Health

UM Shore Regional Health Announces Annual Nurse Excellence Awards

May 29, 2020 by UM Shore Regional Health Leave a Comment

Each May, University of Maryland Shore Regional Health recognizes excellence in nursing at a formal awards ceremony held at the Todd Performing Arts at Chesapeake College. This year, due to COVID-19, the six awards were presented via an online event celebrating the 32 nominees for the individual awards, three nominees for the unit awards, and the six winners.

Ken Kozel, UM SRH president and CEO, expressed his appreciation for the outstanding dedication of the 600-plus nurses serving patients in inpatient and outpatient care programs throughout the five county region. “I am grateful for the sacrifices made by nurses and their families, especially during these unprecedented times in health care.”

Debora Evans, NEA winner – Caring for Others

Debora Evans, who served as Transplant and Vascular Access Coordinator until her retirement this past April, is this year’s recipient of the Caring for Others Award.Evans’ colleagues nominated her for her positive attitude in helping patients navigate the challenging process of qualifying for transplant, and also for attending to all the follow-up tasks involved in pre- and post-transplant care.

Tyler Gogoll, NEA winner – Leadership

Recognized this year in the award category of Leadership is Tyler Gogoll, team lead for Neurosurgery in the Surgical Services Department. Gogoll is credited with providing effective orientation strategies for new nurses circulating in neurosurgery, and with ensuring that all team members are well-trained and equipped to rise to any unforeseen events that may occur during surgery.

Renee Edsall, NEA winner – Mentorship and Advocacy

Renee Edsall, interim nurse manager for the Easton Emergency Department, won this year’s award for Mentorship and Advocacy. In addition to being an exceptional nurse educator, as interim ED manager, Edsall takes charge nurse shifts whenever needed and is always there to fill in with tasks outside her own job description. Taking a personal as well a professional interest in each ED team member, Edsall is known for providing guidance, support and a word of encouragement whenever it is needed.

Nina Weisenborn, NEA winner – Professional Nursing

Christina “Nina” Weisenborn, clinical research coordinator at the Cancer Center at UM Shore Regional Health received the award for Professional Nursing. Weisenborn’s role is to update staff on the newest oncology research offered by University of Maryland Medical System and provide training on grading adverse reactions using the latest evidence based practice from clinical research. This year, she made recommendations that updated the workflow of the interdisciplinary care team, increasing participation and streamlining information to help patients benefit from the resources of the Cancer Program. Weisenborn also succeeded in helping patients obtain certain chemotherapeutic medications at no cost.

Samantha Cherbonnier, NEA winner – Promising Professional

Samantha “Sam” Cherbonnier, staff nurse on the Neurology Unit at Shore Medical Center at Easton, is honored as this year’s Promising Professional. Eager to advance her knowledge and value, she is now pursuing her MSN with a focus on leadership. In addition to teaching stroke patients in the hospital, Cherbonnier attends Stroke Support group meetings to provide more education. Committed to learning and growing, Cherbonnier reads and shares evidence-based research with her colleagues. She is a member of the UMMS Professional Practice Council, providing a bedside nurse’s perspective.

Winning the Unit Award for Empirical Outcomes this year was the Birthing Center. This year’s award recognizes the Birthing Center’s establishment of a volunteer-based “Cuddlers Program” that supports newborns experiencing withdrawal, as well as the unit’s continued success in meeting benchmark requirements for exclusive breastfeeding. In accordance with the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics, and Neonatal Nursing guidelines, the Birthing Center collaborates on staffing with the Women’s and Children’s Unit, and all are cross-trained to areas of patient care on the Birthing Center. The Center also is committed to increasing Group Beta Strep compliance and reducing primary C-sections and the incidence of neonates requiring transport to higher levels of care.

“This awards program was established by and for our nurses as a way to recognize those who go above and beyond to always deliver exceptional care. My sincerest congratulations to this year’s winners and my gratitude to the Nurse Excellence Awards Committee – Kathy Elliott, Jacki Crawford, Kathy Cvach, Laura Jackson, Jean Folz, Susan Henry, Majorie Shaffer, Diane Baxter and Gladys Peeples –for their hard work in gathering the nominations and working through the selection process,” said Jenny Bowie, vice president, Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer for 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 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers work with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

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For All Seasons Offers Free Webinar on Strategies to Support the Mental Health

May 22, 2020 by For All Seasons, Inc. Leave a Comment

On Friday, May 29 at noon, For All Seasons CEO, Beth Anne Langrell, and Chief Clinical Officer, Lesa Lee, present a Facebook Live business webinar titled “Leading and Living Through Uncertainty: Strategies to Support the Mental Health of You and Your Employees.” The presentation will be moderated by Cassandra Vanhooser, Director of Talbot County Department of Tourism and Economic Development.

As businesses face the challenges of reopening, waiting to reopen, and/or reconfiguring during COVID-19, there are several concerns employers and employees may be facing. Everyone is experiencing varying degrees of adjustment to a changing work landscape. Businesses may be finding a wide range of anxiety levels among staff. Beth Anne Langrell explains, “It’s more important now than ever to lead with mental health in mind.”

Topics will include self-care while caring for others, supportive/active listening, navigating conversations and opinions with employees and customers, dealing with uncertainty and isolation, managing emotional fatigue, and connecting with mental health resources.

From left, Beth Anne Langrell, CEO, For All Seasons and Lesa Lee, Chief Clinical Officer, For All Seasons.

Beth Anne Langrell and Lesa Lee, are both certified as Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead™ facilitators. According to Brown, “Leadership is about the willingness to step up, put yourself out there, and lean into courage.” Business owners, at this moment in time, are required to exhibit strength in the face of adversity. Langrell and Lee promote digging deep, taking a seat as we listen to others, all while providing the space for ourselves and others to have courageous conversations.

This presentation is dedicated to our local businesses who are there for our community in so many ways. Our for-profit and non-profit businesses are a steady source of support to one another throughout the year. It is through the generosity of local businesses that For All Seasons has increased mental health crisis appointments as well as awareness campaigns for suicide and sexual assault.

Register at http://living-leading.eventbrite.com. For more information contact dspiering@forallseasonsinc.org or call 410.822.1018. This is virtual presentation is free and open to the public and presented in partnership with the Talbot County Department of Emergency Services.

For All Seasons provides therapy, advocacy, psychiatry, and education to Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne, and Talbot counties. The agency accepts all private insurances, medical assistance, and supports English and Spanish speaking individuals regardless of one’s ability to pay. For All Seasons 24-Hour, confidential crisis hotlines are 410.820.5600 for English Hotline and 410.829.6143 for Spanish Hotline. Text available in English or Spanish at 410.829.6143.

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The New Crisis for COVID-19 – Mental Health and Substance Use Reoccurrence

May 21, 2020 by For All Seasons, Inc. Leave a Comment

While we might be planning to resume some aspects of our lives this coming week as the Governor’s stay-at-home order is lifted, there is an insidious crisis brewing in our communities. The isolation created by COVID-19 has created the perfect storm in mental health – growing desperation has increased suicide rates and the recurrence of substance use disorders in our communities. While the reasons are complex, each of us can play a part in the solutions.

For the last five years, For All Seasons counselors have been seeing clients at the Tilghman United Methodist Church through a program called “Healthy Tilghman.” The program provides healthy mind, body, and spirit outreach in the Tilghman community focusing on a peer support network in the community, as well as counseling and community education. Michael Flaherty, Ph.D., a psychologist who practices in Pennsylvania and has national expertise in addiction and mental health issues, helped found “Healthy Tilghman” and knows his community and the difficulties it is facing. He comments, “Under the stress of confinement, the world becomes smaller and small things become big things, and sensitivity becomes higher. This can mean that small environments can make people act out in greater ways.”

Flaherty adds, “Nationally, there has been a 7 to 10 percent increase in recurrences of substance use disorders since COVID-19. While there have not been any overdose deaths yet in Talbot County, there have been overdoses. Statistics show that 20 percent of overdose deaths are suicide-related. With fragile people, it is going to happen. We need a higher degree of patience and understanding during this time.”

To date, Healthy Tilghman has had great success reaching the Bay Hundred community to provide support for mental health issues and addiction. Community volunteers have been the eyes and ears of the community, connecting people to necessary resources, and people are using telehealth services more and more to receive therapy and support.

“Although we are making strides, people are still experiencing anxiety and depression during this crisis and using substances for coping. Some of the reoccurrences of the illness are because of confinement and not having support. People are finding it hard to cope,” Flaherty comments, adding, “A lot of people didn’t realize they had such a dependency on substances and are finding that their dependency is greater during this time.”

Flaherty says that some signs and symptoms of someone contemplating suicide, may include making plans to commit suicide by giving things away or finalizing a will; becoming increasingly withdrawn; experiencing increasing despair and a sense of hopelessness; sleep disorders and mood swings; and a recurrence of substance abuse with drinking and drugging. Family members are often the first-line responders in these situations. Connecting people to family peer support specialists or peer support specialists can make the real difference in someone getting the help they need.

Valerie Albee, founder of Mariah’s Mission, and a family peer support specialist in Easton has been on the frontline helping families cope with the challenges of substance use disorder both virtually and in-person while social distancing. She comments, “These are trying times for many. I offer as much hope as I can for people, but it is a complicated issue and there is difficulty right now getting people timely treatment.”

She explains that while there is now a proliferation of online 12-Step meetings through virtual technology, the isolation created by COVID-19 has affected families with addictions and mental health challenges. Stress, fear, joblessness, and other factors have contributed to increases in relapses both fatal and non-fatal. She states, “These individuals and their families are not strong enough to deal with this crisis by themselves, and they have immediate needs. Managing household resources and maintaining the quality of life for a loved one suffering from a substance use or mental health disorder is very challenging.”

Both Flaherty and Albee agree that individual and Family Peer Support Specialists can be vital in assisting people in crisis. Family Support Specialists like Albee have had training and lived through personal experience dealing with a loved one in crisis. Peer Support Specialists have personally lived with substance use challenges and found recovery.

Flaherty says that the question to pose to the person in crisis is, “What will it take to get you to connect to services?” He states that people should keep encouraging a family member/friend to make the call to receive help, and if the person is unable to care for themselves, they should call one of the crisis hotlines on behalf of the person. Their personal experience, along with extensive training can provide vital help.

Beth Anne Langrell, CEO of For All Seasons Behavioral Health and Rape Crisis Center, adds, “We want family members and friends to know that they don’t have to solve the problem, but they can help connect people to community resources. For All Seasons is expanding its messaging around suicide during Mental Health Awareness Month. By following the steps: Ask how a friend is doing, Listen to what they have to say, and Share that you care about them and you know where to find help, family members and friends can be the crucial first step to getting help.”

She adds, “The mental health community has strengthened the delivery of services and is improving access to information, which is having a positive impact through this crisis. The list we have compiled of resources can be a lifesaver when faced with any of these crises.”

List of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Resources

Mid Shore Behavioral Health

midshorebehavioralhealth.org

Eastern Shore Crisis Response Services

1-888-407-8018

Life Crisis Hotline 410-749-4357

Corsica River Mental Health Services

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

410-745-8028 or 410-758-2211

crmhsinc.com/index.html

Eastern Shore Psychological Services

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

410-822-5007

espsmd.com

Shore Behavioral Health at UMM Shore Regional Health

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

410-822-1000 x5452

umshoreregional.org/programs/behavioral/services/shore-behavioral-health-outpatient-services

Maryland Coalition of Families

mdcoalition.org

Mid Shore Intergroup (For Zoom meetings)

www.midshoreintergroup.org/meetings

East of the Bay NA

eastofthebayna.org

Al-Anon Eastern Shore

al-anon.org.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline

1-800-662-HELP (4357)

24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service

English / Spanish

Chesapeake Treatment Services

410.822.7150

www.chesapeaketreatmentservices.com

National Institute on Drug Abuse

www.drugabuse.gov/patients-families

Mid Shore Opioid Misuse Prevention Program (OMPP)

www.iwishiknewmidshore.org

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Chat online 24/7

www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Maryland Crisis Hotline (211)

Dial 2-1-1, option 1

Text to 898211

Chat online 24/7

www.211md.org

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ crisis services)

1-866-488-7386

Text START to 678678

Chat online 24/7

www.thetrevorproject.org

National Crisis Textline

Text HOME to 741741

www.crisistextline.org

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Maryland Chapter

https://afsp.org/chapter/maryland

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

www.sprc.org

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Eastern Shore COVID-19 Cases Over Time

May 19, 2020 by Spy Desk

Commerce: When an Alcohol Distillery Takes on COVID-19

May 19, 2020 by Val Cavalheri

By now, you probably know about how St. Michaels’ Windon Distilling, home of Lyon Rum, temporarily ventured into making hand sanitizers. But did you know that they’re still at it?

If you don’t remember or weren’t paying close attention, here is a brief recap. In mid-March, as businesses closed around the nation, the call went out, and a temporary dispensation was given to beverage alcohol distilleries to help make much-needed sanitizers. Distilleries everywhere took on the challenge. As the founder and CEO of Windon Distilling and the President of the Maryland Distillers Guild, Jamie Windon was in a unique position to help guide and create a network and database to funnel the many requests they were getting. These requests came from all over Maryland on behalf of multiple state agencies, front line workers, and essential businesses.

Those first few weeks were a scramble to learn how to make the product, how to procure the ancillary supplies (glycerin, hydrogen peroxide, bottles), and how to get it to the people who needed it. But the decision to make a new product was something they knew they had to do, not something they were doing from a business perspective. “This was our saying, yes to a need that came down to us from the State and the County,” says Windon. “We were simply responding, and because we were responding to their requests, we had no idea when we made that first batch if that was the only batch we were going to make, if we were going to do that and be done with it, or how long this would continue.”

It went on longer than what anyone expected. For six weeks, they tried to keep up with the demand. At one point, Windon remembers, the guild had a backlog of requests for over 20,000 gallons that had to be filled. And with 90% of the Distilling’s staff laid off, it became the responsibility of Windon and her partners to roll up their sleeves and “work 24/7 just as if we were starting a new business.”

With such a tremendous need, there was, of course, no extras to go around, despite the many calls they were receiving from the public. But two weeks ago, it all changed. The Distilling company is still making hand sanitizers, but they now have enough to sell to the private consumer, whether it’s an individual or a business preparing to reopen.

“Now anybody that needs it can contact us,” says Windon. “A business owner said to me the other day, ‘Oh man, I can’t find hand sanitizer, and when I did, it was $60 a gallon.’ And I said, ‘you know I make it, and it’s $35 a gallon.’ That’s been a mission of ours since the very beginning when we started this. We, along with many of our fellow distillers in Maryland, have worked to help correct price gouging and to provide something that was needed at a fair price. That’s just hugely important to us as a company.”

But don’t expect to see the personal-sized bottles. The company only sells one-gallon containers. And don’t expect to just be able to run into the distillery and pick one up. All transactions are done through email, with pickup by appointment at the showroom or their booth at the farmer’s markets.

At this point, Windon plans on continuing to make hand sanitizers as long as it’s needed and is proud of her company’s role in this unexpected opportunity. They won’t, however, be branding it into the Windon family of products. “If you look at our bottles, they have the FDA label. It’s very simple and clean. It’s a functional refill of an essential item, and it would be awful to stop making it when people in our community need it. When that need ceases, and when the calls and emails stop coming in, we’ll stop making it.”

She was also quick to confirm her real passion. “I don’t want a hand sanitizer business. I like making rum. I mean, that’s what we do here. Out of necessity, this booze factory is temporarily a hand sanitizer factory.”

This is a relief to the many Lyon fans, who had worried that the company might run out of rum. “Luckily, she said, “this is our seventh year in business, and we had a pretty good stock of the rum inventory and other spirits going into this. We stopped spirit production for about seven weeks to concentrate on the hand sanitizers.”

This past week the distillery started doing fermentations and making rum again. Their partner, Grey Wolf Distilling, has also begun distilling their vodka line. “But of course, like any business right now,” says Windon, “we’re not jumping back into full manufacturing because we simply don’t know what’s to come and what the demand will be. We’re just beginning to see our normal business start to come back. We’re still about 75% down in sales, but just enough to start needing to refill the rum supply.”

Which is a surprising comment given that the liquor industry has been reported to be thriving right now. Says Windon that could not be further from the truth. “Craft distillers and craft breweries across the country, especially in Maryland, are suffering. They’re suffering because their tasting rooms are closed, and in-store liquor store tasting opportunities are gone. In Maryland, we’ve seen an average of about 75% reduction in sales and as much as 100% for some distilleries. My friends who have breweries tell terrible stories about having to dump beer that’s beginning to expire that wasn’t sold. Luckily spirits don’t expire, so we count our blessings where we can.”

With tasting rooms being a critical revenue source for craft breweries, will Windon expect a quick return to reopen? Not quite. “Out of safety and responsibility to my staff and my customers, I was one of the very first businesses to close my doors before the Governor mandated it. I anticipate that I’ll be one of the last businesses to fully open my doors once it’s legal as well, simply because I want to take things slow. Our distillery is about hospitality, about taking care of people, making people comfortable. And until the public feels a renewed sense of trust that it’s safe to be close to people, we are aren’t able to provide what we normally provide, which is seriously wonderful service with a smile. That’s the core of who we are, and until we can do that, there’s no reason for me to open the tasting room. And I’m not in a hurry to. I’m going to wait until it’s safe. I don’t know how long that’ll take, but we’ll be here. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll just be doing things differently.”

Val Cavalheri is a recent transplant to the Eastern Shore, having lived in Northern Virginia for the past 20 years. She’s been a writer, editor and professional photographer for various publications, including the Washington Post.

Navigating COVID-19 Together on UM SRH’s Telemetry Unit

May 16, 2020 by UM Shore Regional Health

Ashley Schreppel and Katie Parker, who are both nurses on the telemetry unit at UM SMC at Easton.

In celebration of May as Health Care Heroes Month, University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is telling the inspiring stories of our dedicated team members. Two of those team members serving on the telemetry unit at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton have been on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic, but, at more than 36 weeks pregnant, they also are just a few short weeks away from welcoming new additions to their families.

As telemetry nurses, Ashley Schreppel and Katie Parker are experienced in caring for seriously ill patients who require constant monitoring. When COVID-19 became a concern in the United States and there was little information about the rate and ease of contagion, Schreppel and Parker naturally were concerned for the lives of their unborn children. However, their desire to be nurses, care for their patients and show up to work every day, is just as strong as the day they began their nursing careers.

A nurse since 2008, Schreppel joined the UM SRH nursing team in 2017. While she began her career as an intensive care unit nurse, she says the telemetry unit became her home as she worked her way up from bedside staff nurse to charge nurse. Today, Schreppel is the daytime clinical nurse coordinator on the telemetry unit – a role she accepted in December 2019.

“Shortly after I transitioned into this role, COVID-19 began to affect communities throughout the world,” Schreppel says.“Today, it’s on our doorstep. But we are managing this with the same commitment and grace with which we manage all challenges in our lives, whether it is taking on new leadership roles or taking care of ourselves during a pandemic or getting ready to have a baby.”

She says working on the front lines can certainly be scary whether you are pregnant or not. However, when faced with the nursing care challenges posed by the pandemic, many nurses pause to remember why they wanted to become nurses in the first place.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Schreppel says. “When I started my career, I realized quickly how rewarding being of service to others can be. Of course the front line can be a scary place sometimes, but I wouldn’t want to go through this storm with any other team of nurses than the heroes I get to work with here at Shore every day.”

Schreppel says the support of her fellow nurses on telemetry and her managers has been incredible, and she realizes the important role she plays in keeping her team safe and informed.

“I work with some amazing nurses,” Schreppel says. “I have done my very best to make sure they have the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19. It’s my responsibility to make sure they feel protected and have the personal protective equipment (PPE) required to keep themselves safe from exposure. I have committed myself to making sure every single person on my unit feels supported.”

Parker has been a nurse on the telemetry unit for nearly six years and a nurse since 2014. She said she wanted to work as a nurse on the Eastern Shore because she wanted to give back to the community she was born and raised in.

“I love that, in casual conversation with my patients, I can connect with them and their lives outside of their hospital stay, all because of the relatively small community our hospital serves,” Parker says.

Due to their pregnancies, Parker and Schreppel both are exempt from caring for COVID-positive patients or those who are suspected of having the virus.

“I feel so fortunate to work for a hospital system that has protected me as a pregnant woman working the floor,” Parker says.

But that exemption brings other concerns. “Being ‘exempt’ from providing direct care means I feel like I am burdening others by increasing their work load, even though I know it’s for the most precious reason,” says Parker.“I am so appreciative of my co-workers, who are truly the ones on the front line, caring for these patients day in and day out.”

Jessica Fluharty, director of Critical Care and Emergency Services for UM SRH, says it’s normal to feel that way if a person is exempt from direct care due to health reasons, but Parker and Schreppel play a vital role in caring for non-COVID-19 patients.

“Not everyone showing up to the hospital is here because of COVID-19,” says Fluharty. “People are still in need of care for a number of reasons and Katie and Ashley are helping our team who are focusing on COVID-positive patients to be able to concentrate fully on those patients because Katie and Ashley are delivering such amazing care to other patients on the telemetry unit.”

As charge nurse on the telemetry unit, another crucial role Parker fulfills is keeping staff up to date on policy and procedure changes, which can change rapidly during the COVID pandemic.

“Making sure my team is fully and accurately informed means we can provide our patients with the safest and most effective care,” she says.

“Katie and Ashley are two of the best nurses I have had the pleasure to work with,” Fluharty says.“Their dedication to the telemetry unit is unprecedented. They both are leaders on their floor and they both go above and beyond for their patients and their staff each and every single day. Even in tough times like these, they are still coming to work to care for our community, while building their own family at home.”

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.

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Auxiliary of Memorial Hospital at Easton Supports Healthcare Workers

May 16, 2020 by UM Shore Regional Health

Members of the Auxiliary of Memorial Hospital at Easton have donated “Health Care Heroes” banners for display outside University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton, and the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center and Diagnostic & Imaging Center.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Auxiliary volunteers have been on hiatus since mid-March, said Liz Hannegan, president of the Auxiliary, and members were looking for a way to continue to support the hospital in a time of stay-at-home orders and social distancing.

Auxiliary members Jack Land, Art Cecil, Pauline Lane, Liz Hannegan (president), and Joe Schultzare.

“We are deeply grateful to the Auxiliary for this generous gift that will bring encouragement and cheer to our healthcare team. I look forward to the day that we can welcome back our volunteers, as they are an integral part of our care team,” said Ken Kozel, president and CEO of UM Shore Regional Health.

“The Auxiliary volunteers of UM Shore Medical Center at Easton serve the mission of UM Shore Regional Health and support the important work the healthcare team is achieving during this crisis,” said Hannegan.“Our members miss the Bazaar at 121 Federal Street, Maggie’s Gift Shop, cuddling in the Birthing Center and all the services that we provide. We especially miss our friends throughout the hospital,” said Hannegan.

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.

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Nine ChoiceOne Urgent Care Centers in Maryland Now Offering COVID-19 Testing

May 15, 2020 by Spy Desk

ChoiceOne Urgent Care (ChoiceOne), a part of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), announced today they are now offering coronavirus (COVID-19) testing at nine of their locations in Maryland.

COVID-19 testing is being offered for symptomatic patients at provider discretion at all ChoiceOne centers in Baltimore County, Caroline County, Harford County and Talbot County. With testing now available, the patient flow process within the centers has been completely transformed to ensure patient safety. Patients with respiratory-like symptoms will be directly taken back to a private suite.

Patients will be offered a symptomatic test that will detect active COVID-19 disease; tests will be validated by an outside laboratory to ensure accuracy of results, with results due back to patients within one to three days. Patients will be responsible for their standard visit fee although the symptomatic test is at no cost to the patient.

“We are honored to be one of the first urgent cares in the area to start offering this access to testing,” said Nicholas Bower, DO, Chief Medical Officer at ChoiceOne. “Our centers, teammates and providers are ready and equipped to provide testing to their communities, while maintaining health and safety standards for any patient seeking medical care for non-COVID like symptoms.”

In addition to the testing sites, ChoiceOne has expanded its telehealth services, now offering a virtual care visit option, available for all patients, which will allow patients to speak with a licensed medical provider from the convenience and comfort of their home.

All ChoiceOne centers remain open seven days a week. For more information, location hours or to check-in online, visit https://choiceoneuc.com.

About ChoiceOne Urgent Care

ChoiceOne Urgent Care, a part of the University of Maryland Medical System, focuses on providing a superior patient experience, ensuring patients receive high-quality health care that is convenient and affordable. ChoiceOne is respected and trusted by the communities we serve, with nine centers in Maryland, our goal is to improve the everyday health of all patients.

ChoiceOne Urgent Care is accredited by the Urgent Care Association. Our centers meet nationally standardized criteria to provide high-level care and processes associated with quality, safety and scope of services provided. For more information, visit ChoiceOneUC.com.

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COVID-19 Heroes: Local Retired Physicians Are a Silver Lining to COVID-19 Darkness

May 10, 2020 by Amy Blades Steward

Dr. Lisa Stone

“I definitely believed that a pandemic from a novel could happen, but I am actually stunned that it is happening now,” says Dr. Lisa Stone, a retired medical and public health professional newly relocated to Easton.

Dr. Stone, along with retired gastroenterologist Dr. Michael Fisher, a retired gastroenterologist with Digestive Health Associates and University of Maryland Shore Medical Group in Easton was asked to join Talbot County’s COVID-19 Task Force to offer their services to help the County plan for the medical impact of the virus on its citizens.

When Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency, the Talbot County Department of Emergency Services activated the Emergency Operations Committee made up of medical professionals, law enforcement, government officials, and agency representatives from around the county.

In addition to the core operations group, several working groups were identified to address specific issues including medical surge, food security, sheltering operations for children of essential workers, mental health, law enforcement, business sector needs, and communication with the immigrant community.

Drs. Fisher and Stone stepped up to help in the area of medical surge. Dr. Fisher shared that he was approached by Ken Kozel, President and CEO of the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) and Dr. William Huffner, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs at UM SRH, to serve as a community/hospital liaison for the pandemic.

Kozel comments, “Sometimes we find silver linings, even in things like a worldwide pandemic,” Kozel said. We at Shore have found one silver lining in the support we are receiving from Dr. Michael Fisher and Dr. Lisa Stone.”

Dr. Fisher retired a few years ago as a gastroenterologist but has offered his valuable experience by working with a team focused on how the allocation of scarce resources could be managed during this health crisis, an essential but challenging initiative.

“Faced with early retirement because of medical issues, I was looking to find those meaningful things in the community I had practiced in for 30 years in which my experience could be utilized,” Dr. Fisher says. “I have been honored to work among such dedicated doctors, nurses, and medical professionals, and I have been impressed by the very smart and creative people on the task forces and working groups.”

Dr. Michael Fisher

Dr. Fisher began to work immediately to secure additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) from the dental community and specialty areas of medicine that were not doing as many elective procedures. He recalls, “Three carloads of gowns, masks, and gloves were donated by these compassionate doctors and dentists which helped immediately with the shortages in these items.”

He and Dr. Stone are on the daily Incident Command Calls with Shore Regional Health addressing the coronavirus pandemic. “Just being on the daily task force calls gives another perspective for one who has been both a patient and a long-standing provider,” Dr. Fisher states.

“It has been inspiring to see people’s innovations during an event like this. I think people are inclined to step up and find ways to help. We are all learning about our community,” he continues. “We are blessed with living in a generous, giving place where we help each other get through this. It’s been a benchmark moment in our nation’s history and we have learned we can’t undermine the nation’s investment in health and research to prepare for times like this.”

Kozel comments, “Dr. Stone was referred to us by Talbot County Health Officer, Dr. Fredia Wadley. Dr. Stone’s expertise in surge management and workforce procurement has been incredibly valuable in our planning and preparations for COVID-19.”

“One great thing about Talbot County is the number of people that move to our county with fantastic and varied experience. When Dr. Stone sent her resume to the Health Department asking if she could help, I knew there were several places that public health and Shore Regional’s hospitals could use her expertise. Drs. Stone and Fisher’s willingness to volunteer has greatly helped our Talbot’s COVID 19 efforts,” says Dr. Wadley.

Before moving to Easton, Dr. Stone worked in public health in Boston, Mass., as well as internationally dealing with pandemics, including working for 10 years in developing countries around Avian influenza and Ebola. She felt she could bring her expertise in surge planning to help Talbot County. “The hardest days were sitting here and knowing I should be doing something,” she says.

Once engaged with Talbot County’s efforts, one of Dr. Stone’s primary responsibilities was to help with planning for alternative sites in the County for hospital beds, which included evaluating Chesapeake College as a possible location. Dr. Stone and Dr. Fisher were worried about a surge affecting adequate personnel needs and both were making calls to inactive or retired medical professionals who could help.

With her knowledge, Dr. Stone plugged into an existing Maryland emergency resource – the Maryland Responds Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps. The Corps includes volunteer medical and non-medical personnel who can be activated in any kind of statewide public health emergency. She found that there were over 100 active and retired nurses in the region who had signed up for the Corps and who may be available to help if the need arises.

Looking to the future, Dr. Stone says, “Things have never been fundamentally the same since 9/11 happened. The same is true of COVID-19. We are going to be so much safer now for the next virus which will be dealt with swiftly with much better preparedness.”

“It has been wonderful to be contributing locally to the planning around this pandemic. I was absolutely stunned by how organized the team is and so impressed by the ‘can do’ attitudes, and the energy and efficiency of the workers. The public should be confident in what is happening here,” she adds.

Reflecting on the process thus far, Kozel remarks, “Having these local experts donate their time and talents in support of our healthcare system’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is a silver lining indeed.”

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What Might Schools Look Like Next Fall?

May 8, 2020 by Maryland Matters

Protective films around bus drivers, temperature checks at schoolhouse doors, playgrounds marked with social distancing markers.

Those are just a few examples of what might become the “new normal” at Maryland public schools, if they’re reopened next fall.

Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Karen B. Salmon announced Wednesday that schools would remain shuttered for the rest of this school year. At the same time, she announced that the State Department of Education has published “Maryland Together: Maryland’s Recovery Plan for Education,” which included the recommendations above — and much more.

Karen Salmon, Maryland state school superintendent

With Maryland’s announcement, schools in 48 states will remain closed for the rest of this academic year. Distance learning in Maryland will continue through the end of the fourth marking period, Salmon said.

Come next fall, “schedules for instruction, meals and transportation may all require modifications,” Salmon said at a State House press conference. “Any return of students and staff to the classroom depends on the circumstances in each school system and local school systems will have the flexibility to adapt the model to best serve their needs.”

The recovery plan released on Wednesday includes suggestions, but not requirements, for school districts to consider. Day-to-day operations in all schools are likely to change to follow public health guidance.

Other precautions that may be necessary include reconfigured classrooms with desks six feet apart, or physically distanced instruction in gymnasiums, auditoriums or out on the lawn.

Suggestions in the report for modifying school schedules to reduce the number of students physically present in schools include:

• A one-day rotation, in which a quarter of students return to school buildings one day a week.

• A two-day rotation in which all students receive two days of at-school instruction each week.

• A and B weeks, where half of all students go to the school building for four days in a row, and learn from home the following week.

Because research shows that younger students have more difficulty processing lessons during online learning, school systems may also consider bringing younger students back on to campuses earlier than older students.

Based on research that shows a more significant “summer slide,” or learning loss, in math, school systems might consider prioritizing in-person instruction for that subject next fall over, say, English language arts, an area where more parents may be prepared to help with at-home lessons.

Schools might also consider “looping” teachers ― or keeping them with the same set of students ― next school year, which would take advantage of teachers’ familiarity with students and families during an uncertain time. Access to school counselors and school-based health clinics should be beefed up, and schools should begin planning to help staff members identify childhood reactions to stress and trauma, or to identify abuse or neglect.

Students learning English or enrolled in special education programs should be prioritized for in-person small-group instruction with student-teacher ratios of 10 or less.

The report says that fall diagnostic assessments for elementary and middle school students will be given at the start of next school year as planned, with results going to teachers within two days to help guide instruction.

If remote learning must continue, school systems should consider implementing low-cost methods of online instruction that can be accessed on the widest variety of technological platforms, including mobile phones. School systems may need to consider increasing information technology staff to help bolster distance-learning programs.

School systems should also consider ways to extend the quality and coverage of internet access in their counties; about 30% of families in Maryland do not have a reliable internet connection for distance learning, according to the report.

The report suggests additional changes and safeguards for students in career and technical education programs, including making sure students have access to work-based learning hours that follow public health guidelines, disinfecting student labs and creating a compressed curriculum that will allow students to graduate on time with their expected certifications.

Schools will have to change lunch and food service policies to allow for physical distancing, increased sanitation and other issues, including how to distribute meals with altered school day schedules. Since schools in the state were closed in mid-March, school systems have served more than 8 million meals to children in need, Salmon said Wednesday.

The report suggests that each school district should create a crisis team to implement local reopening plans and communicate with the public.

A separate “Child Care Recovery Plan” is in the works. About half of the child care programs in the state have been closed since late March, with about 3,700 providers remaining open to serve a small population of children of essential workers. A roll-out of the state-funded Essential Personnel Child Care Program was rocky, with providers going weeks without payment. But Salmon said Wednesday that the state has made more than $34 million in payments over the past two weeks, with all invoices to providers up to date.

The recovery plan for public schools will be updated as information changes, Salmon said Wednesday.

Cheryl Bost, president of the Maryland State Education Association and a Baltimore County elementary school teacher, said Wednesday that closing schools for the year was the right decision for health and safety, but called it a sad day.

“Educators miss our students. We wish we could see them, talk with them, laugh with them, and teach them in person. We wish we could say goodbye to them before the school year ends,” Bost said in a statement. “Instead, educators, families, and students will continue to do our best during this period of crisis distance learning, while knowing that we have a great deal of work to do now and moving forward. We must address the inequities within our community—whether of technology access for educators and students, food security, trauma care, or otherwise—that have been magnified by this crisis. We look forward to the day that we can return to our schools and the everyday joys, challenges, and work of educating our students.”

By Danielle E. Gaines

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