Community Leaders, Hospital Staff Look Forward to New Emergency Department at UM SMC at Chestertown

With the Grand Opening celebration scheduled this coming Tuesday, September 16, the new Emergency Department at University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown is a welcome addition to the hospital and to the Kent County community at large.

Chestertown Mayor Chris Cerino views the hospital’s new ED, which will nearly double the size of the emergency care area to approximately 8,000 square feet, as a major enhancement to the overall quality of life in the region. “It’s exciting to see University of Maryland Medical System investing in our community in such a significant way, especially at this time of uncertainty and change in the health care arena,” comments Cerino. “Seeing this project come to completion is a win-win for all of us.”

A similar perspective is offered by Loretta Lodge, executive director of the Kent County Chamber of Commerce. “It’s hard to believe that in a relatively small and rural area, there could be as many as 15,000 emergency room visits in a year. It’s gratifying to know that we have a state-of-the-art emergency center to accommodate that volume,” says Lodge.

Referring to the new ED’s visual, real-time technology that enables UMMS physicians, including specialists in pediatric emergency care, to consult with Chestertown ED doctors on individual cases, Lodge adds, “I think that Kent County citizens, especially parents who have to take their children in for emergency care, will be relieved to know that e-care technology will help the emergency doctors and nurses take care of patients right here with fewer admissions and transfers to other hospitals.”

From the law enforcement standpoint, a great benefit of the hospital’s new Emergency Department is the design. “We are frequently interacting with the hospital, especially the Emergency Department,” says Chestertown Police Chief Adrian Baker. “In terms of security, the way the new ED is set up is much better than before. The behavioral health room is offset from the others with its own monitoring station, and the privacy of the women’s health room will be of comfort to victims of assault or abuse. We are looking forward to the positive changes brought by the better design and increased capacity of the new Emergency Department.”

For the staff, increased space and features supporting efficiency and patient privacy will be most appreciated. Says Terri Gore, PA, a physician’s assistant in the ED, “Because the main nurses’ station is right in the middle, we can observe patients continuously. Also, each room includes storage space for essential supplies so we don’t have to leave a patient to get what we need. Having TVs in the room is good, too – a lot of times, patients are waiting for test results and they need something to do, especially the children, who can get restless.”

Erica Jones, an ED staff nurse, adds, “It will be easier to assess patients because they won’t be wondering who might be in the next room overhearing information about their health status. This is a small community and very often, ED patients recognize each other, so we are glad that we will be better able to protect patient privacy.”

For Dr. Wayne Benjamin, chief of the Medical Staff at UM SMC at Chestertown, the bottom line is that the new ED will facilitate the staff’s ability to provide the best possible care to area citizens. “Along with the Leh Women’s Center opened last year, and the Subspecialty Clinic, which enables patients to see specialists in urology, endocrinology and women’s health right here in Kent County, the new Emergency Department strengthens our hospital and our ability to serve our community,” Benjamin maintains.

 

The Chester River Health Foundation, the fundraising arm of the hospital and UM Shore Nursing & Rehabilitation Center at Chestertown, secured a $900,000 bond bill through the Maryland Hospital Association’s legislative process to support the construction project, which will cost approximately $4.3 million. In addition, the community has donated more than $913,000 to fund equipment purchases and the construction of a highly specialized, two-bed trauma/resuscitation bay for the new ED.

Margie Elsberg, Foundation board chair, said, “To date, our community is responsible for contributing more than $1.8 million in support of our new Emergency Department. From golf tournament participants and sponsors and grateful patients to those who just plain believe we need our hospital, we have scores of local people to thank, along with the University of Maryland Medical System, for making this dream come true.”

The new Emergency Department is projected to open by the end of September. A community-wide open house will be held on Tuesday, September 16 at 5:00 p.m. The public is encouraged to come out to help celebrate as well as get an insider’s look at the new space before it is in full operation.