Choptank Community Health System is joining the National School-Based Health Care Awareness Month celebration this February to highlight how school-based health centers help improve access to health care for children and adolescents.

School-based health centers bring essential healthcare services directly to schools, where students spend much of their time. By integrating health care with education, the centers ensure students can thrive, grow, and reach their full potential.

“All children and adolescents deserve the opportunity to grow into the young adults we know they can be,” said Choptank Health CEO and President Sara Rich. “But too often, barriers to health care stand in their way. School-based health centers bridge that gap, ensuring students receive the support they need to succeed academically and in life.”

Across the country, states are organizing activities throughout February to raise awareness, including legislative visits, state capitol events, youth advocacy efforts, and special recognitions. These initiatives emphasize the importance of SBHCs in improving health outcomes and making a lasting impact on the lives of young people.

“When health and education come together, great things happen,” says Choptank Health Director of Community-Based Programs Chrissy Bartz, PA-C. “Whether it’s through medical, dental, nutrition, or behavioral health services, we see firsthand how school-based health helps change lives for the better.”

Choptank Health’s school-based care journey began in 1999 with four school-based health centers in Caroline County Public Schools. Over the years, Choptank Health’s commitment to the community has expanded, with school-based health centers and programs now spanning all five of Maryland’s Mid-Shore counties.

Today, Choptank Health’s 18 school-based health centers and a mobile health unit reach more than 8,000 students each year, providing dental services in Dorchester County; medical, dental, nutrition, and behavioral health services in Caroline and Talbot Counties; and medical and dental services in Queen Anne’s and Kent Counties.

The school-based health centers are a partnership between Choptank Health, Maryland Department of Health, county health departments, and each county’s public school system. Care is coordinated with the student’s primary care provider and/or primary dentist.

Services include in-person, virtual, curbside, well, and urgent care during the school year and over the summer. Students can receive diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, behavioral health services, nutrition services, educational services, and more.

Choptank Health’s school-based dental programs include dental screenings and sealants, polishing/cleanings, oral health education, fluoride treatments, and dental emergency referrals.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical and dental services to more than 30,000 adults and children across Maryland’s Mid-Shore.

With a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all, Choptank Health’s services include primary healthcare, women’s health, pediatrics, behavioral health, chronic health management, lab services, care navigation, and more.

Student enrollment forms and more about Choptank Community Health System’s school-based health programs are at www.choptankhealth.org/schoolbased.

Choptank Community Health System’s medical practice recently welcomed primary care provider Taylor Dickel, MSN, FNP-C, RN, CMSRN to its Easton Health Center.

Dickel specializes in the comprehensive assessment and treatment of adult and pediatric patients working in rural communities.

She earned her master of science in nursing with a family nurse practitioner concentration from Frostburg State University, and a bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, Maryland. She is a member of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Dickel is a recipient of a 2023 Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation Nursing Scholarship and Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Shirley A. Wheeler Nursing Scholarship. She is a Luminis Health 2021 Nurse Excellence nominee in transformational leadership and charge nurse and the recipient of five Daisy Award nominations.

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 a medical appointment by calling 410-770-8910, with new patients welcome and more at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System’s dental practice recently welcomed pediatric dentist Wayne Stephens, DDS to its Denton Health Center.

Dr. Stephens has more than 10 years of experience, including working with vulnerable populations as a pediatric dentist. He served as a pediatric dentist and as director of pediatric dental health and wellness at the Jessie Trice Community Health System in Miami, Florida. He completed his pediatric dental residency at Miami Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Stephens earned his doctorate in dental surgery from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. He also holds a master of public administration degree from Harvard Kennedy School; a master of public health degree from Harvard T.H. Chan School; and a master of business administration degree from the Columbia Graduate School of Business.

He is a former Joe L. Henry Oral Health Fellow at Harvard Medical School and served as the Samuel D. Harris Fellow in Research and Policy with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Dr. Stephens was elected national president of the American Student Dental Association and served on the boards of the Florida Health Justice Project and Foundation for New Education Initiatives, non-profit organizations in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

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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 a dental appointment by calling 410-479-2650, with more at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System President and CEO Sara Rich, MPA, has been named Maryland’s 2024 Community Star by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health.

The national Community Stars program helps to recognize individual contributors as it honors remarkable individuals and organizations going above and beyond for rural health. They exemplify the true spirit of collaboration, turning challenges into opportunities, ensuring access to quality care, and fostering a sense of unity and support within our rural communities.

Each year, Maryland puts forth a slate of Community Star nominations, with one being recognized on the national level. Previous honorees include Adelaide “Addie” Eckardt, Eastern Shore Hospital Center; Beth Anne Dorman, For All Seasons, Inc.; the St. Mary’s County Health Department; and John Corbin, Garrett County Health Department.

Rich brings more than 25 years of experience across local, state, and national healthcare settings, with a dedicated focus on enhancing the health and well-being of children, families, and communities. Under her visionary leadership, Choptank Health has expanded access to health care while creating employment opportunities and raising standards of care. Her commitment to excellence is further demonstrated through her active involvement in regional health initiatives and her advocacy at state and national levels, championing the mission of community health centers nationwide.

“I always wanted a career in which I could make a difference in the lives of others,” says Rich. “In rural health, the relationships we have in our communities, with our colleagues, and with those we serve inspire us all to make that difference every day.”

Rich says her most rewarding experiences during her time as CEO and president of Choptank Health include those shared through strong partnerships with non-profits, businesses, school systems, health departments, and others.

“Seeing the impact that can be made when organizations come together, such as during the pandemic, makes this work rewarding,” Rich says. “Choptank Health has added and expanded our behavioral health services—something I’m very proud of—and that helps address a huge need for our patients and the rural communities we serve across Maryland’s Mid-Shore.”

Rich says Choptank Health recognized that some communities could not easily access health care through its networks of locations spanning five counties. Choptank Health responded by leveraging its long history of providing medical services through a robust school-based health program.

“We are partnering with some of our local schools to utilize our school health centers for residents, many living in underserved areas and in need of care and increased access to healthcare,” says Rich. “Additionally, we have three mobile health units that provide care at schools, homeless shelters, and other community locations, allowing us to reach people where they are and connect them with vital health services.”

Choptank Health additionally reaches into the farthest rural regions through the utilization of school-based health, mobile health, telehealth, and office visits to address medical, dental, behavioral health, and more.

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 health management, lab services, and care navigation, with new medical patients welcomed. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org.

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health is the membership association of the nation’s 50 State Offices of Rural Health and the founder of National Rural Health Day. More about its Community Stars program and recipients is at https://powerofrural.org/2024-community-stars/.

 

Choptank Community Health System is proud to join communities across America to celebrate National Rural Health Day on November 21, 2024. The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health leads rural-focused organizations throughout the United States to set aside the third Thursday of November to celebrate the power of rural and honor the individuals and organizations dedicated to addressing the unique healthcare needs of nearly 61 million people living in rural America.

“Of utmost importance is that we ensure all rural communities on Maryland’s Mid-Shore have the opportunity to be healthy and have access to affordable, quality health care regardless of where they call home,” said Choptank Health CEO and President Sara Rich. “Choptank Community Health System is proud to recognize the incredible work of health professionals and volunteers in our community on National Rural Health Day and throughout the year.”

Rich says Choptank Health can reach into the farthest rural regions of the five-county area it serves through the utilization of school-based health, mobile health, telehealth, and office visits to address medical, dental, behavioral health, and more.

“Through technology and other advances, we are more and more able to meet our patients where they are,” said Rich. “And in a rural environment like ours, that is critical in delivering on our mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated health care for all.”

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 health management, lab services, and care navigation, with new medical patients welcomed. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org.

Additional information about National Rural Health Day, including resources and tools, can be found at www.powerofrural.org.

Choptank Community Health System’s dental practice recently welcomed Andrés Álvarez-Deal, DMD, and Megan Patterson Poteat, DDS to its Cambridge Dental Center and David Martin, DDS to its Federalsburg Dental Center.

Dr. Álvarez-Deal received his certification through the NYU Langone Advance Education in General Dentistry program at Choptank Health and his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry from the University of Puerto Rico, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in general sciences.

He is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Dental Education Association, specializing in treating Spanish and English-speaking patients in rural settings.

Dr. Patterson Poteat received her certification for advanced training in General Dentistry from the NYU Langone AEGD residency program at Choptank Community Health. She is a proud graduate of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee where she earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. Before practicing dentistry, Dr. Patterson Poteat was a science teacher in both Maryland and the District of Columbia Public Schools. During that time, she completed a Master of Arts degree in teaching from American University in Washington D.C.

She is an active member of the Maryland Academy of General Dentistry and the Academy of General Dentistry, and maintains membership in the American Dental Association, American Association of Women Dentists, American Dental Education Association, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Dr. Martin earned his Doctorate of Dental Medicine from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Hampton University. His experience includes providing oral health care in underserved environments, with diagnostic and clinical skills including prevention, periodontal, oral surgery, restorative, emergency, and pediatric dentistry. He is a member of the American Dental Association; Maryland Academy of General Dentistry; Academy of General Dentistry.

The AEGD residency program at Choptank Health is part of NYU Langone Dental Medicine’s training program and provides academic and clinical interactions between the preceptees and the AEGD residents.

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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, with more at www.choptankhealth.org

Choptank Community Health System’s Denton Health Center recently welcomed Pediatrician Erin Harvey, MD to the medical practice.

Dr. Harvey is a Hurlock native and North Dorchester High School alumni. She specializes in the comprehensive assessment and treatment of pediatric patients working in rural communities.

She completed a three-year pediatric residency program at INOVA Children’s Hospital after receiving her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where she placed on the Dean’s List each semester, and served as a Junior and Senior Saint Mary’s Scholar.

Dr. Harvey is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society, and the Nu Rho Psi Neuroscience 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, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all. Choptank Health also provides school-based medical, dental, nutrition, and behavioral health services for enrolled students in all five Mid-Shore counties.

Choptank Community Health’s medical services include pediatrics, primary health care, women’s health, prenatal care, behavioral health, chronic health management, care navigation, and laboratory services, with new medical patients welcome in all locations.

New and existing Choptank Health medical patients can call Denton Health Center at 410-479-2650 to schedule a virtual or in-person appointment, with more information at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System is celebrating National Health Center Week 2024 this August 4-10 to highlight Community Health Centers’ essential role in improving public health and advancing health equity. Health centers represent the nation’s largest primary care network, serving 31.5 million patients nationwide and powered by a workforce of nearly 300,000 dedicated professionals.

This year’s National Association of Community Health Centers celebration focuses on “Powering Communities Through Caring Connections”.

Health centers like Choptank Health work on the front lines of our nation’s most pressing public health challenges with a mission to make high-quality, affordable care available to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status.

According to the National Association of Community Health Centers, nearly 1,500 health centers nationwide serve as the healthcare home to one in five uninsured people; one in three people living in poverty; one in seven rural residents; nearly nine million children; and 400,000 veterans.

“Choptank Health and other Community Health Centers like us are integral to our rural and national primary healthcare system,” says Choptank Health President and CEO Sara Rich. “We design innovative, integrated primary care based on what services communities need most, ensuring access to affordable, quality healthcare for more than 31.5 million people, especially for our most vulnerable families and individuals.”

Rich continued, “Choptank Health’s dedicated professionals reach beyond the walls of the exam room to not only prevent illness but also address the social drivers, including homelessness, substance use disorders, food insecurity, behavioral health, and much more.”

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 health management, lab services, and care navigation, with new medical patients welcomed. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org.

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To learn more about the mission and accomplishments of health centers, visit www.nachc.org. You can learn more about NHCW and view a listing of events at www.healthcenterweek.org

Choptank Community Health System is encouraging parents to keep their children’s immunizations up to date to ensure their readiness for the new school year.

“Immunizations protect your children from diseases,” says Choptank Health President and CEO Sara Rich. “Without immunizations, our children and communities are at greater risk of outbreaks of diseases like measles, polio, whooping cough, and more.

“We want to keep our kids happy, healthy, and protected,” she says. “Choptank Health is here to remind parents to schedule immunizations with your healthcare provider today.”

Rich says Choptank Health has developed an immunization portal at choptankhealth.org/protected to make it easier for Mid-Shore parents to keep their children’s health and immunizations in check.

The site includes Maryland’s back-to-school immunization requirements, the CDC’s child and adolescent immunization schedule by age, and a tool to help find a healthcare provider near you, if necessary. Links are also provided for the childhood immunization programs of all local health departments.

“We’re fortunate to work with partners like our local health departments and schools to help prepare our children for a successful school year,” says Rich. “We’re working together to protect our children with immunizations to make it harder for these serious and sometimes deadly illnesses to spread throughout our communities.”

The promotion is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $330,795. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

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, lab services, and care navigation. New patients are welcome. More information can be found at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System is celebrating 25 years of providing school-based health services to Mid-Shore students. The milestone is being recognized in February as part of the National School-Based Health Care Awareness Month. Choptank Health is celebrating its successes and raising awareness about how school-based health centers improve access to healthcare services for children and adolescents and how they make a difference in their lives today and in the future.

Rooted in Caroline County: A Legacy of Care

Choptank Health’s school-based care journey began in 1999 with the opening of four School-Based Health Centers in Caroline County Public Schools, igniting a legacy of healthcare excellence and helping to enhance students’ well-being during the academic year.

Choptank Health was awarded a Project Healthy Schools’ Healthy Communities Grant to establish school-based primary care services in Caroline County. A partnership with Caroline County Public Schools, the Caroline County Health Department, and the University of Maryland School of Nursing helped establish the School-Based Health Center sites at Greensboro Elementary and Federalsburg Elementary Schools, and Colonel Richardson Middle and Lockerman Middle Schools.

Over the years, Choptank Health’s commitment to the community has flourished, with School-Based Health Centers and programs now spanning Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties. Eighteen school-based health centers and a mobile health unit reach more than 8,000 students each year, providing dental services in Dorchester County; medical, dental, dietetic, and behavioral health services in Caroline and Talbot Counties; and medical and dental services in Queen Anne’s and Kent Counties.

President and CEO Sara Rich reflects on the organization’s growth, stating, “We are incredibly proud of our Caroline County roots in school-based health. Our dedicated team, now extending beyond medical providers to include dental hygienists, therapists, and dietitians, continues to make a positive impact on the lives of Mid-Shore students.”

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 required. Services include diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, behavioral health services, dietitian services, 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.

“We are excited to celebrate 25 years of providing services in our school-based programs,” said Choptank Health Director of Community-Based Programs Chrissy Bartz. “I am proud of our team and the tremendous work being done in our schools.”

For more information, visit www.choptankhealth.org/schoolbased.