EASTON, Md. (October 5, 2026) – The Cancer Center at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) will offer “Caregiver Connections,” a free seminar providing appreciation, renewal and education for family caregivers of patients with cancer and other chronic or debilitating illnesses, on Saturday, November 7, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Easton Volunteer Fire Department. UM SRH is a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System.
The program will feature resource tables and vendors with helpful information for caregivers; a Blessing of the Hands; presentations on nutritional and money-saving meal preparation and on staying flexible and physically assisting others safely; a guided-imagery demonstration that promotes relaxation; a roundtable discussion of best tips for the holidays and door prizes.
A number of community organizations have collaborated with the Cancer Center to offer Caregiver Connections, including Compass Hospice & Palliative Care, Lotus Oncology Hematology, Maryland Oncology Hematology, YMCA of the Chesapeake, Mid Shore Pancreatic Foundation, Shore Neurocognitive & Behavioral Health, Talbot Hospice and Palliative Care, University of Maryland Shore Community Outreach Teams and University of Maryland Shore Medical Group – Palliative Care.
“We offered this program last year and it was very well received,” said Patty Plaskon, Oncology Social Work Coordinator for UM SRH. “Family members and friends providing assistance and support to chronically ill individuals participated, and in feedback they offered that they really appreciated the focus on maintaining their own best health and emotional resilience. They also enjoyed sharing tips and strategies with each other to help ease the challenges of caregiving.”
While the event is free, seating is limited and advance registration is required prior to October 26, by calling 410-820-6800.
About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health
A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit umms.org/shore.
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 umms.org.
