The Dorchester General Hospital Foundation’s 2020 annual appeal, which began late last year, received $75,000 in donations from the community to help purchase a state of the art, 3D mammography machine that will be installed in University of Maryland Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge, now under construction in Cambridge Marketplace.

Under the leadership of the Dorchester Auxiliary’s now-outgoing president Nancy Duval, the Auxiliary contributed $25,000 of the $75,000 total.

“We are pleased that our call for donations to help support the purchase of this important diagnostic technology generated such wide and generous response,” says Ida Jane Baker, Foundation president. “Once the new medical campus is opened and diagnostic equipment is installed and operational, residents of Dorchester will be able to get the best mammography screening right here in Cambridge, rather than having to travel out of the County.”

“On behalf of the Foundation Board of Directors, I express our profound gratitude to all who stepped up in support of our appeal, and especially to our wonderful Auxiliary members, who work hard all year long to raise funds to support health care for our community,” Mrs. Baker continued. “As the new medical campus is becoming a reality, we are so pleased that Dorchester citizens will have broader access to specialty, diagnostic and preventive health care, along with state of the art facilities for the best emergency care.”

Shown here is the new Shore Medical Campus at Cambridge, now under construction in the Cambridge Marketplace on Route 50 near Woods Road and scheduled to open in fall 2021.

Breast cancer rates in most Eastern Shore counties are slightly higher than the state and national rates, and early detection is the single biggest factor in successful treatment of this disease. The 3D mammography machine is the best technology to detect breast cancer at its earliest and most treatable stage, especially in patients who are identified as having higher breast density.

According to Mrs. Baker, the Dorchester General Hospital Foundation will continue to seek private support for the advancement of health care in Dorchester County. For more information, call Mrs. Baker, 410-228-8182.

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.

The UM Chester River Health Foundation recently sponsored its tenth annual Angel Tree on which “holiday wishes” were hung for special populations in need, including children in the Kent and Queen Anne’s counties’ foster care programs and adults with developmental disabilities who have no living family members and are served by Kent Center.

Some of the wishes were surprising again this year and included basic needs, such as clothes, winter coats and shoes; of course, toys, arts and craft supplies and gift cards were requested as well. More than 60 brightly packaged holiday gifts were donated by the members of the staff of UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown and the UM Chester River Health Foundation.

UM SMC at Chestertown team members Donna Jamar, Bruce Webb, John Stewart and Gladys Peebles with some of the gifts collected for the Angel Tree program.

Because of COVID-19, the 2020 Angel Tree gift pick up worked a little differently this year. Recipient entities arrived by appointment and gifts were brought outside to awaiting cars.

“The extraordinary participation by staff and their incredible generosity in some ways shows our appreciation to the community for its incredible support of UM Shore Regional Medical Center at Chestertown throughout the pandemic,” said Maryann Ruehrmund, executive director, UM Chester River Health Foundation.

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.

November was National Home Care Month and for the staff of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health’s two home care entities, UM Shore Home Care and UM Chester River Home Care, there has been much to celebrate. This year more than ever, the 50 staff members went out of their way to make a difference in the health and well-being of their patients, providing a full range of services in homes, group homes and residential care facilities.

UM Chester River Home Care patientMichael Ambrose thanks his “heroes” – Lauren Killeen, OT, Brooke Maier, PT, Sarah Reynolds, PTA and Amanda Sutton, RN.

The team served more than 1,111 number of patients and made more than 16,200individual home visits in and around our five-county region—all during the COVID-19 pandemic that has tested the strength and flexibility of our region’s health care workers.

“Our teams continue to rise to the challenges created by Covid-19,” said Rita Holley, director of Home Care Services for UM SRH.

At the start of the pandemic, a Covid-19 team of volunteers was formed to help care for those battling the virus at home, said Holley. This skilled team has cared for more than 60 Covid-19 patients during their in-home recoveries.

“An important new service that the home care team began offering during the pandemic was assisting patients with physician appointments via telemedicine,” said Kathryn Davis, clinical manager of UM Chester River Home Care.“Our nurses helped facilitate the telemedicine visits and spoke directly with physicians to report important medical data such as blood pressure and heart rate.”

“This has been of tremendous value to both the patient and the physician – home care team members help ensure providers have the information they needed to treat patients, all while keeping them safer at home,” said Davis.

Shore Home Care and Chester River Home Care have served patients in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties for more than 20 years. The two agencies provide a full range of services, including skilled nursing; physical and occupational therapy; medical social work; and home health aide assistance. Their shared goal is to help each patient maintain optimal health and independence in his or her home setting.

Teresa Baker, RN, Shore Home Care, with her patient, Lawrence Carpenter.

“The nurses and therapists are the most marvelous group of people you can imagine,” said Michael Ambrose, a Chester River Home Care patient. “They are extremely capable—true heroines and heroes—and they genuinely care about helping me recover.” The home care team has been monitoring and evaluating Ambrose’s recovery from multiple surgeries and hospitalizations that began in September 2019.

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.

Alexa Burley, NP, Shore Behavioral Health

Alexa Burley, MSN, PMHNP-BC, was recently welcomed by UM Shore Medical Group – Behavioral Health. Burley’s prior health care experience includes working as a staff nurse in emergency care at Anne Arundel Medical Center, as a nurse in inpatient clinic and outpatient care services for Anne Arundel Mental Health Group in Annapolis and as a psychotherapy provider with Family Intervention Partners in Baltimore.

Burley completed her MSN and post-master’s nurse practitioner certificate in psychiatric mental health from Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo. She also holds an undergraduate degree in legal studies from University of Maryland – University College.

Information about programs and services provided by Shore Behavioral Health may be obtained by calling 410-822-1000, ext. 8122.

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.

Tasos Aslanidis, DO

Ear, Nose and Throat/Sinus and Hearing has welcomed Tasos Aslanidis, DO, FAOCO to the practice based in UM Shore Medical Pavilion at Easton.

Dr. Aslanidis brings more than two decades as a provider with practices in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Philadelphia, Pa., and has served as member of the medical staffs of multiple health care organizations, including Kennedy Health System and Kennedy Surgical Associates, Thomas Jefferson Hospital, Virtua West Jersey Hospitals and Summit Surgical Associates. He also served as medical director, the Kennedy Balance Center, Stratford Division.

A Fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Ophthalmology and a Diplomate of the American Osteopathic Board of Medical Examiners, Dr. Aslanidis has served as a clinical instructor for residency programs at University of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Osteopathic Medicine, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. His academic credentials include undergraduate degrees in biology and pharmacy, and his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

To make an appointment with Dr. Aslanidis, patients may call 410-820-9119.

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.