Atlantic General Hospital recently received the Circle of Honor Patient Safety Innovation Award during the 2016 Maryland Patient Safety Conference. Pictured, from left, are Bob Yocubik, director of quality at Atlantic General Hospital; Charles Gizara, director of clinical integration at Atlantic General Hospital; Joan Lunden, 2016 Maryland Patient Safety Conference keynote speaker; Jeff Kukel, Pharm D., manager of AGHRx RediScripts Pharmacy; Robert H. Imhoff, III, president and CEO of the Maryland Patient Safety Center; and Michael Franklin, president and CEO of Atlantic General Hospital and Health System. Submitted Photo
Hospital Recognized
BERLIN – Over the past decade, healthcare providers and organizations throughout the mid-Atlantic region have submitted their quality improvement programs to the Maryland Patient Safety Center for their Patient Safety Innovation Awards. For the third year in a row, Atlantic General Hospital has been recognized as one of the top 10, from nearly 80 submissions.
This year, Atlantic General was recognized for pioneering programs that have improved patient outcomes, thereby drastically reducing preventable hospital readmissions.
Atlantic General Hospital is currently ranked No. 4 in the state of Maryland for readmission prevention, with a rate of 9.93 percent (the state average is 12.85 percent). A readmission is usually defined as a patient’s being hospitalized again within 30 days of an initial hospital stay.
“The profound success of our accomplishments can only be attributed to the commitment and collaboration of our associates and medical staff within the hospital and community settings,” said Charles Gizara, director of clinical integration at Atlantic General Hospital.
Efforts began in 2014 with the establishment of the Potentially Avoidable Utilization (PAU) team, which focuses on integrated care coordination to prevent avoidable hospital readmissions while improving patient outcomes across the continuum of care.
The PAU team meets each month to review Atlantic General’s performance compared to state of Maryland outcomes data and evaluate opportunities to improve community health through collaboration with health care professionals outside the traditional hospital setting.
Members include internal AGH clinical staff and physicians as well as community members from the Worcester County Health Department and local home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities.
Horizons Buffet Honored
OCEAN CITY — The Prime Rib, Crab Legs & Seafood Buffet at Horizons Oceanfront Restaurant, inside the Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel on 101st Street and the beach, has recently been honored by The List as being named as one of the Top 5 all-you-can-eat buffets in America. Horizons is the only restaurant in the state of Maryland to receive this honor.
The All-You-Can-Eat Buffet features Certified Angus Beet® Prime Rib, Glazed Virginia Baked Ham, Maryland Crab Soup, Alaskan Crab Legs, Spicy Steamed Shrimp, Fried Clams, Oysters, and Clams on the Half Shell, Catch of the Day, BBQ Baby Back Ribs, Pasta Station, Kid-friendly foods, and more. Hours are Friday and Saturday, 5-9 p.m. and every day 5-9 p.m. in season.
The List is “the national Emmy award-winning show where pop culture takes a need-to-know twist. Everything that’s trending in the form of a list.” The show, while still in current production, recently went into syndication, can also be found on YouTube, and is represented on the social media sites Facebook and Twitter.
In April of last year, the Prime Rib, Crab Legs & Seafood Buffet was awarded a place in the Top 12 Greatest AYCE Buffets in America by Tabelog, an online restaurant review site. Tabelog’s list was chosen by a group of master food critics.
New Provider Named
SNOW HILL — Michael Crum, a certified registered nurse practitioner, has joined Peninsula Regional Family Medicine Snow Hill as a primary care provider.
Michael Crum
Crum is a dedicated medical professional and longtime Eastern Shore resident. He is an accomplished Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, and has a wealth of experience on the Eastern Shore as a primary care provider, including at Peninsula Regional Family Medicine Snow Hill in past years.
Crum was the Lead Nurse Practitioner on the Lower Shore Governor’s Wellmobile from 2002 to 2005. He then joined part of Peninsula Regional Medical Center’s primary care network, and also worked as part of Peninsula Regional Occupational Health, assessing injuries, providing treatment, interpreting x-rays and suturing. For the past decade, he has been providing care in a local internal medicine and geriatrics practice as a primary care provider, tending to a wide variety of healthcare needs.
Crum earned a BSN in nursing from Salisbury University, and completed a master’s as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Wilmington University. He is board-certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Staff Changes Announced
OCEAN CITY – Innovative Benefit Solutions, LLC, has announced the promotion of two employees and one new hire in its West Ocean City office.
A leading local insurance and benefits broker serving group and individual clients, Innovative Benefit Solutions expanded rapidly over the past year to accommodate new clients, and it is now a six-employee firm.
Joanne Cropper, client manager, has worked with Innovative since 2013 as a client service representative. Her professionalism makes her a valued member of the client management team. As client manager, she will handle day-to-day service and renewals for current clients. She has more than 15 years of customer service and business experience.
Irma Russell, client service assistant, joined Innovative in May 2015 in an administrative support role. With 25 years in client service, Irma enjoys helping others and has a warm, positive attitude. She stands ready to assist all the team’s clients with administrative needs. She resides in Ocean City and spends her free time by the beach.
Jamie Snyder joined the Innovative team in August 2015 as a producer. Her previous work experience includes eight years at State Farm Insurance. she holds both life and health as well as property and casualty licensure, and has quickly become an asset to the team with her “one size does not fit all” hands on approach. A lifelong Maryland resident, she has lived in Ocean City for six years with her family.
Restaurant’s Burger Celebrated
OCEAN CITY — Liquid Assets received international accolades this week after receiving a nod from Conde Naste Traveler as having one of the Best Burgers in America.
The international publication, which focuses on travel, food and drink, and arts and culture, selected 15 cities across the country to stop for the tastiest burger creations and burger-based combos. The selections were based on the 2015 Reader’s Choice Awards, which honed in on the best cities for burgers across the country. Not only did Ocean City make its mark with readers in 2015, but Liquid Assets stood out strongly in their minds as well for their authentic Wagyu Burger.
“I’m so proud of Liquid Assets for being recognized as the best burger,” said Liquid Assets owner John Trader. “We work really hard as a team to consistently use freshly prepared, high-quality ingredients to create traditional favorites that contribute to the unique dining experience that customers experience at Liquid Assets.”
Liquid Assets is a restaurant deeply rooted in a heritage of passionate food and beverage service, with a staff that believes that hospitality is not an out-of-date art from, but a pleasure. With an expansive menu centered on fresh, inventive dishes that cater to all palettes, the Wagyu Burger is one of many customer favorites that bring both locals and visitors to Ocean City to dine at Liquid Assets year after year.
“As a long-standing business in Ocean City, we are proud to not only see our own establishment making its mark, but also the town that we call home,” added Trader.