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January 19, 2022

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

Health Health Homepage Health Health Portal Lead

COVID Answers with Choptank Community Health #3

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As Covid Rates across the region continue to skyrocket the Choptank Community Health, and their partner, the Avalon Foundation have jointly produced an ongoing series that seeks to inform the Mid-Shore region about Covid-19.

Capitalizing upon the Avalon Foundation’s video production capacity  and using Choptank Community Health’s medical resources, the organizations have committed to producing two video Question and Answer sessions a week to inform the local community. 

 This program  features Choptank Community Health’s Senior Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer, Megan Wojtko, CRNP. 

Shore Rehab at Queenstown Welcomes New Physical Therapist

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Kelley Bohlman, PT

Physical Therapist Kelley Bohlman, DPT, recently joined the outpatient rehabilitation team at University of Maryland Shore Regional Medical Pavilion at Queenstown.

A movement expert skilled in the care of patients with a wide range of orthopedic conditions, Bohlman improves patients’ quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on treatment and patient education. Bohlman has a special interest in treating patients recovering from stroke and also those with neurological deficits including balance impairment, movement disorder and Parkinson’s disease.

Bohlman earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Widener University, where she was captainof the university’s women’s lacrosse team, and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. A native of Maryland, Bohlman and her husband now live in Queen Anne’s County.

“Dr. Bohlman listens to the issues and concerns of her patients and addresses their goals for treatment with a smile and motivating enthusiasm,” said Frank Rath, Manager, Outpatient Rehabilitation Services for UM Shore Regional Health. “We are very glad to have her join the team.”

About University of Maryland 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.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 13 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

Cathie Weishaar Appointed to Regional Director of Pharmacy at UM SRH

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Catherine Weishaar, PharmD

Catherine Weishaar, PharmD, was recently promoted to Regional Director of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health after serving as Interim Director since August 2021.

An Eastern Shore native and longtime member of the UM SRH pharmacy team, Weishaar has served as vaccine and therapeutics leader for the hospital system’s COVID-19 Incident Command Structure (ICS). This involves managing medication guidelines, scarce resource inventory and allocations, and the vaccinator pool.

“I am thrilled that Cathie is moving forward in her professional career and providing excellent leadership skills and oversight of our amazing pharmacy team. I look forward to supporting her as she takes our pharmacy team into the future,” said Jenny Bowie, Chief Nursing Officer for UM SRH.

Weishaar, who grew up in Dorchester County, has deep connections to UM Shore Medical Center at Easton; she was born at the hospital and her mother, Linda Ferara, was a nurse there. Ferara encouraged Weishaar to apply for her first job in the hospital’s Pharmacy Department.

Weishaar earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Miami and worked as a pharmacy tech at the Easton hospital during summers and breaks. “The SRH pharmacy team took me under their wing and encouraged me to apply to and complete pharmacy school,” said Weishaar.

She earned a Doctorate of Pharmacy from University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2007 while continuing her work in pharmacy. Weishaar served as a clinical pharmacist, clinical pharmacy manager and interim regional director of pharmacy before her promotion.

About University of Maryland 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.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 13 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

COVID Answers with Choptank Community Health #2

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As Covid Rates across the region continue to skyrocket the Choptank Community Health, and their partner, the Avalon Foundation have jointly produced an ongoing series that seeks to inform the Mid-Shore region about Covid-19.

Capitalizing upon the Avalon Foundation’s video production capacity  and using Choptank Community Health’s medical resources, the organizations have committed to producing two video Question and Answer sessions a week to inform the local community. 

 This program  features Choptank Community Health’s Senior Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer, Megan Wojtko, CRNP. 

Regional Health Officials Request Public’s Help to Reduce Strain on System

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Regional county officials, including the emergency medical services (EMS) departments of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties, the chief clinical officer of Choptank Community Health, and the chief medical officer of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health are requesting action by local residents to help alleviate the unprecedented strain that the current COVID-19 surge is placing on the area’s EMS personnel, frontline responders and hospitals.

In just the past two weeks, more than 5,500 confirmed COVID-19 infections have been reported in the five-county region – far exceeding the numbers seen over the two-year lifespan of this pandemic.

“This surge is predicted to last an additional 45 to 60 days and threatens to overwhelm our frontline health care providers and our health care system as a whole,” said William Huffner, MD, Chief Medical Officer for UM Shore Regional Health. “Increased numbers of hospitalizations and a shortage of available staffed beds have put tremendous strain on our hospitals and also on our emergency departments as patients needing to be admitted into our hospitals stay in the ED until a bed can be found.”

According to Dr. Huffner, over 70% of hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated, and fewer than 5% have received a COVID-19 booster shot.

Officials also noted that the public should keep in mind that patients arriving for emergency care are triaged – meaning prioritized – for care based on their degree of illness or injury, whether they come on their own or by ambulance. “When bed shortages are severe, ambulances may be required to take patients to other facilities,” said Brian LeCates, Director of Talbot County Emergency Medical Services. “This can take EMS units out of local communities for hours at a time, making them less available for appropriate 9-1-1 calls such as for heart attack, stroke and traffic accidents. We want to be sure that ambulance transport is available for urgent cases.”

“Our EMS system, hospitals and health care personnel are responding to these extraordinary circumstances and continue to meet the needs of our patients,” says Dr. Ted Delbridge, Executive Director of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, which coordinates the state’s EMS system. “EMS Clinicians are available when you truly need them, but please make sure there is a true emergency before calling 9-1-1 or going to the ED.”

“We need help from the community to best utilize our limited healthcare resources. Look for alternative testing opportunities, treat your mild symptoms at home, and do what you can to slow the spread.” says Megan Woytko, CRNP, Chief Clinical Officer of Choptank Health. “The more we can provide primary care services, the more we can keep patients out of the ED and better support our hospitals.”

Regional health experts are pleading for the community to help in this fight by doing the following:

  • Do not go to an ED just to obtain a COVID-19 test. Instead, go to an approved COVID-19 testing site (https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/symptoms-testing) or use a home test kit.
  • Limit 9-1-1 EMS calls to true emergencies
  • Contact your primary care provider or go to an Urgent Care center for illness that does not require emergency care
  • Get vaccinated and/or receive the COVID-19 booster, and encourage others to do the same
  • Wearing a well-fitting mask when in public. If you are concerned, or have high risk medical problems, wear a KN95 or N95 mask
  • Practice social distancing and wash hand frequently
  • Limit exposure to others, especially if there has been close contact with someone known to have COVID-19 or there are COVID-19 symptoms.

By following these guidelines, Eastern Shore residents can help decrease COVID-19 transmission and, in so doing, decrease the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths. For more information about COVID-19 and related resources, visit orhttps://covidlink.maryland.gov/content/.

About University of Maryland 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.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 13 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

Fifty Years of Memory: A Chat with Dr. Terry Deitrich

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With the encouragement of several Dr. Terry Dietrich’s patients and friends on the Mid-Shore, the Spy sought out an opportunity to interview one of the Shore’s only neurologists as he reached the fifty years milestone of his career in medicine. In fact, for most of that time, Dr. Dietrich was the only neurologist on the Delmarva, and the Spy looked forward to getting a perspective of those five decades and how both medical and our society has changed in its attitude and treatment of dementia.

And while Dr. Dietrich was kind enough to accept our invitation, the last thing he wanted to talk about was some retrospective of his life’s work. As someone who continues his practice, albeit part-time these days, he was much more focused on the present;the “here and now” of the research and science of neurology. Perhaps one reason for this detour was the recent and sobering news that experts predict that the number of adults with dementia will exceed 150 million by 2050.

That stunning statistic, along with findings that suggest this condition is a major threat to future health and social care systems, is just one troubling sign that dementia, and its associated diseases like Alzheimer’s and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is now impacting football players, will becomes worse, not better, in the United States.

Even as scientists double-down in the search for a cure, the history of finding therapeutic solutions to memory loss has been painfully slow, according to Dietrich.

He noted that somewhat dismal state of affairs when we last interviewed him three years ago when we profiled the Samuel and Alexia Bratton Neurocognitive Clinic at Bayleigh Chase in Easton. Nonetheless, at the time of that conversation, he had just returned from one of the largest neurology conferences and found himself for the first time in twenty years genuinely excited about promising new therapies that were to enter into clinical trials over the next five years.

But as Dr. Dietrich highlights in his Spy interview, no one could have possibly envisioned at the time the devastating impact that the COVID pandemic would have on research and those suffering from dementia. Beyond the fact that many of those planned studies have now lost two years as clinics shut their doors, patients were not able to see doctors, socially engage, or do physical exercise, all critical to keeping memory loss at bay. 

For those who know Dr. Dietrich, it will come as no surprise that he ends our interview being positive nonetheless. It will also come as no shock that he has no plans to ever retire as he continues to serve his patients and their loved ones in managing this horrific disease. 

This video is approximately fourteen minutes in length. For more information about Samuel and Alexia Bratton Neurocognitive Clinic at Bayleigh Chase please go here.

COVID Answers with Choptank Community Health #1

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As Covid Rates across the region continue to skyrocket the Choptank Community Health, and their partner, the Avalon Foundation have jointly produced an ongoing series that seeks to inform the Mid-Shore region about Covid-19.

Capitalizing upon the Avalon Foundation’s video production capacity  and using Choptank Community Health’s medical resources, the organizations have committed to producing two video Question and Answer sessions a week to inform the local community. 

 This program  features Choptank Community Health’s Senior Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer, Megan Wojtko, CRNP. 

Each episode will begin with an update of what Megan is seeing regarding COVID across the region and with any updates to medical guidance or advice regarding the ever changing pandemic. 

We begin with the first of the series

A New COVID Q & A Show Launches for Delmarva

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Choptank Community Health’s Senior Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer, Megan Wojtko, CRNP

As Covid Rates across the region continue to skyrocket the Avalon Foundation and Choptank Community Health have decided to partner together again to connect the community with valuable, local answers about Covid 19.

Capitalizing upon the Avalon Foundation’s expertise in video production and communications and using Choptank Community Health’s medical resources, the organizations have committed to producing two video Question and Answer sessions a week to inform the local community.  The short 2 to 5 minute videos titled “COVID Answers with Choptank Community Health” will drop online by 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The program will feature Choptank Community Health’s Senior Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer, Megan Wojtko, CRNP.  Megan has a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Salisbury University and a Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner from Duke University.

“We’re grateful to partner with the Avalon in reaching out with this messaging to our communities,” said Choptank Community Health System CEO Sara Rich. “As our Chief Clinical Officer overseeing our primary patient care and leading our ongoing clinical COVID response, Megan understands patient concerns and can share her medical knowledge on this platform to help us all navigate towards a healthy future.”

“I know people have concerns and questions about COVID variants, boosters, and more,” said Wojtko. “We want to use this platform to give timely answers to the most common questions our offices are receiving from patients every day.”

Each episode will begin with an update of what Megan is seeing regarding COVID across the region and with any updates to medical guidance or advice regarding the ever changing pandemic.  Megan will then answer a few questions.

“We recognize that the medical system is currently stretched and that getting access from our providers is not as easy as we would like it to be.  Our goal is to ask Megan the kinds of questions that we all wish we could ask our primary care providers right now.” said Jessica Bellis, Chief Operating & Finance Officer for the Avalon Foundation, Inc.  “There is so much anxiety out there, people are wondering…What do we do if we test positive?  Do I have to quarantine if my child has COVID? What supplies should I have on hand?  How reliable are the at home tests?  We hope we can work on these questions and answers together and share this info with the broader community.”

The organizations hope to provide an immediate, valuable resource to the community.  Participation is encouraged by submitting questions and topics for Megan to cover.  “We will be monitoring the threads on social media for questions and we welcome viewers to email us at info@choptankcommunityhealth.org with questions for the program as well.” said Lucie Hughes, Director of Communications at Choptank Community Health.  The program will run at least through the last week of January.

“COVID Answers with Choptank Community Health” will be available on the Choptank Community Health and Avalon Theatre Facebook pages, on YouTube youtube.com/MidshoreCommunityTelevision and will be reported in The Spy.

“We were proud of the work that we did with Choptank Community Health last year to aid in equitable vaccine access and distribution at the Multicultural Festival and Fourth of July.  We are pleased to act as a community resource with them once again as the pandemic reaches a new phase.” concluded Ms. Bellis from the Avalon Foundation.

Choptank Community Health System provides medical and dental services in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all. Choptank Community Health’s 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.

The mission of the Avalon Foundation is to foster a strong community on the Eastern Shore by creating accessible, uplifting arts, education, and cultural experiences that appeal to the interests of a diverse population and to ensure the long term viability of the historic Avalon Theatre. More information about the work of the Avalon Foundation and a list of current programming can be found at www.avalonfoundation.org

This is the link to the first episode https://youtu.be/MaFMTET9T5k

UM Shore Regional Health Weather-Related Information

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Due to anticipated inclement weather across the Eastern Shore region, and our desire to keep both patients and team members safe, Shore Medical Group practices and freestanding outpatient services (including the 2nd floor Medical Pavilion in Cambridge) will open at 11 am on Friday, January 7.

  • Outpatient diagnostic services located within the hospital buildings in Chestertown and Easton will open at their normal, scheduled time.
  • Cardiac Rehab services will open at their normal, scheduled time.
  • Emergency departments and inpatient hospital operations will remain open and fully operational.
  • The Ambulatory Surgery Center on Caulk Lane in Easton will operate as normal.

If you have a scheduled appointment on Friday morning, please call the specific office to confirm and reschedule.

Chester River Health Foundation Sponsors Angel Tree

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The Chester River Health Foundation sponsored its annual Angel Tree on which “holiday wishes” were hung for children in the Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties’ foster care programs and Kent Center, which provides services for adults who have developmental disabilities.

More than 50 brightly packaged holiday gifts were donated by the staff of UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, Chester River Home Care and the Chester River Health Foundation.

Some of the wishes included basic needs such as clothes and winter coats – and of course, toys!

L-R: Kyia Whittaker and Dawn Young from Kent County’s Department of Social Services; Dick Barker, chairman, Chester River Health Foundation; and Dennis Welsh, vice president and executive director, UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown.

About University of Maryland 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.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is a university-based regional health care system focused on serving the health care needs of Maryland, bringing innovation, discovery and research to the care we provide and educating the state’s future physician and health care professionals through our partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools (Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry) in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s more than 29,500 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations, including 13 hospitals and 9 University of Maryland Urgent Care centers. The UMMS flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in downtown Baltimore, is recognized regionally and nationally for excellence and innovation in specialized care. Our acute care and specialty rehabilitation hospitals serve urban, suburban and rural communities and are located in 13 counties across the State. For more information, visit www.umms.org.