A Week In Business

Owner Recognized

BERLIN — Joni Waldych, president and owner of Innovative Benefit Solutions, has been named in Insurance Business America magazine’s Hot 100 list for 2015. This annual list recognizes 100 people who have made an impact on the insurance industry over the past year and is considered one of the industry’s highest distinctions.

Joni Waldych

Joni Waldych

“The Hot 100 represents the best of the best the insurance industry has to offer. These are true thought leaders and influencers in our industry,” said IBA senior journalist Caitlin Bronson. “This list is very much a ‘who’s-who’ of power players and innovators in insurance.”

Waldych started Innovative Benefit Solutions, LLC in 2003 to serve the Mid-Atlantic and North East region. During this time, the agency has held 98% client retention and has become one of the top health and life agencies in Maryland. The agency operates in eight states.

Waldych holds the designation of Certified Benefit Consultant with National Association of Alternative Benefit Consultants and is PPACA (Affordable Care Act) certified by National Association of Health Underwriters. She is a past broker council member with Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield.

New Requirement Passed

OCEAN CITY — Insurance Management Group, Inc. (IMG) has announced that Timothy Swartz, Vice President and

Timothy Swartz

Timothy Swartz

Chief Operating Officer, recently passed the Commercial Casualty portion of the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) instruction.

The CIC designation requires 100 hours of classroom instruction and five two-hour examinations that tests knowledge of property, liability, personal, life and health insurance and insurance agency management. Swartz has just the insurance agency management portion of the requirements remaining.

IMG, located in Ocean City, MD, specializes in insuring condominiums, hotels, restaurants, businesses, homeowners, automobile and watercraft insurance in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.

DeNovo’s To Mark 10 Years

OCEAN PINES — The Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. to commemorate the 10th anniversary of DeNovo’s Trattoria.

Located just inside the South Gate of Ocean Pines, DeNovo’s Trattoria is in the Manklin Creek Station Shopping Center.

Opening their doors in 2005, owners Robert and Kelli Beck have introduced DeNovo’s Trattoria as a casual dining restaurant and bar with an Italian flare. A popular gathering place for Ocean Pines area residents and visitors, they offer an eat-in dining room, bar, take-out and catering services.

Over the past 10 years, they have proved to be a local’s favorite and an important part of the Ocean Pines community. They have contributed and helped to support many of the area non-profit organizations including the Worcester County Veterans Memorial, Diakonia, Kiwanis and many more. The restaurant is a 10-year member of the Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce.

Designation Earned

SALISBURY — Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) has been designated by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Hip and Knee Replacement and a Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery.

PRMC has held Blue Distinction Center designations for Hip and Knee Replacement and Spine Surgery continuously since 2009. It is now one of only seven hospitals in Maryland to be designated as a Blue Distinction Center+ in both Hip and Knee Replacement and Spine Surgery in this latest reporting cycle and is the only Delmarva Peninsula hospital to earn both honors.

The Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care® program is a national designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to only those medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality specialty care.

The program has been recently expanded to include more robust quality measures focused on improved patient health and safety as well as new cost-efficiency measures. Those hospitals, like Peninsula Regional Medical Center, that met both the existing and new measures were awarded the additional plus (+) designation.

“Peninsula Regional Medical Center’s Orthopaedic and Neuroscience division is committed to focusing on the core elements of excellence,” stated Warner Crumb, Executive Director of Orthopaedics and Neurosciences. “Through collaboration among surgeons, administration, and nursing, we are continuing a culture of performance improvement that leads to an exceptional patient experience and exceptional patient outcomes. We’re proud to have met the rigorous selection criteria that have been set by the Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care program …”