Choptank Community Health System has recently received a $50,000 grant from the Mid-Shore Community Foundation’s George B. Todd Fund to invest in the safety and health of patients and staff by helping to upgrade the community-based healthcare provider’s HVAC system to new COVID-19 requirements. The George B. Todd Fund awards grants to Dorchester County organizations and causes since its founding in 1988.
“The George B. Todd Fund has been a consistent supporter of our mission, and we remain grateful for their support of this critically important project,” said Choptank Community Health CEO Sara Rich.
The grant will help fund the installation of state-of-the-art HVAC systems at Choptank’s Fassett Magee and Cambridge Dental Center in Cambridge, capable of neutralizing COVID-19 and other contaminants. Choptank is upgrading HVAC systems at all of its locations in Easton, Cambridge, Denton, Federalsburg, Goldsboro, and St. Michaels, with a total project cost estimated to be over $1.2M.
Photo: L-R: George B. Todd Fund Advisor David DeLuca, Mid-Shore Community Foundation President Buck Duncan, Choptank Community Health System CEO Sara Rich, and Todd Fund Advisor Charles Capute.
“How we provide medical & dental care has changed since last March when this pandemic began,” said Rich. “We have always maintained high standards for safety and infection control, but COVID-19 has forced many organizations to evaluate air quality and environmental standards.
“Instead of relying on air purifiers in every exam room or dental operatory, CCHS will focus on improving whole building air purification and outdoor air exchanges to improve air quality in our health centers. This upgrade is critical with COVID-19, and will continue to be as other viruses and infections develop in the future.”
“This is a great example of how our foundation connects private resources with public needs to enhance the quality of life for people of the Mid-Shore,” said Mid-Shore Community Foundation’s Chief Program Officer Robbin Hill. “Supporting Choptank Community Health is an investment in providing access to high-quality health care for everyone in our communities.”
The Mid-Shore Community Foundation’s donor-supported funds make the Foundation one of the region’s largest grantmakers. Grants are annually distributed to registered nonprofits and government-related entities in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties through an open application process, and at the recommendation of fund advisors. More is at mscf.org.
Choptank Community Health System is a private, non-profit network of health centers serving the Mid-Shore for nearly 40 years. Choptank Health provides access to quality health care through the delivery of comprehensive medical, dental, pediatric, and behavioral health services to more than 28,000 patients in multiple school and community locations and 6 health centers in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties.
Choptank Health also serves as one of more than 1,300 community-based health care providers that receive funds from the U. S. Health Resources & Services Administration’s Health Center Program to provide primary care services in underserved areas as a Federally Qualified Health Center. Choptank Health’s uninsured patients are provided flat rates for medical services and percentage discounts for dental services.
Choptank Health’s mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated health care for all, with more at choptankhealth.org.
Old Wye Mill invites you to its Opening Day on May 1, following a year of closure due to the public health crisis. OWM is one of Maryland’s most remarkable places: the historic grist mill is the oldest continuously operated water-powered mill in America, and Maryland’s oldest continuously operating business. In case of rain, the event is postponed to June 5.