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December 9, 2023

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

Health Health Notes

UM Chester River Health Foundation Hosts Blood Drive Amidst Blood Shortage

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The Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD) has declared a severe blood shortage and is asking people across the region to donate blood to help replenish blood supplies.

The UM Chester River Health Foundation (CRHF), a Kent County based affiliate of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, is answering the call by holding a blood drive on Friday, August 25, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown Conference Center. Donors should use the hospital’s main entrance and request directions to the Conference Center at the front desk; the blood draws will take place in BBD’s mobile van in the parking lot. The goal is to collect a minimum of 40 pints of all types of blood, including double red cells.

“Our second goal is to collect at least 10 pints of O negative blood, said Maryann Ruehrmund, Executive Director, UM CRHF. “This type is in the highest demand because it can be given to anyone.”

According to Blood Bank of Delmarva officials, it takes at least 380 donors per day to supply the 19 local hospitals throughout the Delmarva Peninsula with the blood they need. To maintain a safe blood supply, a seven-day inventory of all blood types must be continually replenished. Right now, the available inventory is at just three days for the core four blood types, i.e. O positive, O negative, A negative and B negative.

These low levels are particularly dangerous in the summer months, when people are less likely to donate blood due to vacations.

According to national blood banking statistics, 38 percent of the American population is eligible to give blood but only 3 percent actually donates. If every eligible blood donor gave at least twice a year, there would never be a blood shortage.

To donate blood donors must:

  • be between the ages of 17 and 79 years old and have a photo ID with proof of birth date.
  • weigh at least 110 pounds.
  • be in general good health.
  • adhere to piercing and tattoo guidelines. Donors are ineligible if they have received a tattoo, body piercing, or branding within the past 12 months.

Make an appointment today by visiting donate.bbd.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/9168 or by calling the Delmarva Blood Bank at 1-888-825-6638. (If calling the DBB directly, donors should indicate their donation is for the Chester River Health Foundation Blood Drive.) Donors can also download the scheduling app to register from an Android or iPhone.

If you have traveled outside of the United States recently, please call the Blood Bank for more information on your eligibility to donate blood. If you had an initial positive COVID-19 test more than 10 days ago and your symptoms are resolving, you are eligible to donate.

About UM Chester River Health Foundation

The Chester River Health Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Maryland corporation and the fiduciary responsible for soliciting, holding and disbursing charitable gifts that support excellence in patient care services exclusively at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Contributions fund the purchase of new and replacement medical equipment and technology, capital projects and scholarships for advanced health care education. The Foundation offers a complete array of philanthropy programs, from soliciting annual gifts through assistance with estate and legacy gift planning.

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

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Choptank Health Hosts Groundbreaking for New Federalsburg Health Center

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Choptank Community Health System brought together elected officials, community leaders, staff, partners, and residents for a July 13 groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction of its new health center at 320 Hargraves Dr.  The new Federalsburg Health Center will be replacing Choptank Health’s current location on Bloomingdale Ave.

Remarks were given by Choptank Health Board of Directors Chair Sara Visintainer and Member Wayne Cole, followed by Choptank Health President and CEO Sara Rich.

Photo: From left: Federalsburg Mayor Kimberly Abner, Federalsburg Council Member Debi Sewell, Federalsburg Council Member Ed Windsor, Choptank Health President, and CEOSara Rich, Federalsburg Council Member Scott Phillip, Federalsburg Interim Town Manager Kristy Marshall, and Federalsburg Planning & Zoning Chairperson Mercedes Moyer.

Rich thanked Visintainer and Cole for their remarks and welcomed local, county, state, and federal elected officials along with staff to the event.

“Choptank Health has been providing health care to the residents of Federalsburg since 1992,” said Rich. “Now, we annually see more than 5,000 medical, dental, and behavioral health patients in just 7,400 square feet of space.”

Anticipated to open in the summer of 2024, the new Federalsburg Health Center includes more than 21,000 square feet of space. The new center will include five dedicated wings to deliver medical, dental, and behavioral health services, giving Choptank Health the space needed to meet the healthcare needs of more patients.

The new site will also house Choptank Health’sPhysician Rural Residency Program—presented in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, along with a dental residency program and the development of Choptank Health’s pediatric dental residency program with longstanding partner NYU Langone.

“Our residency program draws medical and dental students from throughout the Mid-Atlantic and is a vital resource for connecting residents with our providers and patients,” says Rich. “We’re very much looking forward to having dedicated space in Federalsburg to help grow our residency program while providing more accessibility to healthcare for all.”

Rich also gave a special thanks to the Town of Federalsburg, Caroline County, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Maryland Governor’s capital budget for funding to help make this new facility possible.

“Community is our middle name for a reason—because it takes the strong support of our community, our partners, and our funders to help make this state-of-art new health center possible,” Rich says. “When construction is complete, the people of Federalsburg and the surrounding areas will have one of the most modern healthcare facilities in the region.”

Choptank Community Health System announced plans for the new Federalsburg Health Center in 2021, after purchasing land for the new facility at 320 Hargraves Dr. with Caroline County Economic Development instrumental in helping to identify the land for the new Federalsburg Health Center. Harper & Sons, Inc. of Easton is the general contractor, with architectural and engineering firm George, Miles & Buhr, LLC of Salisbury charged with the new facility’s design.

Photo: From left: Caroline County Commissioner Frank Bartz, Delegate Tom Hutchinson, District 37B, Caroline County Commission Vice President Larry Porter, Choptank Health Board of Directors Savannah Winston, Choptank Health Board of Directors Wayne Cole, Choptank Health President & CEO Sara Rich, Choptank Health Board of Directors Chair Sara Visintainer, Choptank Health Board of Directors Austin Webster, Caroline County Commission President J. Travis Breeding, and Caroline County Economic Development Director Debbie Bowden.

The event wrapped up with the official groundbreaking, with shovels placed in the ground by Choptank Health team members, elected officials, and representatives from Harper & Sons, Inc., and George, Miles & Buhr.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical, dental, and School-Based health services to more than 30,000 adults and children in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all. Medical services include primary healthcare, women’s health, pediatrics, behavioral health, chronic health management, and care navigation, with new medical patients now being accepted. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org.

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For All Seasons Partners with Plein Air Easton to Address Mental Health at This Year’s Festival

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L-R: Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons, and Jessica Bellis, CFO and COO of the Avalon Foundation.

It always starts on the hottest day of the year. Plein Air Easton 2023, one of the most prestigious and largest Plein Air festivals in the U.S. today, welcomed fifty-eight artists to enter a grueling 10-day competition filled with challenging landscapes, climate, and stress. This year, the festival will add an additional benefit for artists, visitors, staff, and volunteers at this year’s events.  While the Avalon Foundation has always focused on the physical health of its participants in the heat of summer, this year, through a partnership with For All Seasons, the organization will focus on the stress of the competition and the importance of mental health and wellness.

“For 20 years, we have been providing our competing artists with all kinds of information, instruction, and access to medical professionals around heat and hydration and around Lyme disease and ticks. While we’ve been focused on their health, not once have we stopped and thought about their mental health,” comments Jessica Bellis, CFO and COO of the Avalon Foundation.

“Plein Air Easton is the like the Masters in golf. There is a lot of money and fame that is connected to your performance during the 10 days. We remove these artists from all of their support networks and systems and drop them in really harsh conditions. If we’re creating a situation that is going to be high stress, then it should be our responsibility to provide additional supports. And you know, this is how we both eliminate the stigma associated with a mental health crisis.”

For All Seasons, the region’s behavioral health and rape crisis center, and the Avalon have partnered a lot over the last 18 months for several events providing educational programming for the community on a variety of mental health topics, from anxiety and emotional burnout to suicide prevention.

“This partnership with the Avalon Foundation is the way that grassroots community outreach should be working. We aren’t just presenting these programs to the community, we are presenting these programs to the Avalon staff, so they by nature are also getting the mental wellness messages.  Having us present programming about how mental health affects us all gave them an opportunity to think about the mental health component in this huge Plein Air ‘Olympics’ so to speak,” comments Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about better self-care practices, how can we reset our organizational culture to think about mental health more. And as we started kind of getting ready for Plein Air Easton, we were talking about different educational content that we have provided,” adds Bellis.

“We started looking back on Plein Air Easton and we have had people drop out of the competition midway from stress. We’ve had artists give up their positions because they are having a high-stress time in their lives. We have lost artists to drug addiction, suicide, and major health issues. We have had people who participated in our competition while undergoing cancer treatments. And we’re not talking about mental health. Shame on us. People don’t talk about it and we’ve got to change that.”

In addition to the mental health messages presented by Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons, during the Plein Air Easton orientation for artists, For All Seasons will offer artists, staff, volunteers, and visitors a variety of tools to help with the stress of the festival. Free materials will include a fan and a handout on box breathing, a technique useful to help calm anxiety and nervousness. There will also be short online videos in English and Spanish available on the web page

https://bit.ly/FASMentalHealthMinute, featuring For All Seasons Mental Health Minutes and other relaxation techniques.

For All Seasons will also offer Open Access walk-in crisis appointments both in person in Easton and through telehealth during the festival – a service they have been phasing in for the public over the last nine months. For All Seasons staff will be ready to assist any artist who needs to be seen during the festival.

At its Tilghman Island site, For All Seasons staff is also providing wellness resources and cookies and lemonade for any artist, staff, volunteer, or visitor who wants to stop by. Jane Gordon, one of the For All Seasons’ art therapists, will be at Plein Air Easton’s Kid’s Corner with her coloring book, “Color Me Closer,” designed for people to color in pairs. This coloring book, produced and funded by For All Seasons, is a resource for supporting children who have experienced trauma, or for anyone who wants to improve relationships or just relax and have fun together. After the fact, the Avalon Foundation is going to do a recap podcast with Dorman and another one of the For All Seasons art therapists to continue the dialogue on mental health.

“By providing this support, we are saying, ‘We see you. We are here for you. And the organization that is hosting you, the Avalon Foundation, thinks that your mental health is as important as the beautiful work that you’re creating,’” explains Dorman.

“The other thing that’s important in terms of this partnership is that we have a real opportunity for every single person who visits the Plein Air Festival to share the importance of mental health in a much different way. And the fact that the Avalon Foundation and For All Seasons can work together to create that path is very exciting.”

For All Seasons started reaching out to its community in a whole different way before COVID but offered more outreach during COVID. The organization is continuing to ensure that mental health is intersecting with the region’s business and nonprofit professionals, making sure that people have access to and an understanding of how mental health truly does affect us all.

“We have created a conversation acknowledging it’s okay if you’re struggling, and you don’t always have to have the answers for someone who is struggling. We recognized as an agency eight or nine years ago that being a mental health agency isn’t always about people coming to us and that the only way that we can truly blanket our community with mental health services and mental wellness is to go to our community and serve them,” Dorman adds.

“We’ve created an outreach and event programming that says For All Seasons is your community behavioral health and rape crisis center. This is a perfect example of how partnerships can be formed in a grassroots way because we’re both thinking outside of the box, and both saying how can we make this community healthier and make it a safe space for everyone to talk about mental health and mental wellness. We do it better together.”

“We have a real desire to begin to weave the mental health conversation into everything that the Avalon does. This is a micro example of what I hope to be a much larger partnership with For All Seasons. There are so many occasions when any business needs additional help dealing with mental health crises. With For All Seasons, our shared desire is to incorporate mental health support in all of the Avalon Foundation programming, whether it’s messaging in the Green Room or making sure that we are working on reducing stigma and providing access to everyone who uses our facilities. We serve a lot of children and a lot of community members, and we need more help,” adds Bellis.

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For information about For All Seasons walk-in hours, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsInc.org.

Founded in 1994, the Avalon Foundation is a 501 (c)3 charitable organization that began as a community theatre and has grown into the largest arts organization on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.   The Foundation’s mission is to Inspire, enrich, and connect diverse audiences through arts, educational, and cultural experiences inside the historic Avalon Theatre and throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  Plein Air Easton is the largest and most prestigious juried plein air painting competition in the United States.  It is a project of the Avalon Foundation, Inc. and is held in Easton, Maryland each July. 

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Qlarant Foundation Awards $440,500 to Charitable Organizations

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Qlarant Foundation held their annual award event and provided grants to 23 non-profit organizations during the 2023 Grant Awards Celebration. Representatives from each organization convened at the company’s corporate offices in Easton, Maryland. The grant recipients were selected from over 100 applications from across Maryland and the District of Columbia. In total, $440,500 in grants and gifts ranging from $3,500 to $35,000 were awarded. Since 2008, the Foundation has awarded over $6.6 Million to 122 organizations.

As the honored guest speaker, Ms. Elizabeth M. Hewlett, Esq. delivered a motivational and uplifting message of hope, friendship, and the power of working together to lift the spirits of others. Ms. Hewlett has practiced law and been a public servant for more than 40 years. She recently completed her second tenure as the Chair of the Prince George’s County Planning Board and The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), the first African American and the first woman to serve in this position. In attendance were representatives from each of the grantees, Qlarant Board members, leadership and staff. Ms. Hewlett received a standing ovation.

Also in attendance was special guest Mr. Michael Arntz, Constituent Liaison for 1st District of Maryland Congressman Andy Harris.

The in-person event provides an opportunity for each of the awardees to meet each other and connect. This enables dialogues to foster ideas for fundraising, program management, and avenues for growth. In some cases, the awardees actually end up working together. “One significant benefit of the Qlarant Foundation Grant Program is that it connects nonprofits with similar missions,” noted Bill Shrieves, President of Bay Hundred Community Volunteers. “For most of us, this connection becomes a force multiplier beyond the actual grant money, increasing the impact on the communities we serve. I met Genevieve Croker at the Qlarant Foundation grant ceremony last year and we talked about our modular aluminum ramp program,” he continued. “She was interested in starting a program in Kent County.” As a result, last September, two of the Rebuilding Together board members traveled to St. Michaels and worked with the Bay Hundred team on a ramp build to become familiar with the process. They have been collaborating ever since.

Each grantee, and their respective program, is profiled on www.qlarant.com/foundation with photos videos, and descriptions of the work the Foundation supports.

“This year, we have a fantastic grantee pool which will be providing a diverse array of services including health and mental health care, housing and addiction services, childhood development programs, and supports for people with developmental disabilities,” said Amanda M. Neal, Foundation Vice-Chair Qlarant Foundation Board Chair. “Our communities will benefit greatly from the diverse and creative solutions these organizations are able to provide to those in need.”

“I’m so proud to represent Qlarant employees and management in this ongoing effort to invest in the local community.  Qlarant Foundation is pleased to be able to continue to provide funding for these outstanding programs.” Ms. Neal continued “The supports and services outlined in this year’s group of grantees will have a direct impact on the health and quality of life of the communities we all serve.”

Foundation Board Vice Chair Amanda Neal and Qlarant CEO Dr. Ron Forsythe, Jr. present a check for $440,500 in this year’s Qlarant Foundation Grantee program.

About Qlarant: Qlarant is a not-for-profit, nationally respected leader in fighting fraud, waste, and abuse, improving program quality, and optimizing performance. The company uses subject matter experts and innovative data science and technology to help organizations see risks, solve problems, and seize opportunities. Qlarant provides customized solutions for state, federal and commercial industries across the nation. The Qlarant Foundation— the mission arm of the organization—has provided over $6 million in grants to charities throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia. Headquartered in Easton, Md. Qlarant employs nearly 500 people nationwide and has a 50-year record of accomplishment improving the performance of some of the Nation’s most important programs. Qlarant is a three-time winner of the Best Places to Work award. For more information, visit www.qlarant.com or contact [email protected]

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Choptank Health Announces New Behavioral Medicine Practitioner

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Laurence J. Pezor, MD, CHE

Choptank Community Health System’s Easton Health Center and Denton Health Center recently welcomed behavioral medicine practitioner Laurence J. Pezor, MD, CHE to the medical practice.

Dr. Pezor will provide psychiatric medication assessments and medication management for children, adolescents, and young adult patients of Choptank Community Health System’s medical and dental providers. He will see patients in Choptank Health’s Easton Health Center on Wednesdays and at the Denton Health Center on Fridays. Pezor will also consult with Choptank Health’s pediatric providers on an as-needed basis.

Dr. Pezorspecializes in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychopharmacology, with more than 40 years of clinical practice and administrative experience, including managing intensive outpatient programs and inpatient services. Pezor most recently served as the medical director of University of Maryland Shore Behavioral Health and led a provider team assisting patients with mental health and recovery services. He has been serving the youth and families of the Mid-Shore for the last 10 years.

Dr. Pezor received his Doctorate of Medicine from the Ohio State University College of Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences, cum laude, from the University of Southern California. He received fellowship training from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and completed his internship in pediatrics and residency in psychiatry at the Naval Hospital in San Diego, Calif.

Pezor is Board-Certified in Children and Adolescent Psychiatry from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is a Certified Healthcare Executive Diplomat with the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Diplomat with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical and dental services in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties to more than 30,000 adults and children, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all.

Choptank Community Health’s medical services include primary health care, women’s health, pediatrics, behavioral health, chronic health management, and care navigation, with new medical patients now being welcomed. New and existing Choptank Health medical patients can call the Denton Health Center at 410-479-2650 or the Easton Health Center at 410-770-8910 to schedule a virtual or in-person appointment, with more information at www.choptankhealth.org.

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Talbot SAVES… Expanded Capabilities and New Name for Public Defibrillator Stations!

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Talbot Paramedic Foundation and Talbot County Department of Emergency Services has announced a new name for their nationally recognized Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) program, as well as an expanded range of emergency situations that can be addressed with by-stander intervention.

The newly named program will be called Talbot CARES, or Cardiac Arrest Rescue- Emergency Station.

According to Talbot Paramedic Foundation president Wayne Dyott, “We know giving by-standers the tools to immediately respond in a variety of life-threatening emergencies, prior to the arrival of EMS, with the support of pre-arrival instructions from Emergency Communication Specialists at the 911 Center will save lives!”

Talbot CARES will feature additional equipment to address emergency situations.  Currently Talbot DES Paramedic Rachael Cox is stocking the enclosures with Stop the Bleed tourniquet kits and opioid overdose kits are being added to the compartment along with the defibrillator (AED).  Additional future equipment might include kits for severe allergic reactions and flotation devices for installations near waterfront areas.

(L to R) Talbot EMS Chief Matt Watkins, Paramedic Rachael Cox, Talbot Paramedic Foundation President Wayne Dyott, and Talbot Department of Emergency Services Director Brian LeCates. Photo provided by Talbot Paramedic Foundation.

“The multipurpose emergency response capabilities of these stations have allowed us an opportunity to revisit a name for our PAD program. Talbot County Department of Emergency Services and the Talbot Paramedic Foundation have selected Talbot CARES as a name more reflective of the program’s changed capabilities,” stated Dyott.

Cox provides critical support to over 200 defibrillators that are in the county as well as the nine Talbot CARES located at Idlewild, North Easton Park, and soon Homerun Baker Park.  Cox was able to organize and stock each of the enclosures with this equipment and make it ready for use.  The 911 Emergency Communications Center personnel have long provided pre-arrival instructions for 911 callers to assist them in initiating care until trained personnel arrive on location.

“The Talbot Paramedic Foundation is a valued partner in making us a national leader in Public Access Defibrillation.  Talbot County DES is actively working toward expanding the number of defibrillators available throughout the county, especially in areas of public recreation,” stated Matt Watkins, Chief of Talbot’s Emergency Medical Services Division.

Talbot CARES is in the process of expanding coverage to Trappe’s Homerun Baker Park.  The goal is to provide public access to these lifesaving stations to every recreational facility in Talbot within the next few years.  Talbot CARES is a cooperative effort between Talbot DES, Team Trace, Talbot Paramedic Foundation, Gunther Electric, along with the support of many others throughout the community.

The likelihood of saving a victim of sudden cardiac arrest is reduced approximately 10 percent every minute after the heart stops.  CARES are located within the parks to allow rapid delivery of the defibrillator to the victim following sudden cardiac arrest.  Immediate CPR and rapid defibrillation are essential parts of the chain of survival.  Accessing the equipment results in immediate dispatch of emergency services!

The Talbot Paramedic Foundation has a long history of supporting emergency medical services in Talbot County.  Their mission is saving lives through increased awareness, raising funds, and developing life saving programs.  The foundation also supports the advanced academic training of EMS providers through established scholarships.

For more information, please contact the Talbot Paramedic Foundation at talobtparamedic.org., or Paramedic Cox at [email protected] or (443 239-6999).

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Rebecca Bair, CFRE, Named VP, Philanthropy for UM Memorial Hospital Foundation

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Rebecca Bair, Vice President, Philanthropy

Rebecca Bair, Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) has been named Vice President, Philanthropy, for UM Memorial Hospital Foundation.

UM Memorial Hospital Foundation raises funds to advance health care programs and services at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, UM Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown, the Cancer Center at UM SRH and the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center. Bair joined the UM SRH leadership team after serving three years as Associate Vice President, Development, at Memorial Hermann Foundation in Houston, Texas, where she led a fundraising team that generated over $15 million annually, while personally raising $7 million in her first two years.

Bair also held leadership positions in fundraising for educational and health care organizations including Stony Brook University and Medical Center in Stony Brook, N.Y.; Banner Health in Phoenix, Ariz.; Yavapai Regional Medical Center and Foundation in Prescott, Ariz.; and Catholic Healthcare West- Shared Business Services, in Phoenix, Ariz.

Bair’s significant career achievements include managing a campaign that successfully raised more than $70 million for the State University of New York Stony Brook College of Arts and Sciences, raising almost $4 million in 2013 for Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and leading and managing numerous successful annual, capital and planned giving campaigns.

Bair holds multiple academic degrees including a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Maryland College Park, a Master of Science in Human Relations and Training and Development from University of Oklahoma and a Doctorate of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

“We are indeed fortunate to have Rebecca Bair taking the reins of our Memorial Hospital Foundation,” said Ken Kozel, President and Chief Executive Officer, UM SRH. “In the course of her 25-year career in philanthropy, she has led fundraising teams at multiple organizations in successfully securing more than $100 million in financial support. As we look forward to the next phase in the advancement of UM Shore Regional Health, Rebecca’s considerable talent, expertise and energy will be a valuable asset.”

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

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

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UM SRH Advance Directives Campaign Reaches First Year Goal

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The Population Health team at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) launched a campaign in July 2022 to encourage people of all ages to complete an advance directive and share it with the health care system to be scanned into their personal electronic medical record (EMR).

During the first year of the campaign, Population Health team members Kathy Sellers and Terry Satchell, RN were given an ambitious goal: Collect and scan at least 1,000 advance directives for inclusion in individuals’ EMRs by July 1, 2023. To make it easy for locals to file their advance directive paperwork with the health care system, secure drop boxes were installed outside all four UM Shore Regional Health emergency entrances – Cambridge, Chestertown, Easton and Queenstown. (The documents also may be scanned and sent via e-mail.)

Photo: UM Shore Regional Health Population Health team members Terry Satchell (left) and Kathy Sellers (right) congratulated Easton resident Richard “Brooke” Lynch (center) on being the 1,000th person to submit an Advance Directive for inclusion in his Electronic Medical Record (EMR) at UM SRH since July 2022.

“We also went out and about in all five counties, talking to people at health fairs, senior living communities and community organizations about the importance of advance directives, providing the paperwork and answering questions,” said Sellers.

This outreach helped the campaign gain momentum, and on June 19, 2023, the 1,000th advance directive – completed by Richard “Brooke” Lynch of Easton – landed in Sellers’ email inbox.

“I learned about this opportunity when I spoke to Terry and Kathy during a health fair at the community center where I live,” said Lynch. “I had done my advance directive a few times over the years, so it was a matter of updating it and sending it for inclusion in my electronic medical record with the health care system.”

As the second year of the advance directive initiative gets under way, Sellers and Satchell have a new goal: 1,250 directives completed and scanned into the appropriate EMR by July 1, 2024.

“An advance directive is a gift to your loved ones if you become incapacitated,” said Satchell. “It spares them from having to make difficult choices, from high-tech medical interventions to palliative care, on your behalf. Through an advance directive, you document for health care providers what you want — or don’t want — in terms of your end-of-life care.”

While many people put off completing their advance directive, others do so, but keep the paperwork in a drawer at home or on file in their lawyer’s office, or both.

“In that case, there can be delays in locating your advance directive and contacting the person you appointed as your health care agent,” said Satchell. “This is why we are offering the option of having the paperwork scanned into your EMR, where it can be accessed promptly by the clinicians providing your care.”

“We hope more organizations will be willing to host us to talk to their members about this important aspect of managing their health care,” said Sellers. “We are now working on a new schedule of visits that will start in September.”

For more information or to send an advance directive for inclusion in your EMR, contact Sellers, [email protected]

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

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

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HomePorts Sponsors SCOT Workshop: Organizing for Health Care Management

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Shore Community Outreach Team (SCOT) will offer a free program, “Organizing Your Health,” on Monday, July 17, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chestertown Town Hall, 118 North Cross Street. The event is sponsored by HomePorts, a 501(c)3 charitable organization serving the needs of greater Kent County residents 55 and over.HomePorts’ mission is to identify, monitor and ensure access to a wide range of services that help members to remain safe and live comfortably in their own homes.

“‘Organizing Your Health’ provides education, tips, and tricks for staying organized when managing your own health or a loved one’s health,” said Emily Welsh, MSN, RN, Nurse Coordinator for SCOT. “We appreciate HomePorts’ support in enabling us to offer this free workshop in such a central, convenient location in Chestertown, and we look forward to a strong turnout.”

Topics of the workshop will include communicating effectively with providers, what preventive care and screenings should be done and when, health journaling, advance directives, medication management, and use of health care technology. Light refreshments and socializing will be enjoyed after the presentation.

To register, visit https://homeports.org/homeportsevent/organizing-your-health/

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

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

UM Shore Regional Health to Offer “Breathe Again” Smoking Cessation Course

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Sandra Wilson-Hypes

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is launching an in-person and participatory five-session workshop titled “Breathe Again: A Journey to a Smoke-Free and Healthier YOU,” designed to help smokers who wish to quit. The class will be offered in-person from 1 to 3 p.m., beginning Monday, July 10, with sessions running through November. There is no charge for the course, but registration is required.

Led by Sandra Wilson-Hypes, Health Educator for University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, this course will offer guidance, information, tools and resources to help participants quit smoking. Course topics include: Smoking 101 on July 10, creating a quit-smoking plan on August 8, information on the various health risks of smoking on September 12, discussion on the challenges to quitting smoking on October 10, and information, tools and resources to staying smoke free on November 7. Attendance in all five sessions of the course is encouraged but not required.

Participants who complete the course can expect:

  • improved health
  • to gain a deeper understanding of the addiction of smoking and its effects on your health
  • improvement in mood or with symptoms of depression
  • a reduced need for doctors’ visits or hospitalization
  • connection with a community of individuals on the same journey
  • to learn effective strategies to overcome cravings and triggers
  • increased chances of achieving long-term success in quitting smoking

“Quitting smoking is a crucial step toward improving your overall health and well-being,” said Wilson-Hypes.“By enrolling in a smoking cessation course, you can gain the necessary guidance and support to successfully break free from the habit and embrace a healthier lifestyle.”

Classes are open to all smokers. Family members and caretakers are encouraged to participate as well. Register online at umshoreregional.org/health-education and click on the date(s) of the course you wish to attend in the calendar provided.

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

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.