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November 24, 2024

Centreville Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Centreville

Health Health Notes

Compass to Host Summer Patient Care Volunteer Training

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Compass will be offering their three-day training session for any individuals interested in becoming a patient care volunteer.

The training session is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 6, 7, & 21. The training will be held at our Barnette Center’s Hope & Healing Conference room located at 255 Comet Dr. Centreville, MD 21617. Volunteers provide company for patients, relieve the primary caregiver for a short period of time, assist with administration duties, or grief services. We are always looking for Veterans to assist with our We Honor Veterans program.

“Most often, patient volunteers give companionship to patients by reading, playing cards, or just watching television with them. They also give caregivers a chance to have a much-needed break to tend to other responsibilities.” said Robyn Affron, volunteer manager at Compass. “Occasionally our patients need some gardening or laundry done, or a quick errand run. Our volunteers provide the added support that our patients and families need during what can be an overwhelming time.”

Topics taught during the training will include an overview of hospice, the process of dying, spiritual care and its place in hospice care, the stages of grief, effective communications techniques, family dynamics, stress management and self-care for caregivers.

Compass relies on more than 200 volunteers of all ages to support its mission, and these individuals volunteer their time in a variety of ways. In addition to patient care volunteers, Compass is currently seeking volunteers for Compass Closet (formerly Estate Treasures), their upscale retail shop whose proceeds help cover uncompensated patient care. Whatever your motivation to volunteer, there is a place for you at Compass.

To register or find out more information about becoming a volunteer for Compass, contact Robyn Affron at 443-262-4112 or [email protected]. Please register no later than June 28th.

Compass

Since 1985, Compass has been allowing patients to spend their final months the way they choose, guiding loved ones after a life-limiting diagnosis, and showing individuals healthy ways to manage their grief. Today, the organization is a regional provider of hospice care, supportive care, and grief services in Caroline, Kent, and Queen Anne’s counties. Whether serving their patients in private residences, skilled nursing facilities, or Compass’ residential center in Centreville, staff and volunteers are guided by their mission to ensure that individuals facing end of life can live out their days in a full and meaningful way.

Compass is a fully licensed, independent, community-based nonprofit organization certified by Medicare and the state of Maryland and accredited by the Joint Commission. It is affiliated with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Hospice & Palliative Care Network of Maryland. For more information about Compass, call 443-262-4100 or visit compassregionalhospice.org.

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UM Shore Medical Group-Women’s Health Welcomes Two UM School of Medicine Providers

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University of Maryland Shore Medical Group-Women’s Health recently welcomedJanyne E. Althaus, MD, a University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) perinatologist who specializes in managing high-risk pregnancies, and Abbie L. Fields, MD, a leading gynecologic oncologist with UM SOM. Dr. Althaus and Dr. Fields are seeing patients at the Easton-based practice at 522 Idlewild Avenue.

Both specialists are highly trained in managing complex medical conditions that can surface during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, hypertension and fetal abnormalities. With their expertise, they can provide comprehensive care to both the mother and developing fetus, assuring the best possible outcomes.

With more than 20 years in her field, Dr. Althaus is board certified in gynecology and obstetrics, and in maternal-fetal medicine. She most recently worked at Bellin Hospital in Green Bay, Wis., and prior to that served as a perinatologist with Essentia Health Saint Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, Minn. Previously, she served as Director of Perinatal Outreach and Maternal Transport in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital/Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore.

Dr. Althaus received her Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University and her Doctor of Medicine from Michigan State University. She completed her residency in Hartford Hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Hartford, Conn., and her fellowship in maternal-fetal medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’sDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Janyne E. Althaus, MD and Abbie L. Fields, MD

Dr. Fields has more than three decades of experience in the field of gynecologic oncology. She is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and holds a sub-specialty certification in gynecologic oncology. Most recently, she served as Director of Gynecologic Oncology in the Pelvic Reconstruction and Complex Gynecologic Surgery Department at LifeBridge Health-Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, and as chair of the Integrated Network Cancer Program at the Alvin and Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute-LifeBridge Health in Baltimore. She previously served as Medical Director of Gynecologic Oncology at the Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Fields received her Bachelor of Arts from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and her Doctor of Medicine from Ohio State University’s College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill., and her fellowship in gynecologic oncology from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

UM SMG-Women’s Health provides high quality, convenient obstetrics, midwifery and gynecology care to patients, including managing high-risk pregnancy and advanced cancer care and treatment monitoring.

To schedule an appointment, please call UM Shore Medical Group-Women’s Health at 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.

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UM SRH Nurse Instrumental in Maryland Prescribing Legislation

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Claudia Tilley, MSN, RN, APRN-CNS, AGCNS-BC, Patient Education Specialist and Diabetes Educator

Claudia Tilley, MSN, RN, APRN-CNS, AGCNS-BC, patient education specialist and diabetes educator for University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, was instrumental in the passing of new legislation allowing clinical nurse specialists (CNS) in Maryland the authority to prescribe medication. Nurses who have achieved the CNS certification have had the legal authority to prescribe in 39 states, including Maryland’s border states – Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.

A clinical nurse specialist is a master’s or doctorate-prepared nurse who is board certified by a national accrediting body and licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) on the state level. There are over 300 clinical nurse specialists in Maryland.

The CNS prescribing legislation (Senate Bill 213 and House Bill 278) which will go into effect October 1, was signed into law by Governor Wes Moore last month. Visit umshoreregional.org/Senate-Bill0213 to read the complete bill.

“Claudia worked tirelessly to move this legislation forward,” said Kathy Elliott, Director, Professional Nursing Practice/Magnet Program. “Without her hard work, this legislation may never have come to life.”

The new legislation allows the CNS profession to practice at the full extent of their training and licensure, and help fill gaps in care and improve health outcomes for the communities served, including those on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

“I am very proud to say I played a part of this historic endeavor to advance nursing and the CNS profession in Maryland,” said Tilley.

Through the Chesapeake Bay Affiliate of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists and the Maryland Academy of Advanced Practice Clinicians, Tilley participated in a work group with 11 other CNS nurses, two nurse practitioners and a lobbyist who provided guidance.

Tilley worked with the Maryland General Assembly to promote the bill and educate legislators, sending emails and providing written testimony for committee hearings in both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly. She spoke personally with Delegate Thomas Hutchinson, who represents Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, and Wicomico counties, to explain the importance of the bill with regard to improving patient outcomes. In February, Tilley presented oral testimony at the House of Delegates Health and Government Operations Committee hearing in Annapolis.

Support was also secured from the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, Maryland Board of Nursing, Maryland Nurses Association, Maryland APRN groups and other organizations, including Johns Hopkins Health System, University of Maryland Medical System and AARP.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore signs the legislation enabling clinical nurse specialists to prescribe medication.

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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For All Seasons’ Center for Learning Prepares Easton Elementary School Students for Mental Health Safety

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For All Seasons’ Center for Learning recently sponsored outreach at Easton Elementary School in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. Staff provided teachers at the school with engaging classroom activities, developed for grades one through five, focused on “Being Kind to Your Mind” – helping students learn how to care for their mental health, as well as how to make smart choices online and reduce online stress.

According to Lauren Weber, Vice President for Philanthropy and Education at For All Seasons, there are several important reasons why the Center is sharing these lessons with local schools. She comments, “The out-of-school summer months can be a fun and relaxing time for many children and their families. For many children, though, summertime means less structure and fewer social interactions in-person with peers, which can lead to a feeling of disconnection. We also know kids tend to spend more time on various screens and devices and want to encourage responsible use of gaming, social media, and the Internet – to help reduce the stress that we know excessive hours online causes kids. Their mental health is often affected in the summer by these factors and more.”

Easton Elementary School students wearing “Be Kind to Your Mind” bracelets.

In addition, For All Seasons is part of the Maryland Regional Navigator Program, providing support to human trafficking survivors and their families, as well as community outreach and awareness. Weber adds, “Our program has us looking more carefully at risk factors for kids when it comes to trafficking. Online predators are skilled at hiding their identities. We know that kids often share personal photos and private information and/or connect with people they do not know, so we want to start at the ground level helping parents and kids make smart choices online and enjoy their time online safely.”

For All Seasons, as well as local law enforcement, are continuing to see local cases of adolescents who are sharing personal information online and meeting up with child predators.

Among the activities shared with Easton Elementary School students, included a lesson and an interactive activity for grades one through three which focused on “Be Kind to Your Mind,” aimed at helping students learn the basics of mental health and identify which trusted adults in their lives they can turn to for help. For All Seasons also provided two activities for online safety – one activity for students in the first through third grades and one activity for students in the fourth through fifth grades. Both lessons were age-appropriate and taught the importance of safely engaging with others online, considering what information is public versus private, and reinforcing the importance of only communicating with others they already know in real life. Each lesson also emphasized the role of turning to trusted adults for guidance and support when young people feel confused or anxious. Lesson materials were provided to both teachers and students. A bi-lingual (English/Spanish) letter was also sent to parents so that they could extend the learning at home.

“The partnership between Easton Elementary School and For All Seasons helps fill a critical need for mental health support for our students and families. For All Seasons’ commitment to understanding the needs of the community is instrumental in creating a safe space for our families.  The bracelets are a great physical reminder for students to help use the tools they learn daily at school to help them with their self-regulation.  The bracelet’s message ‘Be Kind to Your Mind’ helps normalize the importance for students to take care of their mental health in a fun, age-appropriate way,” states Katie Fox, Community School Program Manager, Easton Elementary School.

Students also participated in For All Seasons “Spread Joy Confetti Challenge” – a fun outdoor challenge to kick off the mental health awareness activities.

“We know that acts of silliness boost our mental health. And the ‘Confetti Challenge’ serves as a visual reminder to have fun and spread joy. After gathering outdoors at the school, our staff provided confetti for the students and teachers. On the count of three, everyone threw their handfuls of confetti up in the air and committed to taking care of their mental health and spreading joy this summer,” Weber explains.

Easton Elementary School students throwing confetti during For All Seasons “Spread Joy Confetti Challenge”

For All Seasons offered the “Confetti Challenge” to teachers and students across the Mid-Shore. In addition, this year, For All Seasons provided wristbands for everyone at Easton Elementary School with the words “Be Kind to Your Mind” that were distributed after the lessons as a reminder for students to take care of their mental health this summer and beyond.

For further information about For All Seasons Center for Learning and its educational programs, contact Lauren Weber, Vice President for Philanthropy and Education at For All Seasons at [email protected] or call 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

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 further information, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

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UM SRH’s Cardiovascular Diagnostic Centers Earn Echocardiography Reaccreditation by IAC

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Multiple cardiovascular centers associated with the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) have re-earned the industry gold standard in echocardiography accreditation.

Cardiovascular Diagnostic Centers at UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown and Easton, and at Shore Medical Pavilions at Cambridge, Easton and Queenstown, have earned renewed three-year Echocardiography Reaccreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). UM SRH has been accredited through the IAC since 1991, earning it the Bronze distinction of being accredited for 20 consecutive years. The Bronze distinction also recognizes UM SRH’s continued commitment to improvement and quality patient care in echocardiography.

According to Melissa Svehla, Manager, Cardiovascular Services, UM Shore Regional Health, “We are proud to have been a part of this program since the IAC’s inception. This is truly a testament to the dedication of our entire team and the pride each team member takes in providing the best care to our patients.”

Echocardiography is used to assess different areas of the heart and can detect heart disease or signs of serious conditions. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, followed closely by stroke, the fourth highest cause of death.

Photo: Shown with echocardiography equipment are Bruce Helmly, MD, Medical Director, Non-invasive Cardiovascular Diagnostics, UM Shore Regional Health; Melissa Svehla,Manager, Cardiovascular Services, UM Shore Regional Health; and Hilary Schmitt MBA, BSN, RN, Regional Director, Heart and Vascular Center at UM Shore Regional Health.

“Twenty years of accreditation underscores our long-term commitment to provide the highest quality service to the community,” said Bruce Helmly, MD, Medical Director, Non-invasive Cardiovascular Diagnostics, UM Shore Regional Health.“More than 20 years ago, the original Chesapeake Cardiology group began working with Gary Jones, then-director of Cardio-Pulmonary Services for Shore Regional Health to offer echocardiography services for our patients. And together, along with Melissa Svehla, we have built an outstanding high-quality service for communities throughout the five counties of the Eastern Shore that UM Shore Regional Health serves.”

IAC accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on. This reaccreditation signifies that all five facilities have undergone an intensive application and review process and have demonstrated a commitment to quality patient care in echocardiography, including accuracy and equipment standards.

The IAC is a nonprofit organization in operation to evaluate and accredit facilities that provide diagnostic imaging and interventional-based procedures, thus improving the quality of patient care provided in private offices, clinics and hospitals. Committed to its mission through a rigorous peer review process, the IAC has granted accreditation to more than 14,000 sites since its inception in 1991.

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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Choptank Health Expands School-Based Health to Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers

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Choptank Community Health System has expanded its School-Based Health Center program in Talbot County to include Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers’participants.

Children enrolled in Critchlow Adkins programs can now receive medical and dental care during the day when registered with the School-Based Health Centers at Easton Elementary, Easton Middle, St. Michaels, and White Marsh Elementary Schools.

“This is another step in advancing Choptank Health’s mission of providing access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all,” says Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich. “We’re grateful for the strong partnerships we have with Talbot County Public Schools, Talbot County Health Department, and the Maryland Department of Health to make school-based health possible.”

Choptank Health’s School-Based Health Centers provide in-person and virtual well and urgent care during the school year and over the summer months, with student enrollment required. Other services include health education and risk assessment, sports and other physical exams, dietary support, asthma management, and sick or acute care.

Photo: L-R: Choptank Health’s School-Based Health Center provider for Talbot County Public Schools Kim Fitzgerald, CRNP; Choptank Health SBHC Program Manager for Talbot County Jennifer Insley; Critchlow Adkins Executive Director Cristy Morrell; Choptank Health President and CEO Sara Rich; and Choptank Health SBHC Patient Services Specialist for Talbot County Melissa Jones.

Choptank Health’s registered dental hygienists will be providing dental screenings, fluoride treatments, sealant applications, and dental hygiene education. The dental screenings include examinations of the teeth and all soft tissues of the mouth—along with instruction on brushing and flossing, and education on the importance of eating healthy foods in good oral hygiene.

Rich says School-Based Health Centers often provide a child with their only form of medical or dental care, furthering the importance of this expansion of services.

Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers (CACC) is a nonprofit childcare program that is dedicated to providing quality, financially accessible childcare for children and their families in a nurturing, diverse, safe, and enriching environment. They offer preschool for children ages 2 to 4, before- and after-school care for PreK through 5th-grade students, and summer camp programs, with locations in Cordova, Easton, St. Michaels, and Trappe.

“Our motto at CACC is that we are building brighter futures for the children and families we serve. This includes helping them to stay healthy,” said CACC Executive Director Cristy Morrell. “We are thrilled to work together with Choptank Community Health to support the health and well-being of our students and their families.”

All Critchlow Adkins participants can enroll in the program and utilize any in-county SBHC site regardless of their ability to pay, with enrollment forms available at www.choptankhealth.org/schoolbased, www.cacckids.org, or at CACC’s five locations.

“This is a great step in expanding our School-Based Health Centers to help keep our communities healthy and thriving,” says Choptank Health Director of Community Based Programs Chrissy Bartz PA-C, MMS. “Access to health care at an early age can really make a difference in a child’s capacity to reach their fullest potential and can offer important preventative measures as well.”

Choptank Health’s School-Based Health Centers are located in five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, providing dental services for Dorchester County Public School students and medical and dental services for students 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.

“This serves as an important and timely reminder for all Mid-Shore parents that it’s never too late to enroll their students in school-based health,” says Rich.

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 welcomed. More is at www.choptankhealth.org.

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Out and About in Kent County with the Shore Community Outreach Team

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Alma White of Calvert Heights Apartments was among the residents to get a blood pressure check from SCOT Nurse Coordinator Emily Welsh.

Warmer weather and the end of the pandemic have created more opportunities for community engagement, and University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s Shore Community Outreach Team (SCOT) is making the most of these opportunities.

“Mind, Body and Soul – Exploring Mental Health in the African American Community” was the focus of a half-day, free event on Saturday, April 29, at Minary’s Dream Alliance in Chestertown. Sponsored by SCOT in collaboration with the African American Women’s Health Committee and Minary’s Dream Alliance, the event attracted 40 community members.

At a health fair at Calvert Heights Apartments in Chestertown on May 20, SCOT team members provided 15 blood pressure screenings and provided five automatic blood pressure cuffs to screening participants who did not have cuffs at home. They also checked six individuals’ HgA1c readings.

For Older Americans Day at the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center in Chestertown on May 23, SCOT staff provided a presentation on how organize your health care to a group of 20 attendees.

Moving outdoors, SCOT used grant funding from the Midshore Health Improvement Coalition to revitalize the community garden beds planted last year in three locations: Chesapeake Villa in Rock Hall, My Abode in Worton, and Hope Community Alliance at Rock Hall Church of God in Edesville.

“Late April and May were busy for us and June will be as well,” said SCOT Nurse Coordinator Emily Welsh, MSN, RN. “We have a number of community outreach activities in the works for this month, including a collaboration with Choptank Community Health and Angelica Nurseries to create an educational program about heat exhaustion prevention for migrant farm workers.”

SCOT will also provide blood pressure and HgA1c screenings at two Chestertown locations: Recovery in Motion’s Backyard Bash on Saturday, June 24; and atBrookmeadow Apartments on Thursday, June 29.

SCOT’s mission is to improve the health of Kent and northern Queen Anne’s counties by collaborating with partner organizations to bring health care access and support services to residents in their home settings and at convenient community sites. In addition to Welsh, the team includes social worker Michelle Mathews, two community advocates, Serenity Kelly, CCHW, and Amanda Webster; and Social Worker Michelle Matthews, MSW, LSCW-C. To learn more about SCOT programs, request services or make a referral, call 410-778-3300, ext. 5644.

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 10 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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Choptank Health Testifies at Senate Hearing

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Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich, left, is seen with Subcommittee Chairman U.S. Senator Ben Cardin.

The importance of access to rural healthcare was the topic for Choptank Community Health System CEO Sara Rich’s May 17 testimony at a hearing titled, “Improving Health Care Access in Rural Communities: Obstacles and Opportunities” before the Senate Committee on Finance Health Care Subcommittee.

Presiding over the Subcommittee hearing were Chairman U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and ranking member U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mt.). Rich provided testimony on behalf of the nation’s community health centers and was one of four national healthcare leaders providing testimonials.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Rural Americans face numerous health disparities compared with their urban counterparts.” To combat these obstacles, rural communities and providers including Choptank Health are pioneering innovative approaches to increase access to high-quality health care.

“Community health centers are the key to providing access to high-quality, affordable, and equitable health care,” said Rich. “Community Health Centers, like Choptank, work to figure out how we can best meet the needs of the communities we serve and are constantly reinventing how we provide access to care so we can meet our mission.”

Choptank Health serves more than 30,000 rural residents of Maryland’s Eastern Shore with medical, dental, and school-based health services in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties.

“In the U.S., nearly 20% of residents live in rural areas, but only 10% of healthcare providers work in these areas,” said Rich during her testimony. “Twenty-five percent of Maryland’s total population lives in an officially designated rural area, with all five counties in the Choptank service area designated as rural.”

“Caroline, Dorchester, and Kent Counties have a Health Professional Shortage Designation (HPSA) for dental, mental health, and primary care,” Rich said. “In addition, Talbot County has a HPSA designation for dental care.

“Rural areas often share similar characteristics that are unique from other geographic designations,” said Rich. “These include distance to obtaining services, lack of transportation, healthcare access and availability, and poorer health outcomes.

Rich’s testimony shared how Choptank Health has been implementing innovative approaches to address and overcome obstacles to rural healthcare access, including workforce shortages, broadband access, transportation, and Medicaid redetermination.

Rich cited Choptank Health’s recent expansions in behavioral health, prenatal care, and women’s health as one way the Federally Qualified Health Center is addressing the area’s shortages of providers.

Rich says the need for reliable internet services became even more critical, especially in rural areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Virtual visits accounted for 65-70% of medical visits during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she says.

“Often, the planned virtual visit was converted to a phone visit so that the provider could connect with their patient,” Rich says. “Audio-only visits are a lifeline to some of our most vulnerable patients who face multiple obstacles in obtaining health care including chronic disease, transportation, and internet access.”

Rich’s testimony on Medicaid redetermination included how states will now have to begin eligibility redeterminations for Medicaid enrollees with the unwinding of the COVID-19 public health emergency and that estimates from Geiger Gibsonindicate that nationally up to 15 million Medicaid enrollees will lose coverage.

“Community health centers provide care for 1 in 6 Medicaid beneficiaries,” said Rich.

“States, including Maryland, are partnering with community health centers to provide outreach and education to patients who need to renew coverage depending on their eligibility or to find new coverage,” she says, “Choptank is developing messaging to share with patients at check-in and has members of the population health department reaching out to patients who are due to reapply for coverage.”

Rich also shared how providing health care in a rural area requires thinking outside the traditional healthcare delivery models, a practice she says is embraced by community health centers like Choptank Health.

Choptank Health’s strategies include expanding School-Based Health Centers both in the scope of service and in the number of sites, building a robust primary care delivery system for preventative health with the Maryland Primary Care Program, and garnering the power of partnerships to expand equity outreach.

“Choptank Community Health System has community in our name for good reason—community is at the core of everything we do,” said Rich. “When local agencies and community partners work together, the result is healthier communities.”

Rich concluded her testimony by sharing opportunities to increase rural health access for the Senate’s consideration.

Rich joined Choptank Community Health in 2007 as the vice president of community programs and eventually became senior vice president and COO in 2015. In 2017, she was appointed by the Choptank Community Health System Board of Directors as CEO. Prior to joining Choptank Community Health, Rich was the Associate Director for the National Center for Child Death Review, a program of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and previously a community health consultant with the Michigan Child Death Review Program.

A recording of Rich’s testimony can be accessed at bit.ly/ruralhealthcarehearing.

Choptank Community Health System’smission is 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, care navigation, and laboratory services, with new medical and school-based health 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.