On behalf of Horizons of Kent and Queen Anne’s (“Horizons”) and the children and families we serve, we urge University of Maryland Shore Regional Health to maintain and improve the inpatient and surgical services at the UM Shore Medical Center in Chestertown. Considerable attention has properly been focused on the negative impact the end of those services would have on the senior citizens of Kent and Northern Queen Anne’s Counties, and rightly so. However, the many financially disadvantaged families here also would be adversely affected by the diminution of services, and those community members are less equipped to cope with the hardships that such changes would impose.
The end of inpatient and surgical services at the UM Shore Medical Center in Chestertown would make proper health care for this part of our population even more difficult to obtain than at present. The expense and inconvenience of significant travel alone would be a huge impediment to them, compounded by the area’s rural nature and extremely limited public transportation system. We know from the regular contact that we have with these families that without good, easily accessible health care, the quality of their jobs, their educations, and their family cohesiveness also decline. We need UM Shore Regional Health to be improving rather than diminishing access to health care.
Sincerely,
John Christie
President, Board of Directors
Horizons of Kent and Queen Anne’s
410-778-6244
Patrick Byrne says
Individual Hospital Statistics for Maryland per ahd.com – https://www.ahd.com/states/hospital_MD.html
City Staffed Beds Total Discharges Patient Days Gross Patient Revenue ($000) Revenue per Patient Day
Chestertown 41 1,874 7,953 $68,296 $4,103.09
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore 985 49,988 309,192 $2,199,526 $7,113.78
Karen O'Connor says
Mr. Christie makes an eloquent case for the importance of basic inpatient care for our most vulnerable citizens. I hope this letter went to every member of the Shore Health System Board of Directors as well as the Board of Directors at University of Maryland Medical System. Failure to respond positively to the pleas of our community would show the complete absence of moral underpinnings with which this healthcare system operate., There is a fiduciary responsibility of these Boards to meet the needs of every constituent in the service area, not just those of Talbot County.
Beryl Smith says
Thank you John and Karen. You have both said what is needed to be said. Let’s hope the folks on the other end are listening and not just tabulating dollars!
Joe Lill says
Primum Non Nocere!