When COVID-19 began spreading through the country, many hospitals suspended elective surgeries and restricted visitors. UM Shore Regional Health was no different, prioritizing the health and safety of our patients and our team members while preparing for a potential surge in COVID-positive patients.

While these suspensions and restrictions were necessary to protect our communities and our team members, adapting to the new circumstances did affect our patients, their families and our staff. Trish Rosenberry, director, Clinical and Ambulatory Services, saw this firsthand while visiting patients on the clinical units. Rosenberry knew something needed to be done to meet the needs for our patients during this pandemic.

At the same time, Jo Anne Thomson, director, Patient Experience, was also addressing patient and family needs from a different vantage point — by setting up virtual family visits. Thomson recognized that meeting virtually would ease concerns and provide much-needed connections between patients and their loved ones. Rosenberry and Thomson joined forces to create a new staff initiative, the Patient Concierge program.

“With visitor restrictions, now more than ever, our patients need acts of kindness and compassion. The impact to patients, because of the limitations, is an increased risk of anxiety, loneliness and fear,” Rosenberry said.

“Our Patient Concierges have been meeting our patients’ non-medical needs through compassionate, caring visits in the midst of crisis. The visits from our staff, the seemingly small acts of kindness — offering empathy and providing a listening ear to patients who are anxious or lonely — have had a tremendous positive impact for all,” Thomson added.

The Patient Concierge program is staffed by team members from departments whose staffing needs are reduced due to COVID-19. They are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Rosenberry and Thomson provide training about the purpose of the program, the Patient Concierge role and appropriate safety measures.

Patient Concierges round in units at Shore Medical Center at Easton, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. during weekdays. Included are the Emergency Department, medical surgical unit, neurology and telemetry. These specially deployed team members act as liaisons for patients who are not on isolation. They connect with a warm introduction and take time to talk, to listen and demonstrate caring.

Following her training as a Patient Concierge, staff nurse Janet Holkestad commented, “This is everything I wanted to do as a nurse but didn’t have the time to do.”

The visits also provide staff an opportunity to get to know patients through the use of “Get to Know Me” boards. These boards provide space for personal or family pictures (which can be emailed and added) and answers to great conversation starters, such as “What books do you like to read?” “What makes you happy?” “Do you have pets?” The boards remain with the patient, to be referenced by all clinical staff while providing care. The boards highlight the individuality and uniqueness of each patient.

The Patient Concierge also offers to facilitate family/friend communication. They offer safe, face-to-face visits with patients and help them connect via video-conferencing software to family members, friends and spiritual advisors, including chaplains. They also help to coordinate patient/family communication related to other needs.

“We needed to find ways to stay connected to our patients in this new world of COVID-19, and balance their fears with kindness and compassion,” Thomson said. “This is what’s special about UM Shore Regional Health. We want to make a difference. This is our community. These are our families and friends.”

Matthew Roberts, an exercise physiologist at UM SRH with the Cardiac Rehabilitation program, said his time working as a Patient Concierge has been a valuable experience for his patients, but also for himself.

“My main objective is to ensure that patients are able to connect with loved ones via telephone or other technology due to the restricted visitor policy,” he said. “It is so important for them to have access to their loved ones. Patients truly have a different sparkle in their eyes when they are able to speak with their children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers.”

Roberts also found that just spending time with patients, some of whom do not have family, is particularly meaningful to him.

“It is a blessing to meet and get to know many interesting people from all walks of life,” Roberts said “I have talked with many patients about so many things, like gardening, travel, music, careers and stories about their loved ones. And sometimes, I just listen to someone who is having a bad day or who has difficult circumstances in their lives, or are worried about an upcoming surgery. Sometimes it helps to just have someone to talk to.”

Samantha Fitzhugh, a staff nurse in the post-anesthesia care unit, also took on the role of Patient Concierge. Fitzhugh has seen the benefit for patients, but particularly for families who are desperate to see their loved ones.

“These are difficult times and difficult situations for patients and families,” Fitzhugh said. “The family is a crucial support system for patients, but is also crucial in helping in the decision-making process for patient care. As a Patient Concierge, I have been able to assist severely ill patients in connecting with loved ones, but I have also been able to assist our health care team members in communicating with family. In these high stress situations, it is important for them, as well, to have that extra support.”

To date, Rosenberry and Thomson have trained 30 team members to become a Patient Concierge. They feel the role is more effectively carried out by clinical team members.

As staff go back to their original unit of work and UM Shore Regional Health begins the process of re-opening visitor hours, Rosenberry acknowledged that this role may change, but the great work and intent must remain. The goal is to include the aspects of the role in rounding by staff as well as Patient Experience.

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.

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UM Shore Medical Group – Oncology recently welcomed Karen Barbosa, DO to its provider team at the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center.

Dr. Barbosa joins Breast Center providers Roberta Lilly, MD, and Brittany Krautheim, CRNP, after five years as in private practice with Alaska Breast Care Specialists, PC, in Anchorage, Alaska. As Alaska’s first Fellowship-trained breast surgeon, Dr. Barbosa had served with the Alaska Institute of Surgical and Medical Specialties, and previously with NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, New York and Top Tier Breast Specialists, PC and St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, both in Smithtown, New York. She completed a breast oncology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and was chief surgical resident at Peninsula Hospital Center in Far Rockaway, New York.

Dr. Barbosa also has taught oncoplastic reconstruction surgery, which is the fusion of cancer surgery with attention to optimizing cosmetic outcomes, for the TME Foundation, the American College of Surgeons and American Society of Breast Surgeons.

Board-certified in General Surgery, Dr. Barbosa holds multiple specialized certifications and has published widely in the field of breast oncology. She earned her undergraduate degree from Fordham University and her medical degree from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

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John T. Moon, MD joined University of Maryland Shore Medical Group – Surgery as medical director for the practice in April, 2020. He joins William Bair, MD, Dabanjan Bandyopadhyay, DO, Edward DiNapoli, Jr., MD, and Amanda Hahn, MD, in providing surgical consultations, procedures and post-operative care.

Dr. Moon came to UM SMG – Surgery after serving three years as a robotic and advanced laparoscopic minimally invasive general surgeon at Advent Health Medical Group in Merriam, Kansas.

He previously performed general and advanced laparoscopic surgery at Southern California Permanente Medical Group and Mission Surgical Clinic, Inc., and was a clinical associate professor at the University of California at Irvine. He also held general surgeon and trauma attending positions at Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, New Jersey and Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Dr. Moon completed his General Surgery Residency at State University of New York/Suny in Brooklyn, New York and his Bariatric/Advanced Laparoscopic Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship at Staten Island University Hospital in Staten Island, New York.

Dr. Moon’s academic credentials include MD and PhD degrees from Louisiana State University in New Orleans, Louisiana; and MS and DDS degrees from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Board certified in General Surgery, Dr. Moon holds multiple specialized certifications, including da Vinci® Surgical System Console Surgeon Certification. He has published widely on the topic of robotic surgeries, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

“We are grateful to have Dr. Moon leading our surgical team. His skill and talent, particularly with regard to laparascopic and robotic surgery is a great asset to our community,” said Timothy Shanahan, DO, medical director, UM Shore Medical Group.

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.

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Expansion of The Orthopedic Center – a partner of UM Shore Regional Health – is now in progress as construction of a 15,000-square foot, two-story addition to its location at 510 Idlewild Avenue in Easton is on track for completion in March 2021. The addition was designed by Fisher Architecture, LLC and is being built by Willow Construction.

The new addition’s first floor will double the size of the facility for therapy services. UM Shore Rehabilitation at Easton, currently located in the Diagnostic and Imaging Center on Martin Court in Easton, will relocate its outpatient physical therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy services to the new addition at The Orthopedic Center.

The second floor will be dedicated to orthopedic provider services, offering 14 exam rooms and an x-ray room. Providers with the Center include: physicians Thomas Stauch, MD, president, Nicholas Anastasio, MD, Glenn R. Hardy, MD, Jason J. Jancosko, MD, MPT, Richard J. Mason, Kevin McCoy, MD, William L. Montague, MD, James W. Palumbo, MD and Myron Szczukowski, Jr., MD; nurse practitioner Glenda McCarter; and physician assistants Jason A. Burton, Caryn F. Caulka, Benjamin A. Flowers, Karen J. Luethy and Richard A. Turney.

“The expansion will improve patient access to care and improve operational efficiency, particularly with regard to physical therapy services,” said Dr. Szczukowski. “The additional space will allow us to grow our therapy staff and increase our operation from 42 hours per week to as many as 57 hours per week.”

The Orthopedic Center offers a multi-specialty approach to patients needing care for conditions related to the neck, spine, hands, feet and joints, including hips, knees and shoulders. This includes specialized physical therapy and sports medicine services in conjunction with medical surgical specialists in bone and joint surgery, and physical rehabilitation medicine. The specialized professional therapy team works in close collaboration with the physicians to assure the most personalized and appropriate therapy plan of care to help patients avoid re-injury or setbacks.

As construction on the new addition proceeds, The Orthopedic Center providers continue to see patients at the Center and at UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Queenstown. Surgical procedures are offered at the Surgery Center of Easton and UM Shore Medical Center at Easton.

Learn more by visiting theorthopediccenter.net. To schedule an appointment, call 410-820-8226.

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The University of Maryland Shore Regional Health Nursing team organized a food drive this month to help children, seniors and all those suffering from the economic impact of Covid-19. The drive was planned as a response to the generous outpouring of community support during the pandemic, and especially during Health Care Heroes Week, which took place in early May.

Over the past few months, UM Shore Regional Health hospitals have received countless donations of meals, face masks, hand sanitizer, care packages, encouraging signs, and more so the Nursing and Patient Care Services team wanted to do something special for the community in return, explained Rita Holley, director of Shore Home Care Services.

“So many people are hurting right now, and collecting healthy food for vulnerable community members is another way that we can help,” said Holley.

Through the efforts of nursing leadership, UM Shore Home Care and UM Chester River Home Care, an abundance of non-perishable food items, as well as pet food and supplies, were collected and distributed to food pantries and animal shelters across the Mid Shore region.

“We are so thankful to our community for standing with us, supporting us and boosting our spirits, as we care for people during this pandemic,” said Pat Thompson, director, UM Shore Behavioral Health, and co-organizer of the event. “We are all grateful to have found a way to give back.”

UM Chester River Home Care social worker, April Sharp, and UM Shore Home Care social worker, Alice Ofano, completed much of the leg work, helping collect donations from multiple UM SRH hospitals and outpatient facilities across the region.

The donations were distributed to the Lutheran Mission Society and the Humane Society of Dorchester County in Cambridge, Samaritan House in Denton, Neighborhood Service Center in Easton, Caroline County Humane Society in Ridgely, Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church in Stevensville and Queen Anne’s County Animal Services in Queenstown.

In addition to the food drive, UM Shore Regional Health recently made a donation of $5,000 to the Maryland Food Bank-Eastern Shore that benefited communities in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Talbot and Queen Anne’s counties. To make a donation to the Maryland Food Bank, visit mdfoodbank.org.

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.

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University of Maryland Shore Medical Group – Neurology and Sleep Medicine recently welcomed Fallon Bauer, physician assistant, to its practice based in UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Easton. Bauer has joined Walid Kamsheh, MD, medical director, Neurology and Sleep Medicine, and nurse practitioners Trish Lemay and Rahel Alemu in the evaluation, diagnosis, medical management and treatment of brain, spinal cord and nerve disorders, and sleep disorders. In addition to the Easton location, Neurology and Sleep disorders see patients at Shore Medical Pavilion at Cambridge.

Bauer comes to Shore Medical Group from Shore Bayy, LLC, the hospitalist team serving UM SRH hospitals since 2012. In that capacity, she worked with an integrated team of physicians and other advance practice practitioners providing care to patients in acute care, telemetry, medical-surgical and units.

Prior to becoming a physician assistant, Bauer was a member of the nursing team in UM Shore Medical Center at Easton’s Emergency Department for three years.

Bauer earned her undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, after which she earned her nursing degree from McQueen Gibbs Willis School of Nursing. In 2012, she completed her Certificate in Physician Assistant Studies from Anne Arundel Community College and her Master’s degree in Medical Studies from St. Francis University in Loretta, Pennsylvania. Certified by the National Commission of Certifying Physician Assistants since 2012, she also is certified in basic and advanced life support.

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.

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University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s Cardiovascular Diagnostic Centers at UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown, Dorchester and Easton, at Shore Medical Pavilion at Easton and at Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown, have earned renewed Echocardiography Reaccreditation by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). UM SRH has been accredited through the IAC since 1991.

According to Melissa Svehla, manager, Cardiovascular Services, “This accreditation is constantly monitored and reassessed. We are proud to have been a part of this program for the past 21 years.”

Echocardiography is used to assess different areas of the heart and can detect heart disease or signs of serious conditions. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, followed closely by stroke, the fourth highest cause of death. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), more than 2,150 Americans die each day from cardiovascular disease — approximately one every 40 seconds.

“This accreditation takes dedication and a lot of work outside of normal hours,” says Dr. Bruce Helmly, Medical Director, Cardiology. “I am proud of the hard work and commitment of this team, and their constant vigilance in maintaining this accreditation.”

Several factors contribute to an accurate diagnosis based on echocardiography: the training and experience of the sonographer performing the procedure, the type of equipment used and the quality assessment metrics each facility is required to measure. IAC accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indicator of consistent quality care and a dedication to continuous improvement.

This reaccreditation signifies that all five facilities have undergone an intensive application and review process and were found to be in compliance with published standards, thus demonstrating a commitment to quality patient care in echocardiography.

IAC provides accreditation programs for vascular testing, echocardiography, nuclear/PET, MRI, diagnostic CT, dental CT, carotid stenting, vein treatment and management and cardiac electrophysiology. IAC accreditation programs are dedicated to ensuring quality patient care and promoting health care, and all support the mission of improving health care through accreditation.

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.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Chestertown Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here