A new survey commissioned by the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) found that more than 4 in 10 Marylanders are unwilling to change their in-person Thanksgiving or other holiday plans. On a positive note, the survey also found that the nearly two thirds of Marylanders plan to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, when available.

The online survey – conducted November 16-23 which polled 525 Marylanders throughout Central Maryland, Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore, where UMMS operates a network of 13 hospitals, ambulatory centers and urgent care facilities – found that 44% will not change their in-person Thanksgiving or other holiday plans due to COVID-19. The survey found that 65% of Marylanders are very or somewhat likely to get a COVID-19 vaccination when the vaccine is available.

“No question about it, these survey results are concerning, as our statewide mission to slow the spread of COVID-19 and stop the current surge relies on people heeding the advice of the CDC and Governor Hogan to not travel and refrain from holding large family events during Thanksgiving,” said David Marcozzi, MD, UMMS COVID-19 Incident Commander. “This could be setting up a perfect storm, with COVID cases on the rise throughout the state and multiple super-spreader events, it could cause a significant strain on the state’s healthcare system.”

The survey found respondents in Southern Maryland and Eastern Shore regions are less likely to say they have canceled in-person holiday plans than those in other regions of the state. Women, older adults and those with higher education levels are more likely to have changed holiday plans.

The 65% of Marylanders saying they would take a COVID-19 vaccine, once available, is a positive finding, but is still below what state and federal health officials advise for the elimination of the pandemic in the United States.

“While we’re encouraged that nearly two thirds of Marylanders would take a COVID vaccine, this survey points out that we have more work to do to educate the public about the necessity to vaccinate and alleviate fears and concerns about the vaccines that will become available,” said Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of UMMS. “UMMS will be working tirelessly to make the vaccine available to as many Marylanders as possible, at the appropriate time, and ease concerns by communicating the facts.”

Those saying they are likely to take the vaccine include white men (76%), men age 45+ (78%) and people over age 65 (76%), the survey found. Those groups with higher levels saying they are not likely to take the vaccine include Black women (49%), women in general (43%), those with a high school education or less (49%), and people age 18-34 (42%). Regionally, people in the Baltimore metro area were more likely to say they would take the vaccine (70%), while those in Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore (55%) and Prince George’s County (62%) report lower levels of likelihood.

About the Survey

The survey, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and commissioned by the University of Maryland Medical System, was conducted from November 16-23, 2020, among 525 adults 18+ living in the UMMS’ expanded service area, which includes all counties statewide except Allegany, Garrett, Montgomery, and Washington. The survey has a credibility interval of ±4.88%.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the UM Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s 28,000 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations and at 13 hospitals. UMMS’ flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore is partnered with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care.  Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

The University of Maryland Medical System encourages all Marylanders who are in need of medical care to seek it when appropriate and we remind everyone to follow all appropriate COVID-19 precautions, including physical distancing, wearing face masks and hand sanitizing.

Given the spread of COVID-19 in communities across Maryland, and in alignment with Governor Hogan’s actions announced earlier this week, the University of Maryland Medical System has modified the visitation policy at all System hospitals and outpatient facilities effective Thursday, November 19^th. The new comprehensive measures are designed to meet the support needs of patients while ensuring our hospitals and clinics remain safe places for care. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, UMMS has continually assessed and adjusted our policies to best protect staff members, patients, visitors and communities.

We will continue to limit the number of people who may come into the hospital as a visitor or designated support person. Under this revised policy, visitation to a UMMS facility will be determined based on both the patient’s COVID-19 status and the setting or type of visit. More details about the System’s visitation policy is posted at https://www.umms.org/coronavirus.

Ear, Nose and Throat/Sinus and Hearing has welcomed Tasos Aslanidis, DO, FAOCO to the practice based in UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Easton.

Dr. Aslanidis brings more than two decades as a provider with practices in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Philadelphia, Pa., and has served as member of the medical staffs of multiple health care organizations, including Kennedy Health System and Kennedy Surgical Associates, Thomas Jefferson Hospital, Virtua West Jersey Hospitals and Summit Surgical Associates. He also served as medical director, the Kennedy Balance Center, Stratford Division.

A Fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Ophthalmology and a Diplomate of the American Osteopathic Board of Medical Examiners, Dr. Aslanidis has served as a clinical instructor for residency programs at University of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Osteopathic Medicine, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. His academic credentials include undergraduate degrees in biology and pharmacy, and his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

To make an appointment with Dr. Aslanidis, patients may call 410-820-9119.

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 recent 6th Annual Sporting Clays Classic was a great success, netting over $118,000 to be used toward the purchase of a Faxitron machine for the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center. The Faxitron is used by surgeons to evaluate an area that has been identified for removal by mammography.

Hosted by UM Memorial Hospital Foundation and held at The Point at Pintail in Queenstown on October 24, 2020, the Sporting Clays Classic attracted 159 registered shooters who enjoyed morning competition, lunch for participants, various prizes, raffles and silent auction items donated by local businesses and community members.

“It was really a great day, perfect weather and a great group of competitors,” said F. Graham Lee, vice president for philanthropy at UM SRH. “I am very grateful to this year’s Sporting Clays Committee and to our sponsors, both businesses and individuals, who stepped up to support the event.”

Sponsorships from community members and businesses played a vital role in the success of the event. Key sponsors included Attraction Magazine, Bosom Buddies Charities, BSC Group, LLC, Bullock Construction, Inck Cambridge Marketplace, Chaney Enterprises, Doug James Real Estate, Eastern Shore Emergency Medicine Physicians, LLC, Gillis Gilkerson, Inc., Roberta Lilly, MD, Maggie Ferree Fund of MSCF, Preston Automotive Group, Provident State Bank, R. Scott & Courtney Clark Pastrick, Paul & Joanne Prager, Retay USA, Shore Radiology, P.A., Shore United Bank, Jack & Susan Stoltz, The Auxiliary of Memorial Hospital at Easton, The Point at Pintail, The Star Democrat, Tidewater Anesthesia Associates, P.A., Tri-Gas & Oil, Inc., Willow Construction, LLC and WIN Transport.

Last year, the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center provided breast care to more than 3,100 patients, diagnosing more than 145 new cases of breast cancer. These numbers continue to rise each year.

“We are deeply grateful for the community’s commitment to help ensure we have state-of-the-art equipment for diagnosis and treatment,” says Roberta J. Lilly, MD, Clark Comprehensive Breast Centerbreast surgical oncologist. “The Faxitron allows us to capture digital images of specimens that can be sent to Radiology immediately, thus reducing the time a patient in anesthetized.”

Prizes were given to each of the winners of the highest overall (HOA) score in their category, as follows: Chris Short (men’s), Megan Watts (women’s) and Salisbury Gun Club (Team). The top three of each Lewis class also received prizes, as follows: (Lewis Class One) 1st place – Chuck Richardson, 2nd place – Ryan Boyles, and 3rd place – Ling Sperl; (Lewis Class Two) 1st place – Bobby Kenton, 2nd place – Chuck Wyvill, 3rd place – Michael Rose; (Lewis Class Three) 1st place – Scott Pastrick, 2nd place – Steven M. Spurry, and 3rd place- Rex Wheeler. The gun raffle winner was Jo Anne Thomson, director of patient experience at UM SRH.

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.

Wilbur Levengood is not a man to take a setback lying down, or for that matter, even sitting down. The 65-year old lifelong resident of Caroline County is too busy – as a farmer, an entrepreneur, a Caroline County commissioner and member of the County’s volunteer fire department – to be “laid up” with injury or illness.

But accidents happen, and farm equipment can be especially hazardous. On June 12, 2020, Levengood was working alone on one of his 200 tillable acres in Goldsboro, Md., when he slipped on to equipment and ruptured his left quadricep tendon above the kneecap. He was flown by helicopter to Baltimore for surgery, which took place at Johns Hopkins Hospital on June 15, and just one day later, sent home in a cast to begin a recovery that seemed likely to sideline him from farming and many other activities for some time.

“My wife, Sherry, did some research and told me it would take months,” Levengood recalls.

Three weeks after his discharge from the hospital, his cast came off and was replaced by a brace. By the last week of August, steady improvement had enabled him to begin physical therapy at University of Maryland Shore Rehab at Denton. Eager to get back to full activity, he was already walking in a straight brace, but not yet able to get back on his tractor.

When he arrived for his first therapy appointment at UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Denton, Levengood was pleased to see a familiar face – Charlie Moore, DPT, who grew up in Denton. Moore’s mom, Catherine, is county comptroller, and his dad, Randy, formerly served as town council member and mayor of Denton. For all but two years, the 34-year old physical therapist has lived in the County and since 2012, had served as a PT with UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, UM Shore Rehab at Denton, UM Shore Home Care, Autumn Lake Nursing Home before returning to the Denton Rehab team in 2019.

“I felt more comfortable knowing that I would be seeing Charlie for my therapy,” Levengood says. “When you get local care from someone you know, you have a sense of trust, and trust is important because half of healing successfully is having a good state of mind.”

The respect is mutual. Over the course of Levengood’s therapy, which was provided twice a week at first but is now once a week, Moore says, “I was really impressed by his motivation and determination. About half way through his therapy, he had regained a little over 70 percent of full use and functionality of his injured leg, in spite of such taxing activities as lifting and carrying 50-pound bags of feed. I do have to remind him to not to over-do it – with muscle injuries, sometimes you can keep pushing through but there are times when you need to rest and give it a break to avoid strain and swelling.”

Levengood’s therapy includes a range of exercises at home as well as during the PT sessions. The goal is to achieve an even, steady gait and good stability that will enable him to move about safely, resume his full range of normal activities and avoid further injury.

Some activities have been more difficult than others; for example, Levengood found that stepping into and out of a high vehicle requires strength that he needed to work on. “My tractor step is pretty high, but getting in and out of the fire truck is much harder – I can really feel it,” he says.

Moore has recommended exercises on a specific piece of equipment, the Power Tower, to help Levengood with the high-step challenge. And at times, therapy has included hands-on massage. “Charlie realized I had a knot in the muscle. He used a massage technique to work it out, and that helped me move with less strain and stress,” Levengood says.

“Every injury and surgery is different, and every patient is different,” says Moore. “To provide physical therapy that really helps, you have to understand the patient’s overall health and strength, how well they are healing, and what their normal activities are.”

The challenge for Levengood now is to find the time to do his home exercises, and equally important, to avoid doing too much too soon. “Taking honey off the hives the other day, I just stood too long and lifted too much. I get a lot of pain in my knee cap, and it seems I might need a cortisone shot. But I just have so many things I’ve got to do – I mean, it’s time to cut soybeans. And I’m also spending time at the firehouse – the other night when I got home it was almost 10 o’clock,” he says.

Moore has told his patient that while his leg has gotten much stronger, full recovery will take a few more months. “Charlie’s done well for me – he says I’m 77 percent there but I think I’m 80 or 85 percent there,” Levengood says. “Shore Regional Health has been good to Caroline County — I was excited when we opened the medical pavilion here and I’m glad to be getting my therapy here.”

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 2,200 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

Karen Hollis, RDN, LDN, CDCES has joined the UM Shore Regional Health Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology as lead diabetes educator.

Hollis, who is a registered dietitian as well as a certified diabetes care and education specialist, has long been associated with the Dorchester and Easton hospitals and the diabetes education program at both facilities. She has four decades of experience including outpatient nutrition education, clinical staff responsibilities and clinical management. From 2006 to 2018, she served as nutrition consultant for Chesapeake Woods in Cambridge, and from 2006 to 2012, she ran a successful private practice business for several local physicians in Talbot and Dorchester counties.

As lead diabetes educator, Hollis oversees and provides group and individual diabetes self-management training (DSMT) and medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for adults with pre-diabetes and diabetes. In addition, she educates patients in the use of a variety of diabetes care devices, conducts outreach and participation in community programs, and manages the monthly diabetes support group for residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties that is currently conducted via Zoom.

“I am very excited to serve the Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology as lead educator,” says Hollis. “Throughout my career, I have had a passion for providing education and support to people with diabetes.”

Pre-diabetes and diabetes is a serious and growing problem population health problem in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in 10 Americans has the disease and approximately one in three has prediabetes. The Maryland State Department of Health’s Diabetes Action Plan reflects the seriousness of the problem in Maryland: Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the state, and a total of 2.1 million Marylanders are believed to have either diabetes or pre-diabetes, incurring nearly $5 billion on medical costs annually. Caroline and Dorchester are among Maryland counties with the highest adult diabetes rates – 11 to 15 percent.

Hollis notes that without effective treatment and management – which for many patients, includes learning to how to make dietary and lifestyle changes – diabetes can be very debilitating and even deadly. “Education is imperative — not only to help those with pre-diabetes avoid progressing to Type 2, but to help those who are diagnosed with the disease to halt or at least delay the progression of complications that can be life-limiting and even life-threatening,” she says. “The staff and providers at the Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology are dedicated to providing not only treatment and care, but also the best education and support, for our community members who are battling this disease.”

Diabetes management classes are conducted each month at Shore Medical Center at Chestertown as well as at the Diabetes Center at Shore Medical Center at Easton. “We are holding in-person classes, but due to COVID-19, there is a limit of five students per class for social distancing purposes, and of course, masks are required,” says Hollis.

Each class runs for three sessions, one session per week. The Chestertown class is taught by diabetes nurse educator Chrissy Nelson, who also works with patients on an individual basis to manage their symptoms, medication and care products.

Individual diabetes support and medical nutrition therapy are provided on-site, but Hollis and Nelson also work with patients via telehealth. “I’ve seen some patients via Zoom, but many more by phone,” she says. “In some areas of our region, internet access is unreliable or not available, and many older patients are not computer savvy. So they can call from their smartphone, flip phone or landline to get the guidance they need.”

For more information about diabetes care and support offered by UM Shore Regional Health, call 410-822-1000, ext. 5757, or visit https://www.umms.org/shore/health-services/diabetes-endocrinology.

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 2,200 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.