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February 4, 2023

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

Health Health Homepage Health Health Portal Lead

COVID Answers with Choptank Community Health #5

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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. 

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. 

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. 

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

Spy Report: Checking Out the New UM Shore Cambridge Medical Pavilion

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There are a couple of reasons to love to new UM Regional Shore Health Pavilion in Cambridge, according to managing nurse AnnMarie Hernandez. The first is that this 82,000 square feet facility and emergency room is a vast improvement to Cambridge’s aging hospital.

While AnnMarie, a Cambridge native herself, feels a great sense of nostalgia for the old building and memories of babies being born and patients getting well, her lifetime career as a health provider had known for years that her community needed a much more modern center.

The second is that the Pavilion significantly expands the number of people that can be served locally. With state-of-the-art equipment, expanded examination and triage rooms, pediatric care, women’s services, a three-bed psych pod, and cardiology services, the new Cambridge site will be the kind of health hub AnnMarie feels Dorchester County deserves.

And finally, the new health center has become a business anchor for a decaying shopping center on Route 50. Beyond the easy access for both her patients and staff, the new Pavilion has attracted several new stores and restaurants that have dramatically improved the streetscape. It also doesn’t seem to hurt that AnnMarie and her co-workers are steps away from a new Starbucks and Chick-fil-a.

The Spy took a short tour last week to see firsthand what the Pavilion has to offer.

This video is approximately two minutes in length. For more information about the UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Cambridge please go here.

Md. Health Secretary Pushes Back as Senators Call for Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccines in Schools

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Senators continued to push Maryland Health Secretary Dennis R. Schrader to exercise his authority to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for eligible school-age students Monday.

“I brought this up in the last briefing last month and you weren’t sure that you had the authority to do so and it sounds like this month, you’re still uncertain and not willing to explore that as a possibility,” Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Howard) said at a meeting of the Senate Vaccine Oversight Workgroup Monday. “I hope that next month you’ll be able to bring back some additional considerations as to how you can improve those rates in schools through a mandatory vaccination program in conjunction with [the Maryland State Department of Education].”

According to a presentation from the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability for the Department of Legislative Services, since school has been in session, the sharpest increase in COVID positivity rates in the state has been among children.

About 72% of children between 12 and 17 years old have received at least one shot.

Lam asked Schrader what is being done to encourage eligible minors to get vaccinated.

Schrader said that the Department of Health has “two tracks of priority:” getting booster shots in the arms of the state’s most vulnerable and tracking down the nearly one million eligible Marylanders who have yet to get vaccinated.

But Schrader also clearly demonstrated his disinterest in mandating COVID-19 vaccines for school-aged students.

Under Maryland’s education code, the Department of Health has the ability to issue regulations that require students to be inoculated to attend school.

“You do have the tool to be able to require vaccination of students going into schools,” said Lam. “Is that right, is that something that you’re looking at?”

Schrader responded “not at the moment.” He said there have been conversations about working with school systems to increase the vaccination rate in 12- to 17-year-olds but he wants to respect local school districts’ authority.

“We really need to rely on the schools to help us with this,” Schrader said. “They’re autonomous and we want to make sure we respect that autonomy in working with them.”

Lam, a physician, pushed back and said the state is falling short on protecting its kids.

“I am concerned about the spread of COVID in our schools and you have a tool that you can use as the secretary to require this to be required vaccination and students coming into our schools, but it sounds as though [the Department of Health] is not reaching for this tool or is not willing to do so,” he said.

Schrader said the health department’s focus now is increasing the rate for routine vaccinations in elementary school students.

“We want to make sure that those are taken care of, but we’ll go back and take a look at your suggestion,” he said.

After other senators pressed the health department to take more decisive action, Sen. James C. Rosapepe (D-Prince George’s) grew frustrated and asked Schrader where the buck stops: with the State Department of Education or with the Department of Health?

“So, we have the adults pointing fingers at each other while the kids are suffering and the parents are suffering,” he said.

Rosapepe told Schrader that he should exercise the power he has to mandate the vaccine in schools.

But, “if for whatever political reason” he decides not to do that, Rosapepe suggested that the Department of Health “aggressively work with the school systems to identify in every school which kids have been vaccinated which kids haven’t been vaccinated” through the state’s ImmuNet vaccination record system and bring mobile vaccination units to those locations.

Rosapepe also proposed rating school systems like the Department of Health rates nursing homes based on their rates of vaccination.

“A couple of suggestions if you’re not willing to go with mandatory vaccinations,” he said.

By Hannah Gaskill

Spy COVID-19 Aug. 27 Update

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• The Maryland State Board of Education approved an in-school mask mandate for all public schools statewide. The emergency regulation must be approved by a state legislative committee; it will be in effect for 180 days if approved.

• The level of community transmission of COVID-19 is high for Maryland and high across the Eastern Shore. Health officials urge everyone, including those who are fully vaccinated, to wear masks while indoors.

• Kent County’s 7-day average positivity rate is 3.57% and its case rate is 10.30 cases per 100,000 population.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 492,547, an increase of 1,373 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, seven people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 9,748.

• The state’s average positivity rate is 4.92%,  up 0.03% from yesterday.

• The number of patients currently hospitalized is 711, down 9 from yesterday.

Spy COVID-19 Aug. 19 Update

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The Spy obtains information for the above chart between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

Key points for today

• The level of community transmission of COVID-19 is high for Maryland and high across most of the Mid-Shore. Health officials urge everyone, including those who are fully vaccinated, to wear masks while indoors.

• Maryland’s average positivity rate topped 5% for the first time since April 22.

• Kent County’s community transmission level is high, according to the county health department.

• Kent County’s 7-day average positivity rate is 7.2% and its case rate is 19.86 cases per 100,000 population.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 483,641, an increase of 1,060 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, nine people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 9,695.

• The number of patients currently hospitalized is 643, up 13 from yesterday.