University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown has launched a Community Advisory Council designed to bring community perspectives on existing and potentially new health services to the hospital and to the greater Kent County and northern Queen Anne’s County region.
Established by the UM Shore Regional Health Board of Directors, the new Council is chaired by Dennis Welsh, Vice President of Rural Healthcare Transformation and Executive Director of UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown. Membership will include at least seven and up to 10 individuals who reside in Chestertown or its environs and/or have a strong connection to the area, for example, maintaining a local business.
The Council will review the UM SRH community health needs assessment and make recommendations about ways to address identified gaps and priorities, including via community partnerships, and about strategies to promote healthy aging and wellness at home. Members also will obtain community input and make recommendations regarding existing and potential UM SRH health services in Chestertown and the surrounding geographic area.
To date, five individuals have been named to the Community Advisory Council: Muriel Cole, Co-chair, Kent County Commission on Aging and “Senior Matters” columnist for the Kent County News; Kate Goodall, President, KRM Development Corporation; Dr. Helen Noble, local physician; Desiree Rochester, Client Care Receptionist with Eastern Shore Psychological Services; and Elizabeth Yost, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Public Health Minor at Washington College. The Council’s first quarterly meeting took place on July 26 and included a review of the Council charter, a presentation on the Rural Health Care Model in Chestertown, and discussion of community perceptions of health care in the region.
To ensure that all community concerns and viewpoints are represented on the Council, the addition of new members is being considered with a focus on individuals who would bring diverse backgrounds and experiences.
“We understand that effective partnerships are important in building a culture of health in the community, which is why we are excited about the newly formed Community Advisory Council,” said Welsh. “This Council connects the mission of hospital directly with members of the community who rely on it for their health care needs.”
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 a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 13 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.
Deborah Piez says
TO Community Health, I am a resident of Worton and work at Eastern Shore Mobile Crisis Services, as part of the Mobile Crisis Team, in the Centerville office serving Kent, QA Counties. I am a licensed counselor for 21 years with an LCPC and would like to be considered as a member of the hospital community council.
I respond as a mental health specialist with a varied and indepth background serving the menatally ill population.
If you are interested in someone with my background, please contact me.
J. Hammer says
Could you please provide contact info for those that might like to inquire about membership in the community advisory council.
It strikes me that so many advisory groups have many members with tons of expertise in relevant fields except those who might simply be a patient or potential patient. In that role I have been disappointed and I think that viewpoint is important info particularly as a baby boomer in a service area with a rising aging population.