Choptank Community Health System has recently welcomed Megan Harmer, MSN, CRNP, FNP-C, to its Bay Hundred Health Center’s medical team and Rebecca DeHoff, LCSW-C, to its Caroline County school-based behavioral health care team.

Harmer brings extensive experience in medical care, including work with adult patients and in pediatric intensive care and chronic pain units.

These experiences laid the foundation for her family-focused approach, which combines specialized knowledge with a passion for supporting patients and their families throughout their lifespan.

Harmer earned a Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Colorado College of Nursing and is completing a 2025-2027 University of Arizona Integrative Medicine Fellowship. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland School of Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Juniata College, where she minored in Religious Studies. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

DeHoff has extensive experience providing mental health care to children, adolescents, and families in both clinical and community-based settings. Her expertise includes conducting evaluations, delivering evidence-based therapies including CBT, MATCH, and TF-CBT, facilitating group therapy, and providing crisis intervention and collaborative treatment planning.

Her background also includes roles in school-based health, where she supported social-emotional development, coordinated resources, and led initiatives to engage families.

DeHoff earned a master’s degree in social work from Salisbury University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland, University College, and an Associate of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix.

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

New medical patients and school-based health center student registrants are welcome at all Choptank Health locations and Mid-Shore school systems. For more information, visit www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System’s Denton and Federalsburg Health Centers recently welcomed dentist Chanel Farmer, DDS, to the dental care team.

Dr. Farmer’s comprehensive expertise spans diagnostics and treatment planning, restorative dentistry, endodontics, and prosthodontics. She also provides advanced care in oral surgery, implant placement, digital dentistry, and both pediatric and geriatric services, including emergency and pain management.

Dr. Farmer received her Advanced Education in General Dentistry from NYU Langone Health, where she continues as an attending faculty dentist with its Advanced Education in General Dentistry program. She earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery from Howard University College of Dentistry and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Hampton University.

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 Health’s pediatric and adult dental services include dental examinations, cleanings, x-rays, dental sealants, fluoride treatments, fillings, oral surgery extractions, root canals, dentures, and coordination of hospital-based programs. Choptank Health’s school-based health care program also includes dental services for registered students in all five of Maryland’s Mid-Shore counties.

New and existing Choptank Health dental patients can call the Denton Health Center at 410-479-2650 or the Federalsburg Health Center at 410-754-9580 to schedule an appointment, with more information at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System is recognizing 45 years of serving Maryland’s Mid-Shore communities as part of National Health Center Week, held August 3-9.

This annual observance, led by the National Association of Community Health Centers, acknowledges the vital role community health centers play in enhancing access to care and promoting health equity nationwide.

Founded in 1978 as Caroline Health Services, Inc., Choptank Health began as a private, nonprofit organization with a clear mission: to provide comprehensive primary health care to the residents of Caroline County.

In 1980, the organization’s first health center opened in Goldsboro with two providers. The Goldsboro location continues to serve patients today, a testament to Choptank Health’s longstanding dedication to community health.

Over the years, Choptank Health has expanded both its services and regional footprint. The organization established school-based health centers beginning in 1999. Dental services were added in 2001.

“Today, Choptank Health provides medical, dental, behavioral, and school-based health services to more than 30,000 children and adults in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties,” says Choptank Health President and CEO Sara Rich.

Most recently, Choptank Health expanded its Easton Health Center to include adult and behavioral health care. A new Federalsburg Health Center opened in 2025, and its Chestertown Health Center opened in 2022. Choptank also has three mobile health units to help meet the needs of patients where they are.

Rich added that Choptank Health’s impact goes far beyond the health center walls. “Our population health services  work to prevent illness while also addressing the social drivers of health,” she said. “That includes helping individuals and families navigate challenges like homelessness, substance use, food insecurity, behavioral health needs, and more.”

“Nationwide, community health centers serve approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population but account for only about 1 percent of total healthcare spending,” she says. “By keeping people healthy, primary care doesn’t just save lives — it saves money.”

According to the National Association of Community Health Centers, community health centers are the primary source of care for one in five rural residents and one in five uninsured individuals. They also serve one in three people living in poverty, care for 9.4 million children, and reach 419,000 veterans across the nation.

“Community Health Centers like Choptank Health are integral to our rural and national healthcare systems,” Rich said. “We design innovative, integrated primary care models based on what services communities need most. Health Centers ensure access to affordable, quality care for more than 32.5 million people, particularly our most vulnerable.”

Choptank’s comprehensive services include primary medical care, women’s health, pediatrics, pediatric dental, behavioral health, chronic disease management, laboratory services, and care navigation. New medical patients are welcomed at all Choptank locations, ensuring that quality care is available to those who need it most.

For more information about National Health Center Week and the national health center movement, visit www.nachc.org. To learn more about Choptank Health and its local impact, visit www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System’s medical and women’s health care team recently welcomed Family Nurse Practitioner Bridget Allison, CRNP, to the Federalsburg Health Center.

Allison is a Federalsburg native and a Colonel Richardson High School alumnus. Allison brings more than a decade of medical experience to Choptank Health’s care team, including work in hospital settings and a focus on pediatrics, maternal, and child health.

She earned a post-master’s certificate from Wilmington University’s family nurse practitioner program and holds a master’s degree in nursing education from Wilmington University.

Allison also earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a bachelor’s degree in health education, community health, from Salisbury University. Her academic achievement, leadership, and character earned her membership in the Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society.

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, including school-based health in all five counties, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all.

Choptank Health patients can schedule an appointment by calling the Federalsburg Health Center at 410-754-9021, with more information at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System’s Easton Health Center recently welcomed Behavioral Health Clinician Carmen Grant, LCSW-C, to its behavioral health care team.

Grant’s experience includes conducting individual therapy, psychosocial assessments, supervision, and behavioral consultation, working with patients in school-based environments, and those with serious mental illnesses.

She earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of California. She holds certifications in USC’s military social work specialization and EMDR therapy and speaks fluently in English and Spanish.

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, including school-based health in all five counties, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all.

Choptank Health patients can schedule an appointment by calling the Easton Health Center at 410-770-8910, with more information at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System’s leadership team recently welcomed Bill Baxendale as Facilities Director. In this role, Baxendale will lead the maintenance, safety, and operational integrity of Choptank Health’s owned and leased facilities across the region, while overseeing construction and renovation projects, managing vendor contracts, and ensuring compliance with safety standards and regulatory requirements.

He also serves as the organization’s Safety Officer, working closely with senior leadership to support a safe, efficient, and high-quality healthcare environment for patients and staff.

“We’re pleased to have Bill on our leadership team,” said Choptank Health President and CEO Sara Rich. “His extensive experience in facilities management and commitment to safety and quality will play a key role in supporting our health centers and ensuring we continue to provide the best possible environment for our patients and staff.”

Baxendale brings more than a decade of facilities management and project leadership experience to his new role. He joined Choptank Health in 2021 as Assistant Director of Facilities and Project Manager, leading multi-million-dollar capital improvements across the organization’s campuses and overseeing projects from design through completion with a focus on safety, quality, and cost-efficiency.

He previously served as Facilities Manager at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, where he managed major construction and renovation efforts while ensuring smooth day-to-day operations. His earlier work with the Center for Creative Works and Talbot County Public Schools further strengthened his expertise in facilities oversight and maintenance. Baxendale holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

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.

Services include primary healthcare, women’s health, pediatrics, pediatric dental, behavioral health, chronic condition support, lab services, and care navigation, with new medical patients welcomed in all Mid-Shore locations. More is at www.choptankhealth.org.

Mid-Shore families and individuals in need of a primary care provider are invited to attend a New Patient Welcome Session at Choptank Community Health’s Chestertown Health Center this June.

The events are designed to help individuals and families learn more about available health services, meet providers, and to complete new patient registration information with ease.

The free sessions will be held at the Chestertown Health Center, located at 126 Philosophers Terrace, on Tuesday, June 10 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, June 11 from 12 to 1 p.m., and Thursday, June 12 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Translation services will be available, with walk-ins welcome, or reserved times available by calling 443-215-5353.

Attendees can receive assistance with completing new patient paperwork, explore insurance options and Choptank Health’s sliding fee scale program, and have an opportunity to meet many of Choptank Health’s medical providers and team members.

Guests will also be invited to tour the facilities to gain further familiarity with Choptank Health’s approach to providing access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated health care for all.

“These New Patient Welcome Sessions help people connect with our team and learn how we can support their care,” says Choptank Health President and CEO Sara Rich. “It’s a meaningful first step that builds trust and makes registration easier.”

To learn more, go to www.choptankhealth.org or call the Chestertown Health Center at 443-215-5353.

Choptank Community Health System is a private, non-profit Community Health Center providing primary healthcare services in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Choptank Health provides comprehensive care for the whole family, including medical, dental, pediatric, school-based, behavioral health, women’s health, chronic condition support, lab services, and care coordination. Choptank Health is a participating provider in Medicare, Medicaid, and most major insurance plans. A sliding fee scale is also available for any patient without insurance.