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.

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.

Choptank Community Health System Family Nurse Practitioner Kim Fitzgerald, CRNP was recognized at the May 9 Maryland Assembly on School-Based Health Care (MASBHC) Conference in Columbia, Md. with this year’s Susan Borinsky Outstanding School-Based Health Center Nurse Clinician Award.

The annual award recognizes an outstanding nurse or nurse practitioner who always goes ‘above and beyond’ to manifest the vision of quality school-based health care for all young people and demonstrates passion and commitment to serving children and youth in a Maryland school-based health center. MASBHC created the award in honor of Susan Borinsky, who was lost to COVID-19 in 2020 after a long-standing, devoted career as a nurse practitioner in Baltimore school-based health centers.

“Kim’s passion and commitment to care embodies the qualities of a Susan Borinsky Outstanding SBHC clinician,” said Choptank Health Director of Community-Based Programs Chrissy Bartz, PA-C, MMSwho nominated Fitzgerald for the award. “The award is a tribute to her heart, hard work, and passion for caring for patients in school-based health.

“Over the course of just two school years—one interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic—Kim has worked tirelessly and effectively in strengthening our community partnerships and growing our program to serve our community,” Bartz says. “Her leadership has helped build a school-based practice that school staff consistently utilize, and students and family value.”

Fitzgerald provides healthcare to Talbot County Public Schools students enrolled in school-based health. She graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore with a Master’s Degree in Nursing, specializing in the field of study to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. She is a native of Burlington Junction, Mo.and now lives in Easton, Md. with her husband and three children.

Talbot County School-Based Health Center locations include Easton Elementary School, Easton Middle School, Easton High School, the St. Michaels schools’ campus, and White Marsh Elementary School.

“Kim exemplifies the work all our School-Based Health Centers achieve in keeping our communities healthy and thriving,” says Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich. “These Health Centers meet children and their families where they are to provide more access to healthcare, which is at the heart of our mission and everything Choptank Health does.”

Rich says School-Based Health Centers often provide a child with their only form of medical or dental care, and that it’s never too late to sign up a student as services continue over the summer months.

School-Based Health Centers provide in-person, virtual, curbside well and urgent care during the school year and over the summer months, with student enrollment needed. Services include diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, behavioral health services, nutrition, and educational services. Choptank Health’s School-Based dental programs include dental screenings and sealants, polishing/cleanings, oral health education, fluoride treatments, and dental emergency referrals.

School-Based Health Center Enrollment forms can be picked up at each school or downloaded in English and Spanish at www.choptankhealth.org/formsinformation.

Choptank Health’s School-Based Health Centers also provide dental services for Dorchester County Public School students and staff and medical and dental services for students and staff in Caroline, Kent, and Queen Anne’s County Public Schools. The centers are made possible through partnerships with each county’s public school system, local health departments, and the Maryland Department of Health. A primary care mobile health unit is also used as part of Choptank Health’s School-Based health center services.

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, care navigation, and on-site laboratory services, with new school-based and medical patients now being accepted. More is at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System’s Tilghman Health Center is expanding to weekly hours to provide more accessibility to primary medical services for Bay Hundred area children and adults.

The Tilghman Health Center serves as an extension to Choptank Health’s Bay Hundred Health Center in St. Michaels, with Gregory Dukes, CRNP serving as the provider. The Center previously had been open every other Tuesday during select hours. New hours begin May 10 and are every Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“These extended hours allow our practitioners more time to take care of our patients in Tilghman Island,” said Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich. “Making healthcare more accessible for people across Maryland’s Eastern Shore is at the heart of everything Choptank Health does. It’s why we’re here.”

The Tilghman Health Center’s separate office spaces are conveniently located at Tilghman Elementary School, with patients ages five and up being seen. Choptank Health’s Bay Hundred office patients and new adult and pediatric primary care medical patients are now being accepted, with appointments made by calling 410-754-0200.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical, dental, and School-Based health 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, care navigation, and laboratory services, with more at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Community Health System has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval^® for primary care medical home, ambulatory health care, and behavioral health care and human services accreditation by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a healthcare organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.

A medical home is a partnership approach between patients, clinicians, medical staff, and families in providing comprehensive primary care. A medical home extends beyond clinical practice to include specialty care, educational services, family support, and more.

This year also marks the first time Choptank Health’s behavioral health services were part of the Joint Commission’s accreditation process. Choptank Health began providing behavioral health services in 2020, with services offered to Choptank Health’s medical and dental patients.

Choptank Health recently underwent a rigorous, unannounced onsite review, with a team of Joint Commission reviewers evaluating compliance with primary care medical home, ambulatory health care, and behavioral health care standards.

The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with healthcare experts and providers, measurement experts, and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help healthcare organizations measure, assess, and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“As a healthcare accreditor, The Joint Commission works with healthcare organizations across settings to help improve patient safety and quality of care through our expert resources and tools, innovative solutions, and rigorous standards,” says Deborah Ryan, MS, RN, interim executive vice president, Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint Commission. “We commend Choptank Health for its commitment to advance safety and quality for all patients.”

“I have always been incredibly proud of the work of each Choptank Health team member,” said Choptank Health CEO Sara Rich in a recent memo to staff. “It was no surprise to hear the surveyors unanimously compliment our team’s passion for our mission and the care you take with your patients.

“They were impressed with our team members’ knowledge, enthusiasm, and professionalism,” Rich continued. “It’s clear each Choptank Health team member is committed to providing safe, quality care to our patients.”

Choptank Community Health System provides medical, dental, and School-Based health 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, care navigation, and laboratory services, with new medical patients now being accepted. More is at www.choptankhealth.org. More information about The Joint Commission is at www.jointcommission.org.

Choptank Community Health System recently welcomed women’s health practitioner Becky Kroeger, DNP, CNM of Easton, Md. to its medical practices.

Kroeger is offering prenatal care and women’s health services at Choptank Health’s Easton Health Center and Fassett Magee Center in Cambridge. She will also be expanding access to women’s health services at Choptank Health Centers located in Caroline and Kent counties.

Services include well-women exams for cervical cancer and breast cancer screenings, gyn/pelvic exams, STI screenings, and contraceptive counseling with IUD and Nexplanon placement.

Kroeger’s experience includes working as a Certified Nurse Midwife providing antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, gynecology, birth control, well-women care, and post-menopausal care. She has served on the adjunct clinical faculty of Salisbury University, where she worked advising and evaluating students in clinical settings.

She graduated from Frontier Nursing University with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and a Master of Science in Nursing degree, specializing in the field of Nurse Midwifery. Her academics earned her membership in the Frontier Nursing University Honor Society.

Kroeger additionally holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Phoenix University and graduated from the Chesapeake College MGW Nursing Program with an Associate Degree in Nursing.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical, dental, and School-Based health 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 accepted. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org.

Choptank Health is building awareness about the importance of pediatric dental health in recognition of February’s designation as National Children’s Dental Health Month and National School-Based Health Care Awareness Month.

National Children’s Dental Health Month is sponsored by the American Dental Association as a month-long health observance bringing together thousands of dedicated professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers, and many others.

“Oral health is extremely important for children as a preventative tool,” said Choptank Community Health’s Chief Dental Officer Sandra Garbely-Kerkovich, DMD. “Evidence continues to mount connecting oral health to adult health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and more.

“When we can prevent any oral health problems from occurring in the first place and early on in a child’s life, we can help that child grow into an overall healthier adult,” says Dr. Garbely.

Choptank Health’s dental healthcare team includes two pediatric dentists that are trained and specialize in treating young patients. Hadeel Alhassani, DDS, and Usman Ali, DMD see pediatric patients at Choptank Health’s dental centers in Cambridge, Denton, Federalsburg, Goldsboro, and St. Michaels, with new pediatric dental patients now being accepted.

February is also recognized each year by the School-Based Health Alliance to help raise awareness about how school-based health centers revolutionize the way children and adolescents access healthcare services.

The Alliance says school-based health care is also a commonsense idea gaining currency across the country as it places critically needed services like medical, behavioral, dental, and vision care directly in schools so that all young people, no matter their zip code, have equal opportunity to learn and grow.

Dr. Garbely and Community Based Program Director Chrissy Bartz, PAC, MMS oversee the school-based dental program, with enrolled Pre-K through 12^th-grade students enrolled in each school eligible to receive care at any location. Local Head Start and Judy Center students are also able to participate.

Registered dental hygienists at Choptank Health’s School-Based Health Centers and on-site mobile unit provide dental screenings, fluoride treatments, sealant applications, and dental hygiene education. The free 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.

Dental services are provided to School-Based Health Center-enrolled students Dorchester County Public Schools, with dental and medical services available to students enrolled in the School-Based Health Centers of Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot County Public Schools.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical, dental, and School-Based health 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, care navigation, and more.

A list of School-Based Health Center participating schools and enrollment forms are available at www.choptankhealth.org/schoolbased.

More on School-Based Health Awareness Month:

https://www.sbh4all.org/what-we-do/school-based-health-care/awareness-month/

More on the ADA’s National Children’s Dental Health Month:

https://www.ada.org/resources/community-initiatives/national-childrens-dental-health-month

Choptank Community Health System recently welcomed Family Nurse Practitioners Sarah Rogers, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, IBCLC of Centreville, Md., and Hope Taylor, MSN of Preston, Md. to its School-Based Health Center team. Rogers is providing healthcare to students and staff at Greensboro Elementary School, and Taylor is providing healthcare to Federalsburg Elementary School students and staff.

Sarah Rogers graduated from Chamberlain University with a Master’s Degree in Nursing, specializing in the field of study to become a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). She is registered in Maryland as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and is an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

Prior to joining Choptank Health, Rogers worked as a Nurse Practitioner at the University of Maryland Urgent Care in Easton, Chester, and Denton, Md., and as a Registered Nurse at the Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Md. She is a native of Crofton, Md. and now lives in Centreville with her husband and three children.

Hope Taylor graduated from Walden University with a Master’s Degree in Nursing, specializing in the field of study to become a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and inducted into the Lambda Eta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, the Golden Key International Honor Society, and the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Taylor joined Choptank Health in 2021, working at Choptank Health’s Fassett Magee Health Center prior to her School-Based Health Center work. Prior to joining Choptank Health, Taylor worked at the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health in Easton, Md. as a Staff Nurse, Field Nurse, and Case Manager. She is a native of Preston, Md., where she currently lives with her husband and four children.

Choptank Health’s School-Based Health Centers provide dental services for Dorchester County Public School students and staff and medical and dental services for students and staff 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.

The School-Based Health Centers provide in-person, virtual, curbside well and urgent care during the school year and over the summer months, with student enrollment needed. Services include diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, behavioral health services, nutrition, and educational services. Choptank Health’s School-Based dental programs include dental screenings and sealants, polishing/cleanings, oral health education, fluoride treatments, and dental emergency referrals.

School-Based Health Center Enrollment forms can be picked up at each school or downloaded in English and Spanish at www.choptankhealth.org/formsinformation.

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 accepted. More is at www.choptankhealth.org.

Join Choptank Community Health System’s Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Abigail Webster in a free, three-part diabetic education series taking place on February 6, March 6, and April 3 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Denton Health Center’s Education Room.

Participants will learn about healthier choices, including diet and lifestyle changes, to help prevent pre-diabetics from developing Type 2 diabetes. Information will also be provided on ways to reduce the health risks associated with those who already have Type 2 diabetes.

Webster works in Choptank Health’s School-Based Health Centers providing nutrition education and counseling for children and their families in Caroline County. She graduated from the University of Texas with a master’s degree in nutritional science and from Delaware State University with a bachelor’s degree in food and nutritional sciences.

“Prediabetes is when someone’s blood glucose or sugar level is too high but not high enough yet for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes,” says Webster. “Prediabetes can become type 2 diabetes if it is not treated and can oftentimes be prevented with lifestyle and diet modifications.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,1 in 3 American adults has prediabetes, and more than 84% of people with prediabetes don’t know they have it. The CDC says without making changes, many people with prediabetes will get type 2 diabetes, and that studies show that a loss of 5-7 percent of weight and exercising can slow down or stop type 2 diabetes. The CDC offers an online risk test for prediabetes for self-assessment at www.doihaveprediabetes.org.

Space is limited for the three-session series, with pre-registration needed by emailing awebster@choptankhealth.org. The sessions will be available later online for those unable to attend at www.youtube.com/@choptankhealth.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical, dental, and School-Based health 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 accepted. More is at www.choptankhealth.org.