Regional Health has announced a reduction in diagnostic imaging services for the time being due to COVID-19. According to Dr. Kim Oster, MD, president, Shore Radiology, and Dr. Dale Johnson, MD, chairman,Shore Regional Health Radiology Departments, and in keeping with the directive of the Secretary of Health of the State of Maryland, as of March 24, 2020, all elective/non-urgent imaging at all facilities are postponed and only critical imaging is being performed.

Critical imaging services include trauma, oncology, infection, ischemia, acute bleeding, and acute neurologic changes. Other requests are reviewed by the imaging team on a case by case basis.

“We are calling patients with appointments scheduled in the next several weeks to inform them of this change, but we also want potential ‘walk-ins’ to know that their test will not be conducted at this time so they will not make an unnecessary trip,” says Penny Olivi, director Diagnostic Imaging for UM Shore Regional Health. “We expect to begin accepting appointment requests for elective/non-urgent imaging in mid-April. If you have a question about your appointment or whether or not an imaging location is we open, please call 410-822-1000, extension 2600.”

In addition, the Diagnostic & Imaging Center has cancelled Saturday hours until further notice.

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.

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The Birthing Center at University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton is bringing the joy of a baby’s birth to patients, staff and visitors throughout the hospital by activating “Operation: Lullaby.” Johannes Brahms’ “The Lullaby” will play over the loudspeaker throughout the Easton hospital, during the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., every time a baby is born.

First published in 1868, “The Lullaby” was dedicated to Brahms’s friend, Bertha Faber, on the occasion of the birth of her second son. “The Lullaby” was first performed in public on December 22, 1869, in Vienna, Austria, by Louise Dustmann (singer) and Clara Schumann (piano).

Luanne Satchell, nurse manager, Women’s and Children’s Health Services, far right, stands with team members of the Birthing Center at UM SMC.

According to Luanne Satchell, nurse manager, Women’s and Children’s Health Services, “When you hear the lullaby, it is within minutes of the birth of a child. We really didn’t realize the impact this program would have on patients and other team members, but it’s been a really positive addition to the Birthing Center and the hospital as a whole. When you think about it, we are celebrating the joy of birth with our entire hospital community. People have sought our team members out to report that it really puts a smile on their faces and we couldn’t be happier.”

About UM 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 2,600 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers work with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

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Cathy Weber, nurse manager, Emergency Department at University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Dorchester, recently retired from UM Shore Regional Health after 42 years of service.

Weber’s retirement party was held Friday, Jan. 17, at UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester, where Weber spent her career helping to save lives. She was a staff nurse from 1978 to 1997, a nurse manager from 1997 to 2011,and in 2011 was named manager of the Emergency Department.

According to Penny Pink, executive director, UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester, Weber very quickly moved up into leadership roles after starting as a nurse at the hospital.

“Cathy was always patient-focused, and was always a calming presence in an emergency,” Pink said. “She always knew ‘the answer.’ Her comfort zone was the Emergency Department, at the bedside, with her staff. She will be missed.”

Weber’s colleagues also shared fond memories of their time working together, as well as stories of Weber’s impact on the community and her mentorship of nurses.

Cathy Weber, center, with colleagues and friends from University of Maryland Shore Regional Health.

“I think any member of Cathy’s team would share that a few of her best qualities are integrity, compassion, advocacy and ingenuity,” said AnnMarie Hernandez, a nurse manager at UM Shore Medical Center at Dorchester. “She maintained a professional demeanor at all times, and deeply cared about our patients, staff and our community. She has been a mentor for more people than I can count, and the gifts she bestowed on her mentees carry on into every aspect of their lives, including the way we care for our patients. She has taught us the art of compassion, patience, how to be an active listener and how to hear beyond the words that are said. I personally cannot thank her enough and know that there are many others that feel the same.”

All Weber’s colleagues maintain the same sentiment: she will be missed and they wish her the best in her retirement.

About UM 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 2,600 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers work with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

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Khalid Kurtom, MD

Khalid Kurtom, MD, medical director, UM Shore Medical Group–Neurosurgery, has been selected by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) as the State of Maryland winner of the 2019 State Award for Nurse Practitioner Advocate Excellence. This award is presented annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution toward increasing awareness and recognition of nurse practitioners. Past recipients of the advocate award have included physicians, legislators, educators and nurse practitioners.

Nominated for the honor by Gail Shorter, DNP, chair of Shore Regional Health’s Advanced Practice Provider’s Council, Dr. Kurtom was selected from a pool of five nominees for the Maryland award. Recipients will be honored at an awards ceremony and reception held during the AANP 2020 National Conference, June 23-28, in New Orleans.

“We are thrilled to learn that Dr. Kurtom has been named this year’s recipient of the AANP award for Maryland,” said Ken Kozel, UM SRH president and CEO. “We know Dr. Kurtom for his tireless effort towards excellence and patient-centered care. With this quest comes his recognition of the importance of the entire care team and specifically, the significant contributions of our medical staff’s nurse practitioners. His advocacy for nurse practitioners having a seat at all tables of healthcare leadership and governance ensures their important voice is heard in everything we do at 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.

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Shore Radiology, PA and UM Shore Regional Health recently renewed their longstanding affiliation that has benefited thousands of patients every year for more than four decades, Ken Kozel, UM SRH president and CEO has announced.

Shore Radiology, PA provides services for all UM SRH locations, including UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown, Dorchester and Easton; the Diagnostic and Imaging Center and the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center in Easton; Shore Emergency Center and Shore Medical Pavilion at Queenstown; and Shore Medical Pavilion at Denton. They also will be providing services at the new Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge that is scheduled for completion in 2021.

Ken Kozel, president and CEO, UM Shore Regional Health, with Dale Johnson, MD, Radiology chair.

The practice now includes nine physicians: Dale B. Johnson, MD, Radiology Department chair; Brian T. Callahan, MD; Christopher S. Levey, MD; Minh Lu, MD; Kimberly A. Oster, MD; Stephen T. Sauter, DO, president of the practice and medical director, Radiology; Mithilesh K. Singh, MD; Kathleen H. Straub, MD; and Matthew P. Wagner, MD. All have fellowship training in at least one of several subspecialties, including women’s imaging, nuclear medicine and PET, body and musculoskeletal MRI, body CT and ultrasound, and interventional and angiography.

“Shore Regional Health and the many patients we serve are very fortunate to have the services of a radiology practice whose providers have such a strong range of talent, experience and expertise,” commented Kozel. “We look forward to our continued partnership with Shore Radiology.”

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.

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Gary Jones, RCP, RRT, FACCA, director, Heart and Vascular Center at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, recently received state and county proclamations honoring his 50 years with UM Shore Regional Health. Jones recently retired at the end of 2019, but has agreed to stay on in a contractual role until a new director is found.

Born and raised in Talbot County, Jones attended Talbot County Public Schools. He later attained his associate’s degree from Chesapeake College and his Bachelor of Arts in healthcare administration from Ottawa University. He was advanced to doctoral candidacy in human development and neurophysiology from University of Maryland College Park.

A Fellow of the American College of Cardiovascular Administrators (FACCA), Jones is a licensed, registered respiratory care practitioner and in the course of his career, has achieved multiple professional credentials, including: certified physician assistant, pulmonary technologist, paramedic instructor certified by the Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS), forensic investigator with the Office of Chief Medical Examiner-Maryland, neonatal resuscitation hospital-based instructor, basic life support instructor, and clinical instructor in Salisbury University’s Respiratory Care Practitioner Program and in Delaware Technical and Community College’s Respiratory Care Practitioner Program. He also has been certified in advanced cardiac life support.

Jones has been employed with UM Shore Regional Health since November 1969, rising from respiratory therapist to supervisor to director of Respiratory Care, and later director of Cardiopulmonary/Neurodiagnostic Services. Before being named director of the Heart and Vascular Center at UM Shore Regional Health, Jones was regional director of Cardio-Pulmonary/Neurodiagnostic Services, a position he held since 1983.

From left are Talbot County Council members Chuck F. Callahan, Corey W. Pack and Frank Divilio; Gary Jones; and council members Laura E. Price and Pete Lesher.

Jones has been instrumental in the development of Cardiovascular Services at UM SRH. He helped establish the Vascular Lab at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, which has expanded to UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown and Dorchester and to UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Easton. He also helped to establish the Regional Sleep Disorders Center that now provides sleep testing in four locations.

Cardiovascular Services also have expanded to include pacemaker and defibrillator implantation, primary and elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and cardiac electrophysiology services.

Jones helped establish the first Cardiac Cath Lab at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton in 1991. It since has grown to include a second Cath Lab, which in 2018 was designated as a Cardiac Interventional Center by MIEMSS, and in 2019 was granted a four-year accreditation. The Cardiac Interventional Center consistently provides life-saving care procedures for patients experiencing a heart attack caused by arterial blockage in less than 60 minutes, 95 percent of the time. The national target time is an average of 90 minutes.Three teams are on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in order to serve the community.

Also in 2019, after just one year of operation, the American Heart Association presented the Cardiac Interventional Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton with two separate Mission Lifeline awards for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Outside of UM Shore Regional Health, Jones consistently has advocated for pre-hospital advanced life support services in the region to better serve local communities. Beginning as a member of Easton Volunteer Fire Department, Jones later became a volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) basic life support provider with the local ambulance service. He also served as a charter member of the Talbot County Advanced Life Support Services and was one of five paramedics who volunteered 24/7 in this role. Later, he transitioned to become a MIEMSS paramedic instructor, teaching paramedics working for emergency services in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties.

About UM 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 2,600 employees, medical staff, board members and volunteers work with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

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