar levels, treatment options and other strategies to avoid diabetes complications and maintain their best health. “Group members share their personal stories and learn meal preparation strategies so they can enjoy foods they like as long as they control portions and exercise regularly,” says Jessica Tippett, lead diabetes educator. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Tippett joined the diabetes education team in April and became lead educator in July.

Diabetes nurse educators Chrissy Nelson, Jessica Tippett and Karen Hollis. Not pictured: Wynne Aroom.

No registration is required to attend these groups, which are scheduled as follows:

Cambridge: Fourth Wednesday of each month, 5:30 p.m., first floor Board Room, UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester, 300 Byrn Street. Led by Wynne Aroom.

Chestertown: Fourth Tuesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., Conference Center, UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, 100 Brown Street.

Denton (day and time change): First Tuesday of each month, 5 p.m., St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 S. Fifth Avenue. Led by Jessica Tippett.

Easton: Second Monday of each month, 5:30 p.m., Talbot County Senior Center, 400 Brookletts Avenue. Led by Karen Hollis.

Diabetes educators also are available to speak to community groups throughout the five-county region. “We are happy to speak to groups on such topics as the prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes in our region, treatment options and strategies for managing the disease for to maintain overall good health,” says Tippett.

For more information about the support groups or to book a speaker on diabetes for your organization, please call 410-822-1000, ext. 5757.

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

Jenny Bowie, Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, UM SRH

Jennifer L. Bowie, former vice president, Patient Care Services and chief nurse executive at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital (MWPH) in Baltimore, has joined UM Shore Regional Health (SRH) as vice president for Nursing and Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer. For the past several weeks, Bowie has been on site working with vice former senior vice president and CNO Ruth Ann Jones, whose official retirement date was August 16, to effect a smooth transition.

Before her arrival at UM SRH, Bowie had served in the vice president position at MWPH since 2012. In in that capacity, she was responsible for the strategic/operational leadership of the 103-bed, two-campus hospital’s inpatient and outpatient nursing, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, social work, admissions, care management and infection prevention. MWPH is affiliated with University of Maryland Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Among Bowie’s many accomplishments at MWPH are: successful JCAHO, CARF and CMS surveys; the opening of a 50-bed transitional unit for infants; implementation of a successful, hospital-wide patient experience initiative; creation of a succession planning model to grow leaders and staff aligned with MWPH strategic goals and initiatives; and the creation of departmental and hospital-wide councils to build leadership growth opportunities.

Bowie’s previous experience also includes serving as executive director of nursing at Trinity Regional Healthcare, a 515-bed, three hospital system in Rockland, Illinois; administrative director, Women’s and Children’s Services at Mary Washington Hospital, a 459-bed Magnet®-accredited, level 2 trauma facility in Fredericksburg, Virginia; director, Business Development at West Valley Hospital in Goodyear, Arizona; and director, Women’s and Children’s Services at Paradise Valley Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bowie earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from The Catholic University of America and her MBA from Grand Canyon University. She is pursuing a doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership and Development. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honors Society and in 2018 was named one of Baltimore’s Best Nurses in the Manager/Nurse Executive Category by Baltimore Magazine.

“We are delighted to have Jenny Bowie joining the Shore Regional Health senior leadership team,” said Ken Kozel, president and CEO. “She is a proven nurse leader whose outstanding skills and accomplishments have contributed to innovative health care management strategies and excellent patient care at several medical organizations.”

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

Judy Kyle, Senior Director, Operations, UM Shore Medical Group.

Judy Kyle has joined University of Maryland Shore Medical Group (UM SMG) as senior director, Operations, Timothy Shanahan, DO, medical director, UM SMG has announced. In this position, Kyle leads a 17-member team supporting UM SMG, which includes 25 medical practices employing more than 100 physicians and advanced practice providers.

Kyle brings more than 20 years in health care management and leadership to UM SMG, including 15 years providing oversight of physician practices and specialty clinics at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia and seven years directing the hospital’s informatics. Her responsibilities included overseeing the operations and financial management of pediatric primary care practices and subspecialty practices including the Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Cardiology Catheterization Laboratory, Peripheral Vascular Laboratory, EEG Lab, and Cardiology, Cardiovascular Surgery, Neurology, Psychiatry and Psychology. She also was responsible for the recruitment and hiring of physicians and for the expansion and/or relocation of 11 physician practices.

Kyle earned her B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science from Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, New Jersey and her M.S. in Management from Troy State University in Troy, Alabama. She is a resident of Centreville, Maryland.

“I am very pleased to welcome Judy as our new director,” said Dr. Shanahan.  “She brings a broad depth of leadership skills and health care management to our team. I look forward to continuing to working collaboratively with the entire Shore team and my new partner, in the dyad structure, in continuing to build the premier healthcare organization on the Shore.”

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

The Nearly New Shop on High Street in Chestertown has a new look and layout, according to Nanny Porter, co-manager of the shop with JoAnn Bowdle. Porter and Bowdle are both members of the Chester River Hospital Center Auxiliary, which has owned and operated the Nearly New Shop for the past 60 years.

Porter has been a volunteer with the Auxiliary since 2013. When asked to become the new shop manager, she saw a need to make changes inthe interest of increasing sales. Using many suggestions from Shop volunteers, new concepts were implemented.

In an effort to appeal to customers, more display space was created. Porter felt that the male shoppers needed a room of their own, so the former volunteers’ work room is now the Men’s Department, which has been received very favorably by male customers.

“We also reorganized the remainder of the inventory by converting the first room that you enter into the housewares, jewelry, scarves and handbags display,” says Porter. “The entire store has new racks that give each room an open feeling. These changes have made a big difference in that shoppers can find  merchandise more easily and the open spaces allow them to move around more comfortably. Many have asked if we have added on to the building because the rooms seem more spacious.”

Nanny Porter, volunteer co-manager of the Nearly New Shop in Chestertown, in the shop’s front room.

New sales initiatives and policies accompany the new appearance. As Porter explains, “We try to turn over all merchandise within six weeks. We run a 50% off sale in both the men’s and women’s departments every week and we offer a senior discount every Thursday to shoppers over the age of 60. To attract more student shoppers, we offer a 10 % student discount during the school year, and during the month of September, to thank our first responders for the sacrifices they make every day, we are offering 10 % off their total purchase.”

Nearly New’s changes have been very well received. In addition to compliments from shoppers and greater volunteer pride and satisfaction, Porter reports that sales are up. “We are seeing big gains over the past; overall our revenues are now averaging $1500 or more each week and that is without raising our prices,” she says. “I think the quality of our merchandise is better as well – not just the clothing, but wonderful donations of china, crystal, linens, art and jewelry.”

Located at 320 High Street in Chestertown, the Nearly New Shop is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Weekly sales are listed in the Tidewater Trader.

Reported to be the oldest retail store in continuous operation in Chestertown, the Nearly New Shop is always in need of volunteers and interest person may apply in person at the store. For more information, call 410-778-1781.

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s Cardiac Intervention Center (CIC) has received the Mission: Lifeline® Silver Plus STEMI Receiving Center Quality Achievement Award and the Mission: Lifeline® NSTEMI Bronze Quality Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks. The Cardiac Intervention Center, located in UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, has been in operation since February 2018.

Additionally, following a Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) follow-up survey this past spring, UM Shore Regional Health was issued four-year accreditation as a Cardiac Intervention Center.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack, caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment.

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program’s goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks. The initiative provides tools, training and other resources to support heart attack care.

“The collaboration with our emergency medical services teams throughout our five-county region is vital to patient survival,” said Gary Jones, UM Shore Regional Health’s regional director of Cardiovascular Services. “To have patients brought to us in a timely manner is critically important and EMS does a phenomenal job of evaluating patients during transport to initiate treatment and to activate the Cath Lab Call Team process.”

At UM Shore Medical Center in Easton, cardiac interventionists work with a team of nurses and technologists quickly to perform emergent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, formerly referred to as angioplasty with stent). PCI is a minimally invasive procedure using a catheter to place a stent that opens up blood vessels in the heart that have been narrowed by plaque buildup.

Photo: UM Shore Regional Health’s Cardiac Cath Lab Call Team is pictured celebrating a proclamation for their work presented by the Talbot County Council, held by Gary Jones, regional director of Cardiovascular Services, and two awards from the American Heart Association, held by Dr. Gabriel Sardi, left, and Dr. Jeffrey Etherton, right.

“We are proud to have met these guidelines outlined by Mission: Lifeline®. The national target for these patients entering a facility and having blood flow restored, or ‘Door to Balloon’ time, is 90 minutes. Shore Regional Health’s cardiologists and Cardiac Intervention Team are meeting that target time and then some. We are achieving ‘Door to Balloon’ times of under 60 minutes more than 98 percent of the time,” said Jones.

Jones said the life-saving PCI procedure wasn’t available in the Mid Shore region until February 2018, when the hospital was initially designated a CIC by MIEMSS.

Before the CIC designation, patients in the region experiencing STEMI heart attacks (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) were transferred to the closest CIC that offered treatments for this type of heart attack, which occurs in about 15 to 20 percent of all heart attack patients. Many STEMI heart attack patients were transported by ambulance or helicopter to hospitals in Annapolis, Salisbury, Seaford, Delaware or University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. These transfer decisions were based on proximity to a CIC level of care but also took into account traffic and other factors that could affect the survival of a patient. Travel times alone pushed the boundaries of the desired target time of under 90 minutes, and optimally within 60 minutes.

“Having the Cardiovascular Intervention Center— and particularly providing primary PCI treatments — is a rare gift to a rural area,” said interventional cardiologist Dr. Jeffrey Etherton said. “In the past, many patients would have to travel an hour or more to other hospitals for the procedure, and when every minute counts for survival, that’s not a good option. Our Cardiac Intervention Center is a life-saving medical resource for Mid-Shore communities.”

UM SRH received these awards by participating in the American Heart Association’s Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Get with the Guidelines® Registry, which it joined just a year ago.

“This is the first year that we have been eligible to receive AHA awards and we have received two of them — an excellent testament to our commitment to our communities and to the skill of our team,” Jones said.

Jones said Shore Regional Health is dedicated to providing optimal care for heart attack patients.

“What’s unique about our program, as recognized by the MIEMSS surveyors, is that we’re providing services to three acute care hospitals and four emergency departments. Our ability to provide this high- level of care to our community is completely dependent on ensuring that these services are available 24/7, 365 by our dedicated staff, who are always on call, to respond within 30 minutes of a STEMI emergency,” Jones said. “This requires  tremendous dedication and sacrifice.”

About UM Shore Regional Health: As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,600 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers work with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

Team members in UM Shore Regional Health’s Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services are offering a series of classes for UM SRH team members, volunteers and the public.

“Our theme this year in Rehab has been ‘Live Your Best Life’ and of course, movement and exercise are so important to maintaining good health,” explains Diane Lorsong, speech therapist for Rehab Services. “So, leading up to National Rehabilitation Week, September 15 -20, we are offering one-time, beginner-level classes that will introduce people to various kinds of physical activity that might be interested in but haven’t tried.”

The Rehab Services team is suggesting donations (by cash or check) as follows: $8 for UM SRH staff and volunteers with badge i.d., and $10 for all others. All donations will be deposited in the Rehab Services fund at UM Memorial Hospital Foundation, which provides support for continuing education for Rehab Services staff members.

Anyone interested in ‘living their best life’ and trying something new is encouraged to try one or more of these fun filled classes. All classes will be held 5 – 5:30 p.m. in the Health Education Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton. The class series begins the last week of August and will unfold as follows:

YOGA WITH REN – Wednesday, August 28. Instructor Ren Boettger is a physical therapy assistant for SRH Rehab Services and teaches Pilates and Yoga at various locations on the Mid-shore.

DANCE WITH DIEGO – Thursday, September 5. Instructor Diego Guzman is a former Rehab staff member who offers ballroom dance classes locally, participates in competitions and has won local dance competitions in the past.

ZUMBA WITH LACIE – Wednesday, September 11. Instructor Lacie Prahl is an occupational therapist with SRH Rehab Services who currently teaches Zumba at Powerhouse Gym.

PILATES WITH REN – Wednesday, September 18. Instructor Ren Boettger is a physical therapy assistant for SRH Rehab Services and teaches Pilates and Yoga at various locations on the mid-shore.

RSVP is not required for these classes. For Yoga or Pilates, please bring a mat or towel of some kind.

Any questions, contact Diane Lorsong, 410-827-3818.

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

Medical professionals from China’s Qingdao University visited UM Shore Medical Center at Easton on July 24, hosted by Teresa Blem, director, Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services, and Bob Frank, senior vice president, Operations. Blem gave the group, mostly pathologists, a tour of several areas, including the Pain Clinic, the Cardiac Cath Lab, Radiology, Pharmacy and the Requard Center for Acute Rehabilitation. Afterward, the group enjoyed a presentation by Frank on UM SRH and its strategic vision.

The tour group from Qingdao University observe as Gary Jones, regional director, Cardiovascular Services at UM SRH,demonstrates life-saving medical technology in the Cardiac Cath Lab at Shore Medical Center at Easton.

Qingdao University is a research university located in Qingdao, Shandong, China. The University’s origins trace back more than 100 years, when Deutsch-Chinesische Hochschule, the oldest predecessor institution of Qingdao University, was jointly established in Qingdao by the Chinese and German governments. Presently the University enrolls approximately 46,000 students.

As in the past, this year’s tour was arranged by Richard Y. Zhao, PhD, professor and class director, Health Care Leadership Training Workshop, University of Maryland School of Medicine.

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

Members of the Birthing Center’s Breastfeeding Support Group met at Blue Crab Coffee in St. Michaels on Friday, August 2, 2019 for playtime and parents’ meet-and-greet. “We hope that these kinds of get-togethers outside the hospital will encourage more parents to be more interested in the advantages of breastfeeding and consider joining the group,” says Carol Leonard, lactation nurse in the Birthing Center and coordinator for the group.

Photo: Back row: Brian Herman; Phil Eames; Patrick, Brittany and Owen Wright; Gary, Ashley and Tripp Baxter; and Carol Leonard. Middle row: Jacqui and Leona Burchfield; Jen and Luke Eames; and Kari and Canna St. Laurent. Front: Hannah and Abby Hollis; Helen and Persephone Herman; and April and Liam Earl.

The UM SRH Breastfeeding Support Group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., in the fifth-floor Birthing Center conference room at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton. For more information, contact Leonard, 410-822-1000, ext. 5700.

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

Team members in the Pain Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton were recently recognized as EveryDay Heroes by their patient, Dr. Forest Hansen, who paid tribute to the team for the wonderful care he received at the Pain Center.

Pain Center staff members Gail Shorter, DNP, Cathy Asche, Linda Wilt Donna Lyons, Theresa Thomas and George King were recognized by Dr. Hansen, who has been a patient of Dr. Shorter’s since 2016. A retired professor of philosophy and world traveler, Dr. Hansen credits his care at the Pain Center as enabling him to continue to travel to places such as Viet Nam and India.

L-R: Graham Lee, VP for Philanthropy, Donna Lyons, Teresa Thomas, Linda Wilt, Stephen Wills, MD, Dr. Forest Hansen, George King, Gail Shorter, Cathy Asche and Teresa Blem.

The Everyday Hero program provides patients, visitors and staff members with the opportunity to recognize and thank any UM SRH staff member or team who has made a positive difference in a visit or stay by making a financial contribution of any size to the UM Memorial Hospital Foundation or the UM Chester River Health Foundation. Funds received through gifts to the Foundations’ Everyday Hero programs help pay for equipment, capital improvements and staff education for the departments in which the employees or team work.

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

UM Shore Medical Center at Easton has passed another milestone in its transition to a Community Academic Medical Center, according to William Huffner, MD, senior vice president, Medical Affairs and chief medical officer, UM Shore Regional Health. In collaboration with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine and funding from UM Memorial Hospital Foundation, Shore Regional Health has inaugurated a residency program in emergency care for medical residents in their second or third year of training who are interested in gaining experience in rural community emergency medicine.

The new program,through which medical residents (one or two at a time) work in the UM Shore Medical Center at Easton Emergency Department and Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown for four weeks, offers several benefits. “These residents will get a real taste of rural emergency medicine that offers a lot of direct experience with patients, and while they are here, they get a feel for our community and the quality of life in our five-county region has to offer,” said Dr. Huffner. “This will support our efforts in recruiting emergency care physicians to our hospitals in the same way that our Physician Assistant Rotation Program, offered in collaboration with Anne Arundel Community College and University of Maryland at Baltimore, helped us recruit several physician assistants after they completed their PA clinical studies at Shore Regional Health.”

L-R: Brennan Ellis, MD, residency program director for Eastern Shore Emergency Medicine Physicians, Gregory Dashani, MD, who completed his residency at UM SMC in Easton, and Walter Atha, MD, regional director, Emergency Medicine for UM SRH.

Brian Browne, MD, FACEP, chair, Emergency Medicine at UM School of Medicine and physician in chief, Statewide Emergency Medicine Services, was very involved in the establishment of the residency program at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, working with Dr. Huffner, Walter Atha, MD, regional director, Emergency Medicine at UM SRH, and UM SRH emergency department directors Glenn Hebel, MD, Eric Maniago, MD, Jane Wang, MD and Steven White, MD.  “Offering this residency program expands the types of experiences as well as setting in which our residents can train,” said Dr. Brown. “It also further integrates Shore Regional Health with the University of Maryland Medical System, University of Maryland Medical Center and the UM School of Medicine.”

UM Memorial Hospital Foundation has played a key role in bring the residency program to life, according to Graham Lee, vice president, Philanthropy at UM SRH. “The Board recognized this as an important opportunity for our emergency care team to participate in the training of future emergency physicians,” said Lee. “As a result, the Foundation Board voted to fund the program for three years at an anticipated approximate cost of $175,000 per year. We are happy to provide the resources needed to expose physicians in training to the challenges and rewards of emergency care in a rural setting.”

As part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. UM Shore Regional Health’s team of more than 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.