University of Maryland Shore Regional Health celebrated April as National Donate Life Month, honoring organ donors and bringing awareness to saving or enhancing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. On April 22, UM SRH team members wore blue and green in honor of National Donate Life Blue and Green Day, which encourages the sharing of the Donate Life message and promotes the importance of registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor.

“Thanks to the generosity of donors and their families, and the dedication of healthcare and transplant professionals, many lives were saved through donation and transplantation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chris Wright, Hospital Services Coordinator for The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland and UM Shore Regional Health. “Those families who have experienced organ donation from the giving side are comforted in knowing that, even in death, their loved one is helping others.”

Created by Donate Life America in 2003, Donate Life Month is observed annually to honor organ donors and their families’ choice to save lives. In 2021, more than41,000 lives were saved in the United States through organ donation, and of these, more than 34,000 were saved thanks to deceased donors.

The Donor Council of UM Shore Regional Health and The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland regularly educate the community about organ donation through information sessions about the donation process as well as awareness tables on our hospital campuses.

About 95 percent of adults in the U.S. support organ donation, but only slightly more than 50 percent are registered donors. Educating hospital staff about the process supports organ donation registration by enabling them to educate the public and encourage discussion among family members about options for their end-of-life wishes. Maryland registered more than 220,000 new organ donors in 2021.

To register as an organ donor, visit the Maryland Vehicle Administration while obtaining or renewing a driver’s license or state ID, or visit The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland online at www.thellf.org.

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 the UM Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s 28,000 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations and at 12 hospitals. UMMS’ flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore is partnered with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and 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.

The University of Maryland Medical System today opened its newest University of Maryland Urgent Care (UMUC) location, located in the Kent Town Market Shopping Center off Maryland Route 50 (25 Kent Town Market, Suite 100A in Chester).

The opening of UMUC’sKent Island location is long overdue and fills a much-needed void for healthcare in Queen Anne’s County. The site is more than 4,400 square-feet, will employ approximately 20 local residents and plans on providing care to over 12,000 patients annually.  This is UMUC’s third location on the Eastern Shore, with centers already serving patients in Denton and Easton.

“We are thrilled to bring urgent care services to the residents of Queen Anne’s County. The services we will provide at this location will help relieve pressure from the emergency departments and will make health care much more accessible with is now being just down the road, rather than in the next major town miles away,” said Scott Burger, D.O., UMUC’s Interim Chief Medical Officer.

Last Thursday, the new business celebrated their joining of the Queen Anne’s County Chamber of Commerce with a traditional ribbon cutting, which included County Commissioners Steve Wilson and Jack Wilson; Economic Development Commissioners Jim Reilly and Laura Wilson; Joe Ciotola, MD, the Health Officer for Queen Anne’s County; and Ken Kozel, President and Chief Executive Officer of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health. During the event, attendees had the opportunity to take a “behind the scenes” tour of the new facility, including the updated storefront with new windows, the triage room, an exam room and oversized lobby featuring large wall murals from local photographer Jay Fleming.

In addition to the University of Maryland Urgent Care locations in Denton and Easton, the Kent Island center will be another great option for local residents as well as for summertime beach-goers and those on their way to or from Eastern Shore vacations, any of whom may find themselves in urgent need of medical care.

The location opened today and will be open seven days a week from 8 am to 8 pm, including most holidays.

Details about the new University of Maryland Urgent Care Kent Island location are available at UMUrgentCare.com.

About University of Maryland Urgent Care

University of Maryland Urgent Care operates nine centers across the state of Maryland in Baltimore, Caroline, Harford and Talbot counties and Baltimore City. UM Urgent Care focuses on providing a superior patient experience and ensures patients receive high-quality health care that is convenient and affordable.

UM Urgent Care is accredited by the Urgent Care Association. Our centers meet nationally standardized criteria to provide high-level care and processes associated with quality, safety and scope of services. For more information, visit UMUrgentCare.com.

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 the UM Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and Dentistry in Baltimore. As one of the largest private employers in the State, the health system’s 28,000 employees and 4,000 affiliated physicians provide primary and specialty care in more than 150 locations and at 12 hospitals. UMMS’ flagship academic campus, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore is partnered with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and 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.

Khalid Kurtom, MD spent his 44th birthday – at least 3 hours and 28 seconds of it – on the road from the town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts to Boston.

But Kurtom was not behind the wheel – he took a few days off from his role as a neurosurgeon and medical director at the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center in Easton to spend a long weekend in Boston among more than 25,000 competitors running the 126th Boston Marathon on April 18. Kurtom was joined in Boston by his 11-year old son and 9-year old daughter, and together they enjoyed a few days touring the city’s museums, parks and historic sites before the marathon.

“This didn’t leave much time for preparing for the race with the best nutrition and stretching, but we’d never been to Boston before and there is so much there to see and do,” said Dr. Kurtom. “We saw so many sights in just a few days. I tried to enjoy every moment with my kids and share this experience with them.”

A resident of the Talbot County town of Trappe, Dr. Kurtom’s journey to running the Boston Marathon – named one of the top six marathons in the world by sportstourismnews.com – began in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was never a long-distance runner, but when the pandemic started, I saw an opportunity to maintain a high level of physical activity by establishing running a marathon as my goal, which seemed like an unachievable goal to me but one worth pursuing,” Dr. Kurtom said. “Before, I ran only a few miles at time, but I started increasing the distance, working up to 50 or 60 miles a week as well as continuing strength training at the gym. Along the way, I also learned so much about health, nutrition, and exercise – to me, that journey is the most important part of the whole experience.”

He ran a few half marathons first and then in April 2021, entered the Tidewater Striders Spring Marathon in Chesapeake, Virginia, which is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Coming in third overall among 71 racers, Kurtom clocked in at 2:54:55, qualifying him to compete in the Boston event.

In addition to his children, on hand for the event were Dr. Kurtom’s colleague, Wendy Towers, CRNP, UM Shore Medical Group, who with her husband, Cooper, enjoyed a visit with their daughter who lives in Boston. “When Dr. Kurtom qualified for the Boston Marathon last year, I was so excited, I promised to be there,” said Towers. “I offered as much support and encouragement as possible throughout his year of training, so it was great to be there to cheer him on.”

“Because of the terrain, the Boston Marathon is much harder than many other races — it takes a lot of mental and emotional preparation as well as physical preparation, it is designed to break the most accomplished runners,” Dr. Kurtom said. “The hardest stretch is from mile 17 to 21, which has four, mile-long uphill climbs. The last one is called ‘heartbreak hill’ because that is where a lot of runners break down.”

Dr. Kurtom’s determination and training paid off – he finished in 3 hours and 28 seconds, within the top 13 percent of finishers and placing 536^thin his age group. But he’s quick to give credit to others who supported his journey, including his family, his colleagues at UM Shore Regional Health and his patients.

“I got so much support, so much encouragement – especially from my neurosurgery team members who had a close-up view of my training schedule, which included lunchtime runs from the office as well as late night runs,” he said. “One of many things I learned from the experience is that time is relative, you make time for things that are important to you. When I encourage my patients to improve their fitness level, I tell them if I can find the time to work on fitness in my busy schedule, I know you can, too.’”

“This is really another monumental achievement for Dr. Kurtom,” said his friend and colleague, Christopher Runz, MD. “His mindset, skills and voracious work effort make him world class in everything he does. He really is a motivating force and an inspiration to all of us.”

With the marathon behind him, finding free time is likely to be less challenging for Kurtom; while all over the U.S., there are many marathons that offer better weather, easier terrain and nicer vistas than Boston, he plans to return to a more moderate, more well-rounded fitness routine.

“I was honored to be running alongside so many really accomplished, elite runners who travel the world competing in marathons. It was an amazing diversity of people, and I am so glad I had that experience,” he said. “I also hope that my story inspires others to take up some kind of physical activity that will benefit their overall health and fitness, to set a goal, and keep fighting to reach it.”

“We congratulate and celebrate Dr. Kurtom’s success at this year’s Boston Marathon,” said Ken Kozel, President and CEO of UM Shore Regional Health. “He has proven that setting what seem as unattainable goals can be accomplished with hard work, perseverance and determination.”

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 12 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.