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January 23, 2021

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

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COVID-19 on the Shore after Eight Months with Dr. William Huffner

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The last time the Spy sat down with Dr. William Huffner, UM Shore Regional Health’s chief medical officer, was March 13 of this year. While the country was waking up to the severe threat of COVID-19, it was also before Governor Larry Hogan would issue his “stay-at-home” order for the state of Maryland, and before any cases of coronavirus had been reported on the Mid-Shore.

Since that afternoon in mid-March, the Mid-Shore has had approximately 3,290 cases of COVID and 80 deaths related to the pandemic. It has been a trying time for Dr. Huffner and his colleagues, but as he notes in our most recent interview, he is incredibly proud of the way Shore Regional Health has been able to perform during the crisis. In particular, Huffner stresses that Shore was at a significant advantage, given its relationship with the University of Maryland Medical System with its network of specialists and access to equipment and personal protection.

And while Dr. Huffner has been pleased with his team’s response so far, he is the first to say that the Mid-Shore is not out of the woods. With the arrival of colder weather and evidence that points to a new surge in local cases, vigilance, including social distancing, mask-wearing, and hands-washing, are the essential tools to limit the community’s exposure over the next several months as the world waits for a vaccine in 2021.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about Shore Regional Health and COVID information please go here.

 

 

Exit Interview: Patti Willis Looks Back at Healthcare’s Transition on the Mid-Shore

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The Spy “Exit Interview” series is part journalism and part oral history. Over the last eleven years, the Spy has interviewed dozen of local leaders at the moment of their retirement to reflect on their work and some of the challenges they have faced in their professional careers.

We continue with our chat with Patti Willis, Shore Regional Health senior’s long-serving vice president for communications.

For more than four decades, Patti has had a front-row seat in watching the rapid and sometimes controversial health care changes on her native Eastern Shore. In her Spy interview, she recounts the transition from independent community hospitals to one sizeable regional organization serving five counties.

Patti also shares what lessons she’s learned over this complicated process, as well as her observations

COVID-19: In the Vortex with Shore Regional Health’s Ken Kozel

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While there has been some debate about the limitations of having only one primary health provider for the Mid-Shore, there is a strong argument these days that it’s a unique asset during a major pandemic.

Not surprisingly, Ken Kozel, C.E.O. of UM – Shore Regional Health thinks that way. It is an honest bias for someone who has had a long tenure running the Mid-Shore’s primary health provider. But that perspective also comes with serving on four Incident Command System structures during the coronavirus crisis.

Starting with Shore Regional’s command center for 2,500 employees, Ken also is a participant at the county, state, and UMM equivalent structures. He is a daily witness to how helpful it is to represent all five counties as the lead health system during a crisis like this.

The Spy talked to Ken on Friday afternoon to see how these systems of coordination and access to resources work on the Eastern Shore.

This video is approximately ten minutes in length. For more information about Shore Regional Health please go here.

For All Seasons Initiates Texting Hotlines During COVID-19

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For All Seasons continues to have availability for crisis appointments, in-person appointments, teletherapy, and telepsychiatry, as well as 24/7 hotlines during the COVID-19 crisis. Staff is available for both long-term and short-term appointments for anyone in need of support.

According to Beth Anne Langrell, CEO of For All Seasons Behavioral Health and Rape Crisis, “Since April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we particularly want victims of trauma and sexual violence to know — we believe you, and we are here for you.”

Beth Anne Langrell

“While we are hearing the message ‘stay home and be safe’ every day during this pandemic, what happens when home is not safe? If you or someone you know is a victim of trauma or sexual violence, our 24-hour agency hotlines in English and Spanish offer crisis support and intervention. You can even text now to get help.”

For All Seasons Behavioral Health and Rape Crisis advocates provide free and confidential services – offering guidance, compassion, and information about a survivor’s options, including but not limited to food, emergency shelter, and legal counsel if the client chooses.

During this time of COVID-19, the agency continues to follow safety regulations, as outlined by the CDC, for in-person appointments including – illness screening measures, 20-second handwashing at the entry to all facilities, social distancing guidelines, and increased office sanitation. The offices are open for appointments only.

For All Seasons staff is also reaching out to the community with Mental Health Minutes – timeless tips to help all of us navigate the challenges being faced daily. These uplifting posts are being shared regularly on Facebook and through other social media outlets. For further information, visit For All Seasons Facebook page or forallseasonsinc.org or call 410-822-1018.

For 24-hour confidential hotlines and crisis support, call the English Hotline is 410-820-5600; the Spanish Hotline is 410-829-6143; and the English or Spanish Text Line is 410-829-6143.

For All Seasons provides therapy, advocacy, psychiatry, and education to Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne, and Talbot counties. The agency accepts all private insurances, medical assistance, and supports English and Spanish speaking individuals regardless of one’s ability to pay.

For All Seasons Rape Crisis Center offers a 24-HR crisis hotline service, certified sexual assault victim advocates, same-day and ongoing counseling services, and hospital, law enforcement and court accompaniment by request of the survivor.

Grieving During a Pandemic: A Conversation with Talbot Hospice’s Becky DeMattia

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One of the cruelest parts of the coronavirus pandemic is the extreme isolation being experienced by those suffering during the last phase of their lives and the families and friends that love them.

Separated by shelter in place orders, bans on travel, or other policies that separate loved ones, the two regional hospice centers for the Mid-Shore, Compass and Talbot Hospice, are having to change how they provide services to their clients dramatically.

As part of the Spy’s COVID-19 coverage, we talked to grief experts Rhonda Knotts from Compass Regional Hospice and Becky DeMattia at Talbot Hospice over the last few days about the challenges they face and the strategies they are now using to cope with this unprecedented moment in our culture.

We continue today with Becky.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length. For more information about Talbot Hospice please go here.

COVID-19 Preparations in Full Swing at UM Shore Regional Health

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University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is intensely engaged in planning to care for our community in the event of an influx of patients needing hospital care as result of the possible impact of COVID-19.

Fortunately, as of this moment, in all UM Shore Regional Health locations, the overall number of hospital admissions and emergency department visits are down, largely due to messages from the community and media that have helped to direct concerned people to the appropriate community provider settings and reduce unnecessary hospital volumes.

Planning for a potential surge of patients at the hospitals began more than a month ago and continues to evolve on a daily basis.

“As part of University of Maryland Medical System, Shore Regional Health is actively preparing for the presence of COVID-19 in our communities,” said Ken Kozel, UM SRH president and CEO. “Every day, our medical and nursing staffs and team members in every aspect of our health care system, are working together to plan for various contingencies in the event of a surge of patients who need hospitalization.”

Key developments to date are as follows:

• Enacted system-wide (UMMS) and regional (UM SRH) incident command structures in mid-February staffed by appropriate personnel to coordinate resources and direct actions for the entire organization in relation to COVID.

Duties include:

  • monitoring the rapidly changing state, national and global, COVID situation
  • real time monitoring of staff availability, supplies and bed capacity in all three hospitals
  • preparing to maximize surge capacity in all three hospitals
  • participating in planning efforts undertaken by local government and health officials in all five counties
  • keeping in daily contact with those officials

• Postponed all elective, non-emergent surgeries and procedures, beginning March 18 to managing a potential increase in patient volume. This action was designed to provide additional capacity for UM SRH hospitals to treat those patients in greatest need.

• Revised visitor policy, effective March 19, prohibiting all visitors into the hospitals unless they have a special exception.
In partnership with UMMS, created a fully staffed 24/7 Nurse Hotline to answer COVID-19-related concerns. That number is 1-888-713-0711.

Renee Edsall, intensive care clinical specialist at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, is shown working with clinical team members during a drill held at the tents outside the hospital’s Emergency Department on Friday, March 27.

• Erected tents adjacent to the three hospital emergency departments and the Emergency Center at Queenstown. (While not in use today, these tents could serve a variety of purposes should the need arise; in particular, they may be used to expand Emergency Department triage capacity in the evaluation and treatment of patients for fever and upper respiratory symptoms.)

• Consolidated laboratory and imaging services at certain locations to maximize efficient use of resources and deployment of staff.

• Ceased all elective/non-urgent imaging at all facilities, effective March 25. Only critical imaging is being performed. (Critical imaging services include; trauma, oncology, infection, ischemia, acute bleeding, and acute neurologic changes. Other requests are reviewed on a case by case basis by our radiologists.) Affected patients are being contacted directly regarding cancelled appointments and rescheduling options.

• Shore Regional Health has identified its surge expansion plans at all inpatient and emergency facilities. As of March 25, the system has the ability to double inpatient capacity and quadruple ICU capacity across the system if needed.

• On Friday, March 27, conducted a drill at UM Shore Regional Health’s four emergency departments to test and evaluate the functionality of the triage tents in the event of a surge in patients requiring hospitalization.

“Today Shore Regional Health conducted a drill to test and evaluate the operational effectiveness of the triage tents located at our four emergency departments,” said Dr. William H. Huffner, senior vice president, medical affairs, and chief medical officer. “As a routine aspect of our operation as a health care system, emergency drills enable us to identify the strengths and weaknesses of emergency plans, and this one was very useful in that regard. Our medical and nursing care providers and a wide range of support personnel worked together to put our strategy for the tents in use and ensure that in the event of a patient surge, our plans can be operationalized seamlessly.

“We also are in close and continuous contact with our state and county health departments, emergency management officials and a host of community organizations that are all working in concert to help minimize the spread of the virus and to assist vulnerable populations in need of food, shelter and transportation during this time,” said Kozel. “I am infinitely grateful to have the support of highly capable, dedicated and focused teams at UMMS and here at Shore Regional Health, and going forward, I am confident that our preparations will help us face the demands of COVID-19.”

The public can help reduce the severity of this pandemic by:

  • Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
  • Avoiding close contact with people who are sick and practice social distancing
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw it away immediately.
  • Avoid touching your face.

Shore Regional Health Announces Imaging Changes due to COVID-19

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Shore Regional Health has announced a reduction in diagnostic imaging services for the time being due to COVID-19.

According to Dr. Kim Oster, president, Shore Radiology, and Dr. Dale Johnson, chairman, Shore Regional Health Radiology Departments, and in keeping with the directive of the state health secretary, 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.

UMMS Announces Visitor Restrictions At All Facilities

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With the first confirmed COVID-related death in Maryland, more than 100 confirmed coronavirus cases across the state and an 88 percent increase in cases statewide during the past 48 hours, the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is enacting updated visitor restrictions at all 13 system hospitals and other UMMS healthcare facilities.

Under the Strict Patient Safety Policy, which will be implemented by 3 p.m. Friday, March 20, there will be no visitors allowed, except under specific circumstances, and by prior approval of the physician administrative officer or their designee. This policy applies to all patients within UMMS hospitals and other facilities, is in alignment with Johns Hopkins Medicine, and is consistent with approaches taken by other leading health care institutions nationwide.

“Due to rapid escalation of COVID cases across Maryland and increased community spread of the disease, we have decided to enact this more aggressive and comprehensive, systemwide policy, which will be in effect until further notice,” said David Marcozzi, MD, COVID-19 Incident Commander for UMMS, associate professor and associate chair of population health within the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UM School of Medicine (SOM) and assistant chief medical officer for acute care at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Exceptions to the Strict Patient Safety Policy include:

For in-patient facilities

• End-of-life care or end of life decision making. For these situations, two visitors will be permitted.

• One parent or caregiver of a child in the neonatal intensive care unit

• One parent or caregiver of pediatric patients as long as they are not symptomatic

• One visitor inclusive of a professional support person or postpartum helper of a patient in the labor and delivery and the postpartum units

• One visitor for patients in inpatient hospice units

• One visitor to accompany patients for hospital discharge

• One visitor for patients undergoing emergency surgery

• Visitors who have been asked by the patient’s care team to be a part of scheduled family training for patients with rehabilitation needs.

For all outpatient appointments

• One visitor will be permitted to accompany a patient to facilitate care or treatment such as an ambulatory visit, procedure or same-day surgery

UMMS experts urge the public to practice vigilant hand hygiene, follow respiratory etiquette (cover mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing), maintain social distances when possible and avoid shaking hands. These strategies are fundamental to protecting our workforce, patients and the community.

More information about the Strict Patient Safety Policy can be found on the UMMS dedicated COVID-19 information webpage, https://www.umms.org/covid.

COVID-19: On the Front Lines with St. Vincent de Paul’s Alex Handy

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For many people in need on the Mid-Shore, whether it be food or other essential needs, St. Vincent de Paul has been the go-to organization for more than two decades. Running one of the most used food banks on the Eastern Shore, St. Vincent has been playing a critical role in providing over 400 families with basic food needs. And now, with the coronavirus threatening the most vulnerable, the Spy thought it would be a good time for a check-in with its leadership. 

This morning, we sat down with St. Vincent’s president, Alex Handy, to provide an update as Maryland faces a surge of more families, many of them paycheck to paycheck, needing their help.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about St. Vincent de Paul in Easton or to volunteer, please go here. For the Kent County Food Pantry, please go here. 

For All Seasons Open with Screening Measures in Place

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Beth Anne Langrell, CEO

With continued evolving public health concerns, For All Seasons has announced screening measures for patients and staff during this outbreak of COVID-19. All patients entering any For All Seasons facility will be directed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds upon entry. All individuals should limit their movement within the facility to only those areas that are necessary for the purpose of their visit.

If someone has cold or flu-like symptoms such as a cough or fever, newly developed shortness of breath, or has recently traveled to an area inside OR outside the United States with known coronavirus (COVID-19) within the last 14 days, or have been in contact with someone who has traveled or contracted the virus, he or she should call For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 to reschedule an appointment.

According to Beth Anne Langrell, CEO of For All Seasons, “We are actively monitoring information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local officials regarding the COVID-19. The safety and well-being of our patients and staff is our highest priority. We are conducting an illness screening and we have increased the frequency of how often we sanitize and clean our office spaces.”

For those who are not patients of For All Seasons and may have had a reason to visit an office, For All Seasons will be observing a more structured agency visitation procedure until further notice. Visits to For All Seasons will be by appointment only. Patients are being encouraged to be sensitive to any presenting symptoms, and if need be, consider rescheduling an appointment or phoning in to the agency for support.

For further information, call 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.