University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System, and key partners celebrated the reopening of Maryland Route 662 between Airport Road and Hiners Lane with a ribbon cutting ceremony today. 

This section of Route 662 had been closed and traffic detoured to Route 50 since last September to facilitate construction work related to the new University of Maryland Shore Regional Medical Center, now being built on Longwoods Road. Route 662 is now open to traffic, with base pavement, temporary striping and temporary signage in place to ensure safe travel. Final paving, striping and signage are delayed until later in the hospital construction process, when potential wear and tear caused by construction vehicles will no longer be a concern.

“We are delighted to reopen Route 662 on schedule, before the summer traffic is in full swing,” said Ken Kozel, President, UM SRH. “We had projected a May reopening, and thanks to the diligence of our partners Whiting Turner/Mahogany and David A. Bramble, Inc., it was accomplished despite more than 60 days lost due to bad weather.”

The development and completion of the core and shell drawings over the last several months for the new regional medical center facilitated the approval and issuance of the building permit for this phase of construction to start on schedule. “The achievement of this milestone is a monumental feat that should be celebrated as it took hard work and close collaboration among the UM SRH Project Team, the Town of Easton, Talbot County and Easton Utilities”, said Lu Ann Brady, Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of UM SRH. “Weather permitting, digging and pouring foundations will begin this week and vertical construction will follow. Over the next 12 months our community will be able to watch the six-story outer shell of the facility go up.” 

The final fit-out drawings (plans for the inside of the building including all equipment, infrastructure such as electrical, plumbing and IT, walls, flooring and furnishings) were completed and delivered to the town for approval this week. These plans will also allow for approximately 30 additional bids to be published and awarded for the remaining materials needed for the building. It is anticipated that by mid-June, bids covering 99 percent of the rest of the project will be in hand.

“The goal to build a state-of-the-art regional facility for our mid-shore community has been a long time coming – and will continue to require our unwavering dedication,” said Kozel. “Stopping along the way to celebrate our successes is essential and I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of our entire UM SRH team and community partners.”

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

 

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

 

Mid-Shore Community Foundation (MSCF) in Easton, Maryland has committed $3.8 million to University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System, toward construction of the new UM Shore Regional Medical Center. 

“The mission of Mid-Shore Community Foundation to enhance the quality of life for individuals throughout the mid-shore region ties closely with Shore Regional Health’s goal to provide state-of-the-art health care,” said Buck Duncan, President, MSCF. “We are pleased to make this gift to advance health care in the region.”

Construction of the new medical center, located at 10000 Longwoods Road in Easton, Maryland, is scheduled for completion in summer 2028.

“It’s all about advancing health care in our communities now and for generations to come,” said Rebecca Bair, Vice President of Philanthropy, UM SRH. “We are so grateful for the leadership level support from the Mid-Shore Community Foundation.” 

“We are deeply grateful to the Mid-Shore Community Foundation for this transformative gift,” added Ken Kozel, UM SRH President and CEO. “The foundation’s generosity will have a lasting impact on community health care in the region.”

About University of Maryland Shore Regional Medical Center 

The new Shore Regional Medical Center will provide greater access to hospital services for residents of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to advance health care quality and access on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. In partnership with the University of Maryland Medical System, it will serve as a vital asset to recruit and retain physicians, advanced practice professionals and the clinical and support staff needed to provide high quality, clinically advanced medical care to the region.

Site: 230 acres

Hospital Details:

• Main Tower: 6 levels; 325,294 square feet Acute-Care
• Adjacent medical office and outpatient services building:
• 60,000 square feet
• Licensed Beds: 122 (private rooms)
• ED Treatment Bays: 27
• Adult Observation / Short Stay: 25
• Operating Rooms: 7
• Helipad
• Estimated Total Cost: $540 million

Replaces: University of Maryland Shore Medical Center on South Washington Street in Easton, Md.

Core Programs & Specialty Centers:

• Acute Rehabilitation Center
• Behavioral Health
• Birthing Center
• Cardiac Intervention Center
• Critical Care Medicine
• Emergency Services
• Neurosciences
• Orthopedics
• Vascular Services
• Women’s Services

Project Partners: 

• Covalus – Project Management
• HKS – Architect
• Whiting-Turner I Mahogany, Inc – Construction Manager

 

The public can follow construction progress at umshoreregional.org/rmc. For information about making a gift, contact Rebecca at 667-343-5509 or rebecca.bair@umm.edu.

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of th(e University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

 

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

Lara D. Wilson, MHA, has been named Director of External Affairs and Community Liaison for University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), effective May 5, 2025. UM SRH is a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS).

Wilson has served UM SRH since 2021 as Director of Rural Health Care Transformation and, from January to August of last year, as Interim Vice President, Rural Health Care. She has a wealth of experience in hospital, non-profit and community health settings, as well as skills in organizational leadership, population health, strategic planning, project management and business development. 

Wilson’s focus in this newly-created position will be to develop, maintain and strengthen strategic relationships with key external stakeholders around the five-county region served by UM SRH. This will include responding to and initiating local legislative, regulatory and public policy changes that support the mission of UM SRH and UMMS.

‌During her tenure with UM SRH, Wilson has acted as liaison and facilitator of rural health care transformation projects; led the Age-Friendly Health System initiative across the System; and overseen the creation and implementation of community health programs with an emphasis on the aging population. She also engaged in collaborative relationships with local, regional and state agencies in support of rural health care transformation and UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown.

“Lara’s focus on rural health transformation over the past few years will serve her well as Director of External Affairs and Community Liaison,” said Ken Kozel, MBA, UM SRH President and CEO. “In her new role, Lara will help us act on our mission of commitment to our community by strengthening existing collaborations and developing new partnerships with local and state officials, and with non-profit, civic and business organizations throughout our five-county region.”

‌Prior to joining UM SRH, Wilson served six years as executive director of the Maryland Rural Health Association, a state-wide education and advocacy organization. She also has presented on rural health care topics at local, state, and national conferences, and guest lectured on health care management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Maryland School of Public Health. 

Wilson earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park,  and her MS in Health Systems Administration from Georgetown University. She holds multiple specialty certifications in the field of health care management, and in 2021, she was honored as recipient of the Maryland Rural Health Advocate of the Year Award.    

A resident of Centreville, Md., Wilson is active in professional and community organizations, serving on boards and committees for the Queen Anne’s County Economic Development Commission, the Mid Shore Local Health Improvement Coalition, and Centreville Methodist Church, among others.

 

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

 

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

University of Maryland Shore Medical Group (UM SMG) – Primary Care at Easton and Queenstown welcome new providers to their care teams. Caitlin Gilman, CRNP, will see patients in Easton, while Christy Marciniak, CRNP, will treat patients in Queenstown.

UM SMG is an affiliate medical practice of the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System.

Gilman previously served as a staff nurse for UM SRH, working in Ambulatory Surgery, Surgical Services and Emergency Services. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland, and her Master of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain University.

Marciniak has over a decade of nursing experience, including emergency, cardiology and intensive care. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Maryland University College in Adelphi, Maryland, and her Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“We are excited to welcome Christy and Caitlin to our primary care teams in Easton and Queenstown,” said Timothy Shanahan, DO, medical director, UM SMG. “Their skills and experience will be a valuable asset to our team and to our community.”

To make an appointment with Gilman, call 410-820-4880.To make an appointment with Marciniak, call 667-343-7560.

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

 

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

University of Maryland Shore Medical Group (UM SMG) – Nephrology recently welcomed Jamshid Amanzadeh, MD, PA, to its practice based at 5 Martin Court in Easton. UM SMG is an affiliate medical practice of the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System. 

Dr. Amanzadeh was most recently in private practice in San Francisco and previously spent six years with Munson Nephrology Consultants in Traverse City, Michigan. His experience also includes five years as a staff physician with the VA Texas Health Care System in Dallas, Texas, during which he also served as Assistant Professor of Nephrology and Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. He is board certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. 

A graduate of Tehran University School of Medicine in Tehran, Iran, Dr. Amanzadeh spent four years as a primary care physician in Tehran, after which he completed residencies in Internal Medicine at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey, and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan; and also a fellowship in Nephrology at University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine. He is a member of the American Society of Nephrology and has co-authored multiple articles on topics related to kidney disease and nephrology.

“We are pleased to have Dr. Amanzadeh join our nephrology team,” said Anish Hinduja, MD, Medical Director of UM SMG-Nephrology. “His experience and expertise are an excellent fit for our practice and will serve our patients very well.” 

To make an appointment with Dr. Amanzadeh, call 410-828-9823.

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

University of Maryland Shore Medical Group – Cardiology recently welcomed three new providers: Ian C. Davis, MD; David-Allen Lindsay, MD, and Emily Uphoff, MSN, CNL, RN, FNP-C. Dr. Davis, Dr. Lindsay and Uphoff join Jeffery Etherton, MD; S. Robert Hanna, Jr., MD; Robyn Lanasa, CRNP;  Dipesh Ludhwani, MD; JoAnn Mullican, PA; Clare Ross, CRNP; Gabriel Sardi, MD; and Timothy Shanahan, DO, in the practice based at UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Easton, 500 Cadmus Lane, suite 207. UM Shore Medical Group (UM SMG) is an affiliate medical practice of the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System.

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Davis, Dr. Lindsay and Emily to UM Shore Medical Group-Cardiology,” said Dr. Shanahan, Medical Director, UM Shore Medical Group. “Our cardiology team is dedicated to meeting the increased needs of our community and bringing quality providers on board. This is a testament to the forward-thinking motivations and the progress of UM Shore Regional Health’s leadership to meet those needs.”  

Dr. Davis earned a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and completed his cardiovascular medicine fellowship and internal medicine residency training at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore. He is board certified in internal medicine with the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a member of American College of Physicians and the American College of Cardiology.

Dr. Lindsay completed his fellowship in advanced cardiovascular imaging with New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, New York, and completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick N.J. He finished his residency in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Lindsay earned his Doctor of Medicine from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York, and his Master of Science with a concentration in physiology and biophysics from SUNY Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry and molecular biology from Drew University in Madison, N.J., where he graduated with high honors, magna cum laude. He is board certified in internal medicine with the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Uphoff most recently was a family nurse practitioner with Family Medicine Inpatient Services at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco, Cali. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, Uphoff worked as a critical care nurse in the cardiac intensive care unit at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and as a critical care intensive care unit nurse at University Medical Center Brackenridge in Austin, Texas. 

Uphoff earned her Family Nurse Practitioner post-master’s certificate from the University of California in San Francisco, California, her Master of Nursing in Clinical Nurse Leadership from University of Maryland, Baltimore in Baltimore and her Bachelor of Science in Biological Science from University of Maryland College Park in College Park, Maryland.

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

 

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

The next Safe Sitter® course, hosted by University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), will take place Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton. UM SRH is a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System.

The course is taught by UM SRH Women and Children’s Department skilled nurses and is designed for children ages 11 to 13. The course will also be offered Saturday, June 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton’s Health Education Center, 219 South Washington St.; and Saturday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the conference room at UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, 100 Brown St.

The course is designed to prepare students to be safe when they are home alone, watching younger siblings or babysitting other children. The instructor-led class is taught using games and role-playing exercises so that students can practice rescue skills. Participants in the program can also expect to learn safety skills, including how to prevent unsafe situations and what to do when faced with dangers such as power failures or weather emergencies; child care skills, such as tips to manage behavior that will help sitters stay in control of themselves and the children in their care; first aid and rescue skills, including CPR and choking rescue; and life and business skills to help sitters screen potential childcare jobs, discuss fees and greet employers.

The cost of the program is $50, and a Safe Sitter kit will be provided to all student participants. Students should bring a lunch on the day of the program.

To register for the course, email Gladys Peeples at Gladys.Peeples@umm.edu. Early registration is encouraged, as class size is limited. For questions, call Stephanie Blades at 410-822-1000, ext. 5234. 

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

 

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

 

Ali Tabatabai, MD, MBA, has joined the senior leadership team of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. UM SRH is a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS).

Dr. Tabatabai’s responsibilities will include providing medical and clinical leadership to the senior leadership team, medical staff and clinical team members as well as liaising with medical staff affairs and patient care services, and strategic planning. He also will work closely with UMMS clinical leaders to help drive the System’s journey to becoming a High Reliability Organization.

Employed with UMMS since 2009, Dr. Tabatabai has served as Medical Director, University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Group (UM SJMG) and also as Attending Staff in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at both University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC) and University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) since February 2023. 

As Medical Director of UM SJMG, Dr. Tabatabai focused on promoting clinical excellence, supporting provider wellness and strengthening compliance, as well as supporting provider recruitment to help ensure all new hires reflected UM SJMC’s standards of clinical excellence and compassionate care. During his time with UMMC, Dr. Tabatabai served in various leadership roles, including Director of the Lung Rescue Unit and Director of Physician Education for the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. In 2020, he led the Biocontainment Team at UMMC, which played an essential role in caring for COVID-19 patients, especially those needing life support. Throughout his career with UMMS, Dr. Tabatabai has participated in key administrative committees and initiatives.

“As a born and raised Marylander, I am proud to continue to serve the citizens of this great state as a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,” said Dr. Tabatabai. “I am excited to join the team at University of Maryland Shore Regional Health as Chief Medical Officer, and I look forward to becoming a member of the Eastern Shore community!”

Dr. Tabatabai earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at UMMC, where he subsequently completed fellowships in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care and Medical Critical Care. Board certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Critical Care and Neurocritical Care, Dr. Tabatabai has served as an adjunct professor for UM SOM, teaching medical students as well as residents and fellows in emergency care and critical care. 

Throughout his career with UMMS, Dr. Tabatabai has published widely in peer-reviewed medical journals and lectured at national and internal medical conferences. In 2023, he served as medical advisor to the NBC network television drama Chicago Med.

“We are excited that Dr. Tabatabai is leading our medical care teams,” said Ken Kozel, President and CEO of UM SRH. “His leadership experience with improving patient outcomes and patient care will be instrumental at Shore as we progress on our high reliability journey. Likewise, his work with physicians in training will be a significant asset as we expand our training programs to improve provider recruitment on the Eastern Shore.”

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

 

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH), a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System, recently welcomed Catherine “Katie” Halen as Vice President of Human Resources. 

In a distinguished career spanning more than 25 years as a human resources executive, Katie most recently served as the chief human resources office for Montgomery County government in Pennsylvania, where she developed and implemented comprehensive compensation and workforce initiatives and a DE&I strategic plan focused on employee retainment and recruitment.  

Prior to her role with Montgomery County, Katie spent most of her career with Delaware-based Beebe Healthcare where she developed workforce recognition and retention programs and led a team through a rapid onboarding initiative resulting in a 45% increase in new hires in Fiscal Year 2022. 

“Katie’s strength lies in successfully developing and implementing workforce strategies aligned with organizational and business goals, and her experience should prove to be a strong asset to University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s future and growth,” said Ken Kozel, President and CEO, UM SRH. “We are excited to welcome her to our team.”

 

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

 

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

The Laboratory Services Department at University of Maryland Shore Medical Center (UM SMC) at Chestertown is now home to two new chemistry analyzers, made possible by more than $300,000 in funding provided by the Chester River Health Foundation. UM SMC at Chestertown is University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) hospital; UM SRH is a member of organization of the University of Maryland Medical System.

 

“These new analyzers represent a significant technological advancement compared to our previous equipment,” said Julianna Hospodor, Director of Laboratory Services at UM SRH. “They provide overall faster processing and better cardiac readings, as well as some technologies we did not have before. We are so grateful to the foundation and its many donors for their generosity in making this new technology a reality for our hospital and our patients.”  

 

Installing the analyzers first required significant updates to the Chestertown laboratory facilities, which began in 2021. “It was a lot of work to get the space ready,” said Hospodor. “Now that the new analyzers are installed and operational, this state-of-the art technology is consistent throughout our laboratory sites, and that consistency supports quality patient care.”

 

“The Board of Directors of the Chester River Health Foundation recognized the significant need to update the hospital’s laboratory equipment and we were happy to commit the necessary funding,” said Libby Woolever, foundation chair. “The lab team was a great partner in this project, working through the process with grace and commitment. It’s gratifying to see it come to fruition and to know that patients are benefiting from access to state-of-the-art laboratory services here in Chestertown.”

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About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health 

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.

 

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