Atlantic General Hospital recently received The Joint Commission’s Top Performer Award for pneumonia and surgical care. Pictured, from left, are Chuck Gizara, director of clinical operations; Bob Yocubik, director of quality; Ann Bergey, vice president of professional staff services and quality; and Jeanette Troyer, performance improvement coordinator. Submitted Photos
Top Performer Status Earned
BERLIN – Atlantic General Hospital has been recognized as a 2013 Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States.
Atlantic General was recognized as part of The Joint Commission’s 2014 annual report “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” for attaining and sustaining excellence in accountability measure performance for surgical care and pneumonia. Atlantic General is one of 1,224 hospitals in the United States to achieve the 2013 Top Performer distinction, and is the only hospital on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to do so.
The Top Performer program recognizes hospitals for improving performance on evidence-based interventions that increase the chances of healthy outcomes for patients with certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, children’s asthma, stroke, venous thromboembolism and perinatal care, as well as for inpatient psychiatric services and immunizations.
To be a 2013 Top Performer, hospitals had to meet three performance criteria based on 2013 accountability measure data, including achieving cumulative performance of 95 percent or above across all reported accountability measures; achieving performance of 95 percent or above on each and every reported accountability measure where there were at least 30 denominator cases; and having at least one core measure set that had a composite rate of 95 percent or above, and (within that measure set) all applicable individual accountability measures had a performance rate of 95 percent or above.
“Delivering the right treatment in the right way at the right time is a cornerstone of high-quality health care. I commend the efforts of Atlantic General Hospital for their excellent performance on the use of evidence-based interventions,” said Mark R. Chassin, president and CEO, The Joint Commission.
“We understand what matters most to patients at Atlantic General Hospital is the quality and safety of the care they receive. That is why we have made it a top priority to improve positive patient outcomes through evidence-based care processes,” said Bob Yocubik, director of quality at Atlantic General Hospital.
At the 2014 Pinnacle Program graduation ceremony in New Orleans recently were National Association of Realtors Strategist Jeremy Conaway, Coastal Association of Realtors (CAR) President-Elect Linda Moran, CAR Executive Director Sheila Dodson, and New York Times best-selling author Stefan Swanepoel.
Association Honored
BERLIN – At the most recent international conference of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the Coastal Association of REALTORS® (CAR) was recognized as one of the most progressive and visionary REALTOR® Associations in the country.
The leaders and executives of only 37 associations of a total of 1,400-plus across the country completed the Pinnacle Program. The two-year program was aimed to help leaders better prepare themselves for changing technologies, shifting consumer needs and relevant customer service.
Participating in the Pinnacle Program were CAR Treasurer Don Bailey, CAR Executive Director Sheila Dodson, CAR President Vicki Harmon, CAR Past President Chris Jett, CAR Immediate Past President Susan Megargee, CAR President Elect Linda Moran and CAR Past President Pam Wadler.
“You are the finest example of REALTOR® association leadership,” said Dale Stinton, CEO of NAR, during the graduation speech in New Orleans last week.
Only 2.7 percent of REALTOR® Associations in the United States have qualified for this certification, which required the completion of six distinct leadership modules over a two-year period. This highly specialized management training program was designed, created, and delivered by New York Times best-selling author Stefan Swanepoel and Association Strategist Jeremy Conaway.
Dodson said to best serve its membership and consumers, CAR strives to ensure it is on the cutting edge of modern technology and customer service.
“Being one of only 37 associations in the country to achieve this feat is a phenomenal accomplishment and shows our association’s commitment to ensuring our REALTORS® are the most trusted and highly trained professionals in the local industry,” Dodson said.
Breaking ground on a new Choptank Electric Cooperation Regional Service Center on Monday were, from left, Dan Disharoon, Gillis Gilkerson Supervisor; Brad Cullen of Davis Bowen & Friedel; Mike Wheatley, CEO of Choptank Electric Cooperative; Dwight Miller, president of Gillis Gilkerson; Michael Wigley, principle of Davis Bowen & Friedel; and Bob Behlke, Vice President of Member Affairs, Choptank Electric Cooperative.
Center Construction Begins
SALISBURY — Gillis Gilkerson has announced the official groundbreaking for the new Choptank Electric Cooperative Regional Service Center building at 6520 Walston Switch Road.
The facility, being built across from Wor-Wic Community College, will combine the Salisbury and Berlin Choptank district offices and house a redundant systems control room, member service center and additional departments for the company to utilize in preparation for the region’s future growth.
“In today’s economy, businesses are continuously looking for ways to efficiently expand services and maintain their competitive edge,” said Dwight Miller, president, Gillis Gilkerson. “Gillis Gilkerson is here to help prepare Choptank Electric and other area businesses for future growth in the regions they serve.”
Gillis Gilkerson has been contracted to build the center with architectural plans designed by Davis, Bowen, and Friedel, Inc., also of Salisbury. Upon completion, an application will be submitted for the distinction of LEED Silver Certification. Building plans include energy and water efficiency technologies, renewable, recycled and low-emitting materials and a construction waste management program.
“We are very happy to have Gillis Gilkerson as the contractor for our new service center,” said Bob Behlke, Vice President of Member Services. “As a cooperative we understand the value of working with local businesses. Locally owned and operated, Gillis Gilkerson has been serving the Delmarva region for over 30 years. We know they will produce a quality structure that will serve the employees and members of Choptank Electric for many years.”
Construction is underway and is scheduled to be complete by late fall.
Ronnie Burkle
Corporate Chef Promotion
REHOBOTH BEACH — Scott Kammerer, CEO of SoDel Concepts, has announced the promotion of Ronnie Burkle, a SoDel Concepts employee since 2011, to the position of corporate chef.
SoDel Concepts owns and operates eight restaurants along the Delaware coast, Plate Catering and Big Thunder Roadside Kitchen, a food and catering truck. He will be working under Doug Ruley, who has worked as corporate chef at the Rehoboth Beach, Del.-based restaurant group since 2012.
“Ronnie has been a key employee for us,” said Scott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts. “He’s done so much to advance our company through his work at Catch 54 and NorthEast Seafood Kitchen, and he is just the nicest person you’ll ever meet. Ronnie is another example of what SoDel is all about: recruiting bright, young people and providing them with an opportunity to grow.”