The Meoli Companies/McDonald’s® and local owner/operator Mike Meoli recently pledged $100,000 to UM Memorial Hospital Foundation to provide assistance to cancer patients receiving treatment at the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center at UM Shore Regional Health. Providing support to patients during their cancer journey is personal for Mr. Meoli as his wife of 24 years, Kelli, is a 15-year breast cancer survivor and registered nurse.

“We are very fortunate to operate restaurants in communities all across the Eastern Shore, and part of that means recognizing ways we can make the biggest impact in every one of them,” Mike Meoli said. “When we discovered the opportunity to fund a second 3-D tomosynthesis mammography machine for the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center, it was a no brainer for us. The dedicated medical staff, exceptional facilities and the level of care patients receive at the Breast Center is unmatched. We are proud to support a health care system that gives back to so many during their most difficult times.”

Photo: L-R: Ken Kozel, president & CEO, UM SRH; Brittany Krautheim, CRNP, breast care nurse practitioner; Mike Meoli, owner/operator, The Meoli Companies/McDonald’s®; Roberta Lilly, MD, medical director, Clark Comprehensive Breast Center; Graham Lee, vice president, Philanthropy, UM SRH; and Brian Leutner, vice president, Clinical and Ambulatory Services.

“I want to thank Mike Meoli, the Meoli companies and McDonald’s Restaurants for stepping forward and making an important difference in breast care through this very generous pledge,” commented Graham Lee, vice president, Philanthropy, for UM Shore Regional Health. “Their support goes a long way toward our goal of acquiring the additional equipment the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center needs to provide our patients the most timely and state-of-the-art testing and evaluation.”

Mike Meoli is a second-generation McDonald’s owner/operator who has spent much of his career within the McDonald’s system. The Meoli Companies own 18 McDonald’s restaurants across Delmarva, including those in the Maryland counties of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties.  His restaurants are consistently recognized for their outstanding achievements in customer satisfaction, superb operations, and great staff development. In 2012, Mr. Meoli was honored with McDonald’s Corporations most prestigious owner/operator award, the Golden Arch® Award, which recognizes the achievements of the top one percent of owner/operators worldwide.

Meoli is very active in his community, serving on the board of directors for the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce and Beebe Medical Center. He is a past president of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce as well as a former Chairman of the Board for the Sussex Family YMCA.  He also serves as vice president of The Dresher Foundation, a Maryland-based charitable foundation established by his grandfather in 1988. Within his business field, Mr. Meoli has served his fellow McDonald’s owner/operators in numerous local, regional and national positions.

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 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

February …

Lunch Grief Support Group— Compass Regional Hospice, Hope and Healing Center, 255 Comet Drive, Centreville. Noon to 1:30 p.m. This eight-week grief support group runs every Wednesday from Feb. 6 through March 27. Guests are encouraged to attend the entire series to benefit the most from the group. Open to anyone 18 and older who is suffering the loss of a loved one. Please bring a lunch. Cost: $25, but no one will be turned away due to an inability to pay. Info: 443-262-4109 or rknotts@compassregionalhospice.org.

Estate Treasures Warehouse Sale — Saturday, Feb. 16, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 106 Log Canoe Circle, Chesapeake Business Park, Stevensville. Come find deeply discounted furniture, tools, sporting goods, small kitchen appliances, home décor, housewares, area rugs, Hunter Douglas blinds, furniture for small businesses, and more. Proceeds will benefit Compass Regional Hospice. For more information, call Estate Treasures, an operating unit of Compass Regional Hospice, at 410-643-7360.

Understanding Your Grief Workshop— Saturday, Feb. 16, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Compass Regional Hospice’s Hope and Healing Center, 255 Comet Drive, Centreville. Are you struggling with grief or helping someone else through their grief journey? Let our trained grief support staff stand with you and help you through this time. Light refreshments will be served. Cost: $25, but no one will be turned away based on an inability to pay. For more information, call Rhonda Knotts at 443-262-4109 or rknotts@compassregionalhospice.org.(This event was rescheduled from Feb. 2 due to dangerous weather conditions.)

March …

Caroline County Grief Support Group— St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 S. 5^th Ave., Denton. 4 to 6 p.m. This eight-week grief support group runs every Tuesday, from March 12 through April 30. Guests are encouraged to attend the entire series to benefit the most from the group. Open to anyone 18 and older who is suffering the loss of a loved one. Cost: $25, but no one will be turned away due to an inability to pay. Info: 443-262-4108 or wlarrimore@compassregionalhospice.org.

Estate Treasures Warehouse Sale — Saturday, March 16, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 106 Log Canoe Circle, Chesapeake Business Park, Stevensville. Come find deeply discounted furniture, tools, sporting goods, small kitchen appliances, home décor, housewares, area rugs, Hunter Douglas blinds, furniture for small businesses, and more. Proceeds will benefit Compass Regional Hospice. For more information, call Estate Treasures, an operating unit of Compass Regional Hospice, at 410-643-7360.

Compass Regional Hospice’s Annual Gala — Friday, March 22, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Annie’s Paramount Steak and Seafood House, 500 Kent Narrow Way N., Grasonville. This is the premier fundraising event for Compass Regional Hospice. Proceeds benefit hospice care, palliative care and grief support services provided by Compass Regional Hospice. The event will include a seated dinner, a live band, dancing,live and silent auctions, and a jewelry raffle. The jewelry raffle will feature a pair of 2-carat diamond earrings, valued at $14,000. Gala tickets: $200 per person, purchased in advance only. Raffle tickets are $100 per ticket and only 100 chances will be sold. For more information or to purchase tickets to the event or for the raffle (you do not have to attend the Gala to purchase raffle tickets), contact Kenda Leager at 443-262-4106 or kleager@compassregionalhospice.org.

Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day —Saturday, March 30, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Easton High School cafeteria, 723 Mecklenburg Ave., Easton, MD. Join Coastal Hospice and Palliative Care, Compass Regional Hospice and Talbot Hospice during this free event as we commemorate the sacrifices of Vietnam veterans and their families. This event will include local, state and national resources for veterans, a pinning ceremony, guest speakers, light refreshments and more. This is a free event and is open to all. Register at www.bit.ly/WHVV2019. For more information, contact Katie Willis at 443-262-4100, ext. 177, or info@compassregionalhospice.org.

Ongoing …

Bereaved Parent Grief Support Group — First Monday of each month; Feb. 4 and March 4. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Compass Regional Hospice, 255 Comet Drive, Centreville. A drop-in group for individuals, 18 and older, dealing with the loss of a child. For more information, contact Rhonda Knotts at 443-262-4109 or rknotts@compassregionalhospice.org.

HALOS-Healing After a Loved One’s Suicide Grief Support Group — Second Wednesday of each month;Feb. 13 and March 13. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Compass Regional Hospice, 255 Comet Drive, Centreville. A drop-in group for individuals, 18 and older, dealing with the loss of a loved one from suicide. For more information, contact Rhonda Knotts at 443-262-4109 orrknotts@compassregionalhospice.org, or Wayne Larrimore at 443-262-4108 or wlarrimore@compassregionalhospice.org.

Drug Overdose Grief Support Group — Third Thursday of each month; Feb. 21 and March 21. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Compass Regional Hospice, 255 Comet Drive, Centreville.  A drop-in group for individuals, 18 and older, dealing with the loss of a loved one from drug overdose. Please join us for dinner and conversation/discussion. There also may be special guests or presenters to the group from time to time.For more information, contact Rhonda Knotts at 443-262-4109 or rknotts@compssregionalhospice.org.

All Losses Grief Support Group — Fourth Tuesday of each month; Feb. 26 and March 26. From noon to 1:15 p.m. at the Caroline County Public Library, Federalsburg branch, 123 Morris Ave., Federalsburg. A drop-in group for individuals, 18 and older, who have experienced any type of loss. Please bring a lunch. For more information, contact Wayne Larrimore at 443-262-4108 or wlarrimore@compassregionalhospice.org.

UM Community Medical Group – Palliative Care recently welcomed Victoria Kuntz to its provider team. As a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Kuntz brings nursing experience in primary care, inpatient palliative care, medical/surgical care, intensive care and oncology to UM Shore Regional Health’s palliative care team. Most recently, she served five years on the inpatient oncology unit at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis. Md. Kuntz earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Walden University.

“Vicki’s experience in oncology nursing and practitioner training in adult gerontology are valuable additions to the depth of our specialized Palliative Care program,” says Lakshmi Vaidyanathan, MD, medical director, Palliative Care. “In addition to our hospital-based palliative care services, our outpatient program is growing as we serve more patients and families in the community. Patients who seek outpatient palliative care support in managing chronic disease symptoms to maintain their best health may contact us at 410-820-4434 to get additional information or make an appointment.”

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 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.

Compass Regional Hospice recently was awarded a Partner Level Four certificate for its involvement in the We Honor Veterans program. During the January ceremony, longtime Compass Regional Hospice veteran-to-veteran and hospice center volunteer, Tom Brent, also was honored with a Hospice Champion award.

Compass Regional Hospice is a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a campaign developed by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Compass achieved its Partner Level Four status in 2017, but the certificate presentation was delayed until it could be done in person.

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ We Honor Veterans Community Hospice Coordinator, Cindy Dresser, traveled to the Hospice Center in Centreville to present Compass Regional Hospice with its Partner Level Four certificate on Jan. 10, and while at Compass also delivered a Partner Level Four certificate to Coastal Hospice and Palliative Care President Alane Capen, who traveled from Salisbury to be present during the event.

During the ceremony, Dresser also presented a Hospice Champion award to hospice center and veteran-to-veteran volunteer Tom Brent. Brent has been volunteering with Compass Regional Hospice since 2013.

During the presentation, Compass Regional Hospice Executive Director Heather Guerieri was invited to speak.

“To say that Tom is committed to our program is an understatement,” Guerieri said.

Brent volunteered more than 1,300 hours during 2017, Guerieri said.

“Our staff considers him the embodiment of what we want to offer through our services; kindness, empathy and generosity of spirit,” Guerieri said. “Tom goes out of his way to get to know each and every one of our veterans. As a Marine Corps veteran himself, he listens to the stories these individuals share with him.”

Guerieri said Brent has gone as far as tracking down a Marine Corps “blues” for a patient who wished to be buried in his uniform. The patient had lost track of his own after returning from service.

From L-R: Compass Regional Hospice Executive Director Heather Guerieri, Department of Veterans Affairs’ We Honor Veterans Community Hospice Coordinator Cindy Dresser, and Tom Brent

In addition to providing veteran-to-veteran support, Brent helps almost every department at Compass Regional Hospice, including by staffing events, providing outreach to individuals regarding hospice services, maintaining Hospice Center in Centreville gardens and grounds, and helping with administrative tasks.

“It is not uncommon that he will offer to run extra trips to the grocery store, spruce up the gardens or perform minor repairs to ensure that every patient receives the very best care in the very best facility,” Guerieri said.

Brent also acts as a volunteer mentor for those joining the organization’s volunteer team.

“Tom is often the first volunteer we call on when a new volunteer is seeking a mentor,” Guerieri said. “He is someone who is comfortable both in the busy and quiet times within our facility, and he is the best at teaching others by sharing his experiences, calming nerves, and showing new volunteers how every minute they give is important.”

Guerieri said Brent often is asked for by name by new families who have loved ones being admitted to the Hospice Center in Centreville.

“His reputation seems to precede him,” Guerieri said. “He develops wonderful relationships with each patient in our Centreville facility. His patients convey to staff and family what a difference his visits make and how touched they are by his thoughtfulness.”

Guerieri said Compass Regional Hospice is blessed to have Brent as a member of its team.

“We are certain Tom sees our Hospice Center in Centreville as an extension of his own home,” Guerieri said. “Tom is a staple in our organization and someone we could not do without.”

Dresser also awarded Nancy Stewart, Coastal Hospice and Palliative Care’s access manager, with a Hospice Champion award.

Through the We Honor Veterans program, Compass Regional Hospice gratefully acknowledges its military and service men, women and families. The mission of the program is to serve the nation’s veterans, who have served their country so selflessly, during their end-of-life journey.

Compass Regional Hospice honors all hospice patients who have served in the military with a special ceremony. Each honoree is presented with a pin, framed certificate, tabletop flag and a patriotic lap quilt. For veterans admitted to the Hospice Center in Centreville or the Hospice Center in Chestertown, an American flag and the flag of the veteran’s branch of service are posted on either side of the door to the patient’s room.

Additionally, trained Compass staff and volunteers provide veterans and their families with local resources surrounding veteran end-of-life experiences, benefits and other ongoing projects to recognize the dedication of these heroes.

Compass Regional Hospice enrolled in the program in 2012. In 2017, Compass was awarded the We Honor Veterans Partner Level Four distinction — at the time, the highest level an organization could reach. During fall 2018, the Department of Veterans Affairs added a Partner Level Five distinction, which Compass will be working toward going forward.

To achieve the Partner Level Four distinction, a hospice provider must offer ongoing veteran-centric education for staff and volunteers, build organizational capacity to provide quality care for veterans, and develop and strengthen relationships with VA medical centers and other veteran organizations.

As a veteran-centric organization, Compass Regional Hospice provides a Vet-to-Vet program, which aims to pair veteran volunteers with veteran hospice patients. These hospice-trained volunteers, with personal military experience, have the unique ability to relate and connect with veteran patients and their families.

To learn more about the We Honor Veterans program with Compass Regional Hospice or to volunteer with the Vet-to-Vet program through the organization, please call 443-262-4100, email info@compassregionalhospice.org, or visit compassregionalhospice.org/volunteers.

Compass Regional Hospice – Care on your terms

Compass Regional Hospice is a fully licensed, independent, community-based nonprofit organization certified by Medicare and the state of Maryland and accredited by the Joint Commission. Since 1985, Compass Regional Hospice has been dedicated to supporting people of all ages through the challenge of living with a serious illness and learning to live following the death of a loved one. Today, the organization is a regional provider of hospice care, palliative care, and grief support in Queen Anne’s, Kent and Caroline counties. “Care on your terms” is the promise that guides staff and volunteers as they care for patients in private residences, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and the residential hospice centers in Centreville and Chestertown. Grief support services are offered to children, adults and families of patients who died under hospice care, as well as members of the community who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information about Compass Regional Hospice, visit compassregionalhospice.org.

BBD’s blood drive with the Kent Center next week will be a win-win for everyone involved.

This promising, new partnership will have a powerful, dual purpose. While BBD phlebotomists collect lifesaving blood at the Feb. 7 drive, the clients of the Kent Center will be able to interact with the community in a positive way.

The Kent Center provides services and activities to those with various developmental disabilities, from autism spectrum disorder to Down syndrome.

“Personally, I don’t look at them as having disabilities,” Kent Center Activities Coordinator Arthur Lee said. “I look at them as gifts so I call them gifted friends. They can do things that we can’t.”

Lee is working with BBD Account Executive Mary Moore to organize the blood drive.

“The idea behind the blood drive is to open up the community to the people here and integrate them,” Moore said. “They have a beautiful center here and it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Moore plans to have several Kent Center individuals with moderate disabilities greet donors at the entrance to the Kent Center, hang people’s coats and direct them to the donor area, which will be staged in the banquet hall. They will also help hand out refreshments to donors after they give. (Donors recover with juice, cookies and other refreshments.)

Lee and Moore have set a goal of signing up 55 donors for this blood drive, scheduled for 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 at the Kent Center Banquet Hall, 215 Scheeler Road, Chestertown, Md. Please call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8 and use code KCI to book an appointment.

BBD serves all 19 hospitals in the Delmarva Peninsula and must maintain a seven-day supply of all blood types. To learn more about donating or hosting a blood drive, please visit www.delmarvablood.org.

With winter upon us and frigid temperatures, Haven Ministries’ Shelter at Kent Island United Methodist Church in Stevensville, MD is at its capacity. Since opening in October, the shelter has helped 25 residents, including 10 children. Because of this status, many families from Queen Anne’s County remain on a waiting list for the shelter.

According to Krista Pettit, Executive Director of Haven Ministries, shelter staff and case managers work tirelessly with clients to quickly move clients in the shelter into safe and affordable housing. She explains the process stating, “Our staff works each day to find clients training, jobs, medical services, and eventually housing. Without their dedication, we would not be able to offer our clients hope through the provision of the basic needs of shelter, clothing, food, and other resources.”

Pam Boyce, a Shelter Assistant at night, who has been with the Shelter for 13 years, reflects, “I love helping people – it’s a calling. We make sure everyone has what they need and a place to go during the day after they leave us. We pack lunches and get breakfast together on the night shift.”

She adds, “Our case managers go above and beyond just the shelter needs – they help with insurance, medical needs, and jobs.”

From L-R: Mia Cranford, Michelle Maggio, Liz Skibbie, and Taryn Chase enjoying Haven Ministries Annual Best Girlfriends Weekend. Photo courtesy of Cindy Sigmon from Bayview Portraits.

To help fund  shelter staff and case managers at Haven Ministries, the organization hosts an annual event, Best Girlfriends Weekend. This year’s Second Annual Best Girlfriends Weekend is being held on February 22-24, 2019 at the beautiful Wye Conference Center Houghton House and River House.

According to Taryn Chase, Haven Ministries new Business and Marketing Development Director, “The property includes Five-Star rated rooms and delicious meals prepared on the property, as well as an incredible weekend filled with your best friends, new friends, positivity and a complete rejuvenation of you!”

Last year’s weekend was filled with women empowerment discussions, jewelry making, shopping, tastings from local restaurants, a Saturday Business Expo with a variety of vendors, a fashion show, and an evening dance party with DJ Cori. The weekend kicked off with a Friday Movie Night, complete with candy, popcorn and treats.

Chase adds, “Island Furniture Studio hosted a Hospitality Suite for the weekend where guests made new friendships that have only grown stronger during this past year. Since it was such an amazing event, Island Furniture Studio is a Premier Sponsor for this year’s event. Buffy Cromwell and Denise Boggs are going above and to beyond to make this year’s event memorable for attendees.”

Lolita Watkins, Computer Island owner and Spiritual Leader for the weekend and one of Haven Ministries Business Partners, commented, “The weekend was perfect in every way, simply ‘SHEMAZING’.”

Karen Uthus, a participant in the 2018 Best Girlfriends Weekend, added, “Last year’s Best Girlfriend weekend left me rejuvenated, inspired and grateful.  I spent a wonderful weekend surrounded by amazing, positive and inspiring women.”

Tickets are on sale at Haven-ministries.org. For more information please call Taryn Chase at 410-490-0925.

Love shapes the ministry, love transforms people, and hope prevails at Haven Ministries.  Haven Ministries operates a Resource Center at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Centreville, the Haven Ministries Food Pantries at Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church in Stevensville and Centreville United Methodist Church in Centreville, Our Daily Thread Thrift Store in Stevensville and Hope Warehouse in Queenstown.

For further information about Haven Ministries, visit haven-ministries.org or call 410-739-4363.

Matt Dorman, CEO of Credible and Beth Anne Langrell, Executive Director of For All Seasons.

During the past three years, For All Seasons has focused on implementing major technology upgrades federally mandated for all mental health agencies by January 1, 2019. The upgrades have included new computers for all staff members, a new server, a new phone system, cyber insurance and new firewall security for agency offices. These upgrades have positioned the agency to be ready to purchase Credible, an electronic health record system which will enable the agency to comply with the federal mandate requiring all mental health agencies to use fully certified electronic health records by January 1, 2019.

The agency was recently awarded a grant from CareFirst Foundation which will enable the purchase of Credible. This electronic health record system (EHR) will help For All Seasons ensure better care to patients by providing such things as accurate, up-to-date and complete information about patients at the point of care; enabling quick access to patient records for more coordinated and efficient care; securely sharing electronic information with patients and other clinicians; and helping providers more effectively diagnose patients, reduce medical errors and provide safer care. By adopting Credible as an EHR system, For All Seasons hopes to create a more efficient billing process overall, enabling the agency to save money and at the same time, serve more people.

According to Beth Anne Langrell, Executive Director of For All Seasons, “This rounds out a five-year technology upgrade plan and we are grateful to the CareFirst Foundation who are helping us implement this transition.”

For All Seasons offers individual and group therapy, general, child and adolescent therapy, marriage and couples’ counseling, grief counseling, school-based mental health therapy, urgent care services, Rape Crisis Response, Rape Crisis Counseling and Support, 24-Hour English and Spanish Hotlines, and education and outreach programming. For further information about For All Seasons, call 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

Penny Olivi has joined UM Shore Regional Health as director, Diagnostic Imaging. Olivi brings 17 years’ experience as senior administrator and senior director at the University of Maryland Medical Center and School of Medicine in Baltimore. Previously, she served as director of Imaging for York Hospital in York, Pennsylvania and as practice manager for a free standing CT scanning center in Timonium, Maryland.

A certified radiographer, radiology administrator and a Fellow of the Association of Medical Imaging Management, Olivi earned her undergraduate degree from Towson University and her MBA from York College of Pennsylvania. She has served as a board member and president of AHRA: The Association for Medical Imaging Management, the national organization representing management at all levels of hospital imaging departments, freestanding imaging centers and group practices. She has received numerous awards and honors for excellence in radiology administration,including the AHRA Gold Award.

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 2,500 employees, medical staff, board members, and volunteers works with various community partners to fulfill the organization’s mission of Creating Healthier Communities Together.