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October 31, 2024

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

Health Health Notes

Free Children’s Dental Screenings in Cambridge Feb. 20

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Choptank Community Health System is partnering with The Salvation Army of the Mid-Shore in Cambridge, Md. to provide free dental health services for children ages 3 – 17 on Mon., Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Choptank Health’s Mobile Unit will be at the Salvation Army to provide dental health screening and health education, with each participating child receiving a goodie bag.

“Our Mobile Unit is an important component of delivering Choptank Health’s mission to provide access to healthcare,” said Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich. “We’re proud to partner with The Salvation Army to provide these dental services for children, especially during National Children’s Dental Health month.”

National Children’s Dental Health Month is sponsored by the American Dental Association as a month-long health observance bringing together thousands of dedicated professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers, and many others.

“We are very excited about this partnership,” said The Salvation Army Residential Programs Manager Shane Walker “We ask the community to come alongside us in supporting this event by sharing this information with families in need.”

Children need regular oral health checkups beginning when their first teeth erupt, or when a child turns one—and ideally continuing every six months, according to The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“We want to encourage parents to take advantage of this opportunity for their children,” said Choptank Community Health’s Chief Dental Officer Sandra Garbely-Kerkovich, DMD. “Good oral health beginning at a young age is an important preventative strategy for an individual’s overall health into adulthood.”

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 more at choptankhealth.org.

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

$750,000 Grant from FHL Bank Atlanta Awarded to Habitat Choptank

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Habitat Choptank is one of 14 affordable housing initiatives in seven states that was awarded funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) in 2022, and it’s the only project funded in Maryland. The grant is through FHLBank Atlanta’s Affordable Housing Program and will support Habitat Choptank’s ambitious project on Wells Street in Cambridge by supporting a portion of the costs associated with constructing eight single-family affordable homes for ownership. BayVanguard Bank, a local bank and member of FHLBank Atlanta partnered with Habitat Choptank, making it possible for the grant application to move forward and is also providing a construction bridge loan to Habitat Choptank to assist in financing the construction costs.  Grant funding provided by FHLBank Atlanta will be paid out over the next two years as these new affordable homes are sold.

Seven of the eight homes will be constructed with two stories and will include 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with a first-floor bedroom and other features that would enable homeowners to successfully remain in their homes as they age.  Habitat Choptank homes are targeted toward income qualifying buyers earning between 35 and 65% of the Area Median Income in Dorchester or Talbot Counties and are built to be energy efficient and to last.  Features of these homes include:  concrete and brick front porch and steps; GAF architectural shingles (50-year transferrable warranty); prefinished Hardie plank siding (extended color & material warranties); laminate hardwood flooring typically (20-year warranty); ceramic tile floors in the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room (30-year lifespan); fiberglass doors and vinyl windows; energy star heat pump water heater reduces utility bills; improved insulation and air sealing reduces utility bills and improves comfort; and, conditioned crawlspace controls temperature & humidity for improved energy efficiency.

The 2019 Housing and Market Analysis prepared as part of the Cambridge Neighborhood Revitalization plan looked at the economic challenges driven by the lack of safe, affordable housing stock. This plan revealed that “Nearly one out of every four Cambridge households (24%) was severely housing cost burdened in 2017, paying more than 50% of their income on housing costs. More broadly, approximately 46% of all Cambridge households are considered cost burdened paying in excess of 30% of their income on housing expenses. Preservation of an affordable rental housing stock, and homeownership opportunities for the entire income spectrum will be important as upward pressure on prices is likely to continue in Cambridge.”

Habitat for Humanity Choptank plays a vital role in a community such as Cambridge, empowering low-income households to improve their housing conditions so that their dreams for the future, a future for themselves and their families, can become a reality. The organization’s core values help to make that happen:  sweat equity, financial education, and counseling are keys to their success along with partnering with local and state government, community foundations, nonprofit organizations, and individual members from the community who lend their time, talent, and support to work alongside local families as they strive to achieve homeownership or undertake emergency and necessary repairs on their homes.

The Habitat model has been working for 30 years with the organization having a foreclosure rating of less than 2% after building 102 homes.  All this work drives important social and economic outcomes as stable housing has a tremendous impact on family and community health, improved education outcomes for children and increased financial stability and opportunity. In addition to these benefits, building and repairing homes also stimulates other sectors of the economy – driving additional spending and creating more local jobs.

If you are interested in owning your own home on Wells Street in Cambridge, visit habitatchoptank.org to learn more about Habitat Choptank’s homeownership program and to complete the inquiry form.

Wells Street in Cambridge will soon be a thriving neighborhood of safe, affordable, and energy-efficient homes.

About Habitat Choptank

Since 1992, Habitat Choptank has made homeownership possible for 102 families and has completed critical health and safety repairs in partnership with over 300 qualifying homeowners in Dorchester and Talbot Counties. By building and rehabbing homes, Habitat Choptank helps families achieve better health, financial freedom, independence, stability, and security. Visit habitatchoptank.org to volunteer or apply for homeownership or home repair.

About Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta

FHLBank Atlanta offers competitively-priced financing, community development grants, and other banking services to help member financial institutions make affordable home mortgages and provide economic development credit to neighborhoods and communities. The Bank is a cooperative whose members are commercial banks, credit unions, savings institutions, community development financial institutions, and insurance companies located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. FHLBank Atlanta is one of 11 district banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Since 1990, the FHLBanks have awarded approximately $7.3 billion in Affordable Housing Program funds, assisting more than one million households. For more information, visit fhlbatl.com.

About BayVanguard Bank

BayVanguard Bank is a Maryland headquartered, full-service, community bank founded in 1873.  BayVanguard provides the full range of banking products and services with a flexible and responsive delivery.  For more information, visit www.BayVanguard.com.

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

UM SMC at Easton Recognized as High Performing in Maternity Care

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University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton has been recognized for the second time as High Performing in Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. Among nearly 650 hospitals providing labor and delivery services nationwide, fewer than half received the “high performing” designation; in Maryland, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton was one of only five hospitals so designated.

Earning this recognition required the hospital to excel on quality metrics that matter to expectant families, including newborn complication rates, C-sections among lower-risk pregnancies, early elective delivery rates, the hospital’s ability to meet new federal criteria for birth-friendly practices, and how successfully the hospital supported breastfeeding.

From left are Angie Wicks, DNP, RNC-OB, Nurse Manager at The Birthing Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton; Jenny Bowie, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services, and Chief Nursing Officer; Javier Cajina, MD, Medical Director for UM Shore Medical Group – Women’s Health and The Birthing Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton; and Ken Kozel, President and Chief Executive Officer, UM Shore Regional Health.

“The Birthing Center and UM Shore Medical Group-Women’s Health teams deserve tremendous credit for maintaining this strong rating from U.S. News & World Report,” said Javier Cajina, MD, Medical Director for UM Shore Medical Group – Women’s Health and The Birthing Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton.

On average, 1,000 babies a year are delivered at the hospital’s Birthing Center.

“It was such an honor to receive this designation for the second time,” said Angie Wicks, DNP, RNC-OB, Nurse Manager at The Birthing Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton.“It’s a reflection of the dedication our obstetrics providers, nurses and techs maintain as they provide quality patient care.”

In addition to continuing the focus on providing the highest quality patient experience, in just the past year, UM Shore Medical Group-Women’s Health has expanded access to obstetric, maternity and the full continuum of women’s health care by adding four new providers – three certified nurse midwives and one nurse practitioner.

For information about The Birthing Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, visit umshoreregional.org/birthing. UM Shore Medical Group – Women’s Health can be reached by calling 410-820-4888.

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 Cancer Program Welcomes New Radiation Oncologist

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Rashmi Benda, MD

The Cancer Program at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) has welcomed Rashmi Benda, MD, as Medical Director of the Requard Radiation Oncology Center. In this role, Dr. Benda will work closely with John Mastandrea, MD, Chief of Radiation Oncology at UM SRH, to further develop the robust clinical program at the radiation therapy center with state-of-the-art technology, including brachytherapy and stereotactic radiation services.

Dr. Benda also has joined the faculty of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). In this capacity, she will further define and implement processes to ensure that UM SRH remains fully integrated into the UMSOM radiation oncology program, the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center and the University of Maryland Medical System.

Working with Dr. Mastandrea, Mark Mishra, MD, Associate Director of the University of Maryland Cancer Network and Director of Radiation Oncology Clinical Research, and other members of the Clinical Trial Research leadership team, Dr. Benda will promote and grow existing radiation oncology clinical trials and research protocols.

Dr. Benda is a board-certified radiation oncologist with more than 24 years of clinical experience in both private practice and academic settings. She received her medical degree from the University of Miami’s Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, and completed an internal medicine internship at the Sinai Hospital of Detroit and a radiation oncology residency at Wayne State University, also in Detroit. Dr. Benda’s areas of expertise include clinical radiation oncology, clinical trials, and establishing and growing multidisciplinary clinics in academic and community-based cancer centers. She most recently worked for Baptist Health South Florida where she served as Chief of Breast Services at the Lynn Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology Department.

“Dr. Benda’s experience across the full range of radiation treatment techniques in cancer will be an asset to patients and colleagues at UM SRH,” said William F. Regine, MD, FASTRO, FACRO, FACRO, the Isadore and Fannie Schneider Foxman Chair and Professor of Radiation Oncology at UMSOM. “We are looking forward to having her on the UM radiation oncology team as an integral part of our academic, research, educational, and patient outreach activities.”

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Benda to the UM Shore Regional HealthCancer Program,” said Jeanie Scott, Director of Oncology Services for UM SRH. “Her wide expertise makes her an excellent addition to the Requard Radiation Center team, and in particular, her experience in treating breast cancer will be most welcome to team members and patients in the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center.”

To learn more about the Cancer Program at UM SRH, visit umshoreregional.org/cancer.

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.

Winter Festival Makes a Record-Breaking Donation to Talbot Hospice

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Winter Festival’s series of fundraising events, through a collaboration of Friends of Hospice and Talbot Hospice, raised a record-breaking amount in support of patients and families.

Winter Festival, with its marquee event 37th annual Festival of Trees, also included Pump It Up for Hospice, Santa 5K Fun Run, Carols by Candlelight, and Holiday House Tours that raised a collective amount of $169,000. Since its creation in 1986, Friends of Hospice has raised more than $3 million for Talbot Hospice.

The donation, the largest ever raised by the annual events, was made possible by this passionate group of volunteers, said Winter Festival co-chairman and Friends of Hospice Board member John Horner. As committee members gathered for a group photo, John wanted “to enjoy this wonderful moment of support for Talbot Hospice as a group. This wonderful donation happened because of you.”

John Horner (left), Winter Festival co-chairman and Friends of Hospice Board member, Brenda Forbes-Butler, board president of Friends of Hospice, Mia Cranford, festival co-chairman and Talbot Hospice Director of Development, and Christopher A. Chekouras, Executive Director of Talbot Hospice, are thrilled with the fundraising efforts of Winter Festival.

John took a moment to thank the volunteers attending the check presentation ceremony and exclaimed how it was “an amazing journey to work on five special events with the group who made it all possible.”

Work is already underway to organize for the events in 2023. Anyone interested in working on a committee or serving as a chairman may contact Karla Wieland-Cherry, Festival of Trees chairman, at [email protected]. For more information about Talbot Hospice, visit www.talbothospice.org.

Talbot Hospice provides compassionate care, comfort and support for patients and their families and caregivers wherever they call home. Talbot Hospice serves patients facing life-limiting illnesses through hospice and palliative care, as well as its Pathways and bereavement programs. Services are available to patients and caregivers regardless of ability to pay. The mission of the Friends of Hospice, a nonprofit volunteer organization, is to raise funds for the Talbot Hospice Foundation through the annual Festival of Trees and related events.

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

UM SRH’s Population Health Team Promotes Advance Directives, Diabetes Prevention

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The University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s Population Health team is off to a strong start this year with two projects – promoting advance directives for UM SRH team members, patients and community residents, and encouraging enrollment in the new Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).

To show appreciation for community partners participating in these projects, Population Health team members Kathy Sellers and Terry Satchell, MHA, BSN, RN created gift baskets — one delivered to Ellen Sellers, LMSW, Social Worker at Bayleigh Chase in Easton, for her help with the advanced directives campaign, and the other delivered to Kim Herman, MD, University of Maryland Shore Medical Group – Primary Care in Denton, recognizing her leadership as the first UM SMG provider to refer a patient to the DPP program.“In addition to physician referrals, people who are high risk for prediabetes may enroll inthe Diabetes Prevention Program without a referral,” said Satchell.

Photo: Kathy Sellers, Transitional Care Liaison, UM SRH (left) and Terry Satchell, Population Health Manager, UM SRH (right) presented a gift basket to Ellen Sellers, Social Worker, Bayleigh Chase in recognition of her support for the UM SRH Advance Directives campaign. 

The DPP program will be offered beginning this month online through Eastern Shore Area Higher Education Center (ESAHEC) in Cambridge and also in-person at Eastern Shore Wellness Solutions, local county health departments, and Easton YMCA of the Chesapeake.

It is estimated that prediabetes affects one in three residents of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. A risk assessment test for pre-diabetes is available online at https://www.cdc.gov/prediabetes/takethetest/.

To learn more about assistance available in completing an advance directive, contact Kathy Sellers, Transitional Care Liaison, UM SRH, 443-786-7027, [email protected]. To learn more about the Diabetes Prevention Program, visit https://esahec.org/dpp/.

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.

Overdose Spike Alert

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The Talbot County Health Department has been made aware of a spike in suspected opioid overdoses over the past several days. This spike is five times greater than we usually see in our community. First responders, healthcare providers, and people who use drugs and their families should be aware of the increased risk of overdose in our community.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. The prevalence of fentanyl is unlike anything that we have seen before, and even more alarming is the likelihood of encountering fentanyl at extremely high doses in any recreational drug use as well as counterfeit pain and anxiety pills. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, of the record number of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

Our community should continue to be aware of the risks of Fentanyl and other drugs, including New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) that are being used as standalone drugs or adulterants (“cutting agents”) in combination with other substances. These include a number of synthetic drugs, herbal drugs, synthetic cocaine, synthetic cannabis, herbal ecstasy, incense, deodorizers, and products marked ‘not for human consumption.’

Xylazine and Medetomidine are drugs used in veterinary medicine and are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for human consumption. Xylazine may cause deep tissue damage when injected or inhaled as a standalone drug or in concomitant use with other substances, and poisoning may result in bradycardia, respiratory and CNS depression, and hypotension which significantly increase the potential for overdose and/or death. Narcan does not work to reverse the effects of non-opioids like Medetomidine or Xylazine, but should still be administered to reverse the effects of opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, and prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone/Percocet, hydrocodone/Vicodin, codeine, and/or morphine.

***Seek immediate medical attention if overdose or exposure has occurred for respiratory care and blood pressure observation by calling 911 or going to the nearest emergency room.

WHO IS AT RISK?
– People who use drugs, particularly opioids over a short or long period of time
– People who use New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) and new/emerging drugs
– People who receive rotating opioid medication regimens
– People who are discharged from emergency care following opioid intoxication or poisoning
– People who have been abstinent for a period of time
– People who use opioids in combination with other substances, including mixing prescription painkillers with other substances

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF AN OPIOID OVERDOSE
– Pale, sweaty or clammy skin
– Lips/fingertips turn blue
– Slow or irregular breathing: gasping, gurgling, or snoring
– Difficult or unable to wake
– Unconscious
– Limp body
– Lips/fingertips turn blue or gray
– Pulse slow or erratic

HOW TO HELP?

ALWAYS seek medical attention and go to the nearest hospital for opioid poisoning or overdose.
Narcan may wear off before the opioid wears off, resulting in overdose occurring again or repeatedly.

KEEP in mind that you can overdose on non-narcotics including cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis/THC, designer and “club drugs” (e.g. GHB, Ecstasy, Ketamine, MDMA), and alcohol, especially when used in combination with one another or opioids.

REMEMBER Good Samaritan Law protects people who are experiencing a drug or alcohol overdose and those assisting in an emergency overdose situation from arrest, as well as prosecution, for certain crimes.

BE A HERO. Save a Life with Naloxone. When someone experiences an opioid overdose, you can restore their breathing and save their life by giving naloxone. Naloxone (Narcan) is a prescription medication that safely and effectively reverses an opioid overdose. It is available at Maryland pharmacies without a prescription. To learn more about naloxone, go to https://howtoadministernaloxone.maryland.gov/en/index.html.

CONNECT to Treatment and Resources. Stay informed, understand the risks. Individuals who are seeking resources for problems related to the use of alcohol and/or other drugs may visit https://talbothealth.org/addictions-program/ or contact the Talbot County Addictions Program at 410-819-5600. To register for a free Naloxone training or to obtain the intranasal form of Narcan call 410-819-5688.

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

Choptank Health Welcomes New School-Based Healthcare Providers

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Choptank Community Health System recently welcomed Family Nurse Practitioners Sarah Rogers, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, IBCLC of Centreville, Md., and Hope Taylor, MSN of Preston, Md. to its School-Based Health Center team. Rogers is providing healthcare to students and staff at Greensboro Elementary School, and Taylor is providing healthcare to Federalsburg Elementary School students and staff.

Sarah Rogers graduated from Chamberlain University with a Master’s Degree in Nursing, specializing in the field of study to become a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). She is registered in Maryland as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and is an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Prior to joining Choptank Health, Rogers worked as a Nurse Practitioner at the University of Maryland Urgent Care in Easton, Chester, and Denton, Md., and as a Registered Nurse at the Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Md. She is a native of Crofton, Md. and now lives in Centreville with her husband and three children.

Sarah Rogers and Hope Taylor

Hope Taylor graduated from Walden University with a Master’s Degree in Nursing, specializing in the field of study to become a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and inducted into the Lambda Eta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, the Golden Key International Honor Society, and the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Taylor joined Choptank Health in 2021, working at Choptank Health’s Fassett Magee Health Center prior to her School-Based Health Center work. Prior to joining Choptank Health, Taylor worked at the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health in Easton, Md. as a Staff Nurse, Field Nurse, and Case Manager. She is a native of Preston, Md., where she currently lives with her husband and four children.

Choptank Health’s School-Based Health Centers provide dental services for Dorchester County Public School students and staff and medical and dental services for students and staff in Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot County Public Schools. A primary care mobile health unit is also used as part of Choptank Health’s School-Based health center services.

The School-Based Health Centers provide in-person, virtual, curbside well and urgent care during the school year and over the summer months, with student enrollment needed. Services include diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, behavioral health services, nutrition, and educational services. Choptank Health’s School-Based dental programs include dental screenings and sealants, polishing/cleanings, oral health education, fluoride treatments, and dental emergency referrals.

School-Based Health Center Enrollment forms can be picked up at each school or downloaded in English and Spanish at www.choptankhealth.org/formsinformation.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical and dental 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 is at www.choptankhealth.org.

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

Luke Whalen, MD, Named Medical Director of SRH Emergency Department at Cambridge

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Luke Whalen, MD

University of Maryland Shore Emergency Center at Cambridge has named Luke Whalen, MD, as medical director. Dr. Whalen has served UM Shore Regional Health as an emergency medicine physician since 2018.

A cum laude graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland in St, Mary’s City, Md., Dr. Whalen earned his medical degree in 2014 from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Va. and completed a four-year residency in emergency medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 2018.

Dr. Whalen’s experience includes research and teaching as well as the practice of emergency medicine. While pursuing his medical degree, he participated in research on intervention to reduce inappropriate coagulation testing, and comparison of attending physician and nursing evaluations of emergency resident evaluations. As an undergraduate student, he completed a summer research fellowship at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health.

During his residency, Dr. Whalen’s teaching experience included proctoring and debriefing case and procedural simulations for medical students and residents. He also provided hands-on training on the use of bedside ultrasound to Yale Medical School students and residents.

“Dr. Whalen is a fantastic addition to our leadership team in emergency medicine at Shore,” said Walt Atha, MD, Regional Director of Emergency Medicine at UM SRH. “He is committed to his career here; in fact, he secured a position with our practice early in his residency long before beginning his formal employment. He is a stellar emergency physician who is highly respected by all of his colleagues and coworkers. His careful and astute observation of the needs and opportunities in the Cambridge Emergency Department and his calm, steady leadership style will add tremendously to our ability to care for the patients of Dorchester County and beyond.”

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.

Chestertown Mammography Patients Being Scheduled at Other UM SRH Sites Due to Equipment Replacement at Leh Women’s Center

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Due to an unforeseen construction event, mammography equipment at the Eleanor and Ethel Leh Women’s Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown is non-operational. University of Maryland Shore Regional Health is in the process of replacing the mammography machine with new, state-of-the-art equipment.

While the new mammography machine is being acquired and installed, patients are being directed to UM SRH breast imaging sites in Denton, Easton and Queenstown for screening and diagnostic services. We anticipate this temporary service downtime to last three to four months, with a goal to be operational again in Chestertown by May 2023. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Nelson Goldberg, MD and Roberta Lilly, MD will continue to see patients in the Leh Women’s Center, and DEXA scans may still be scheduled at this location.

Thank you for your understanding as we work to bring our community this new state-of-the-art equipment.

To schedule imaging services throughout the five-county region UM SRH serves, please call Central Scheduling at 443-225-7474.

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.