Partnership Awarded
BERLIN – Atlantic General Hospital was presented with a CTE Award of Excellence by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) for its partnership with the Worcester Technical High School on a project to design a Personal Protective Suit (PPS) with telemedicine capabilities.
The CTE Awards are sponsored by MSDE and recognize business partners, teachers and other organizations that create opportunities for students to learn about and prepare for careers. Recipients provide learning opportunities for students via internships and mentorships where they can participate in real-world projects.
The Atlantic General Hospital project that Worcester Technical High School students participated in offered a solution to utilizing telemedicine equipment where a PPS might be required (such as in treating patients with Ebola). Students worked collaboratively with support of AGH to develop the solution and presented it to leadership this winter.
“We are lucky to have the Worcester County Technical High School so close. Students showed how innovative our future workforce is. They worked collaboratively to solve a real-world problem and then presented it to us. The level of professionalism the students displayed was incredible,” said Franklin.
New Agent Announced
OCEAN CITY — Berkshire Hathaway announced this week that Katie Quinn as joined its local team of sales agents.
Born into a family with sales in her blood, Quinn, straight out of high school, started with a growing marketing company as a sales agent. Within a year, she was promoted to company trainer and was relocated to Charleston, S.C. Over the next three years, she had successfully opened up six new offices throughout the southeast and was considered the youngest executive director in the organization. Eventually missing her Maryland roots, in 2002 she moved closer to her family in Ocean City. That same week she was hired as a finance and insurance manager in the auto industry. Over the next 13 years, she consistently produced leading sales numbers, advanced to the top producing stores and was considered the lead trainer in the company. The opportunity arose for her to pursue her ultimate dream career, which was real estate, and she jumped on it.
Now working with the prestigious Terri Moran Team within Berkshire Hathaway that carries over 35 years of experience, Quinn is now ready to go to work for her clients. She has a fresh, innovative skill set with a natural dedication to her clients’ best interests.
“Katie is an example of the kind of agent we want on our team,” said Berkshire Hathaway Manager Jay Wise. “She is an agent that exemplifies the Berkshire Hathaway tradition of trust and integrity.”
Top Performers Named
OCEAN CITY — Ed Wehnert and Mark and Lora Fritschle of the Mark Fritschle Group-Condominium Realty have announced their listing, sales and settlement leaders for May, which officials reported was a great month in what has been a record breaking year for the company.
Top listing by units were, in order, Kevin Decker, Joy Snyder and Rusty Molnar.
Top listing by dollars were, in order, Jim Bacco, Kevin Decker and Rusty Molnar.
Top pending by units were, in order, Sheri Smith, Kevin Burton and Joy Snyder.
Top settled by units were, in order, Sheri Smith, Dave Whittington and Joy Snyder.
Top settled by dollars were, in order, Dave Whittington, Joy Snyder and Suzanna Jones.
New Center Planned
SALISBURY — Peninsula Regional Medical Center announced this week plans to open a coordinated and comprehensive breast center, blending the expertise of our region’s leading breast care teams.
The center will be a relocation of services from the Breast Center at Peninsula Regional Medical Center and the Peninsula Health Group’s Salisbury Diagnostic and Breast Center located in the H. Gray Reeves Professional Center.
The breast center, which has yet to be officially named, will be located within the building that currently houses the Chesapeake Surgery Center on Snow Hill Road in Salisbury. The center will complement existing diagnostic breast screening services that will continue to be provided in the Woodbrooke Medical Complex by Peninsula Imaging, LLC. It’s anticipated that renovations to the building to transform the space will begin within a week and take approximately 90 days to complete.
During those three months, both the Breast Center at PRMC and the Salisbury Diagnostic and Breast Center will continue to accept appointments and serve women independently at their existing locations without any interruption in the quality or the timeliness of services provided by each. Once renovations are completed, the two breast centers will close their current locations and combine into one at the center on Snow Hill Road.
“As part of our strategic plan and after hearing the wishes of women in our community, we discovered that there was a desire to bring both breast cancer screening and breast cancer therapy into one consolidated program,” said Thomas DeMarco, Medical Director of the Richard A. Henson Cancer Institute at PRMC. “By doing this, we’re able to provide women with a comprehensive program in one single location.”
The breast center will be supported by a new multi-disciplinary team of breast care professionals including physicians, surgeons, radiologists and breast technicians currently working at both PRMC’s Breast Center and the Salisbury Diagnostic and Breast Center. Services will include, but will not be limited to, physician consultation, diagnostic mammography and breast biopsy. Surgical procedures, if required in a woman’s continuum of care, will be managed by a team of experts.
“This guarantees women in our region that they will continue to have the added benefit of multiple cancer specialists working together to carefully plan and closely follow their care throughout their entire course of treatment,” said DeMarco.
New Partnership Formed
SALISBURY — Peninsula Home Care, in partnership with Peninsula Regional Medical Center, will be the first home care agency in the region to offer community health workers as advocates to community members by providing support in everyday health decisions.
“While community health workers do not replace our team of skilled nurses and therapists who treat patients in the home, they add another level of care by serving as a liaison between healthcare, social services/resources and the community,” said Nancy Bagwell, Peninsula Home Care branch director. “We want the community to know that they do not have to be a home care patient or homebound to receive care and support from a Community Health Worker. CHWs are available at no cost, to anyone in the community with a health-related need.”
“These are lay individuals with a strong connection to their community,” said Lisa Widmaier, Community Health Worker Trainer, Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center. “They are leaders in their church, volunteers in local non-profits and someone with the same life experiences as the clients they are serving. This provides a sense of safety and trust for the community health worker who is entering the client’s home and personal space to provide care.”
Over the last year, through a cross learning effort, PRMC has engaged Peninsula Home Care, the Wicomico County Health Department and MAC Incorporated (the Area’s Agency on Aging) in efforts to reduce readmissions to the hospital and provide proactive and preventative care in the home.
“Hospitals in the state of Maryland are fully capitated,” said Karen Poisker, PRMC’s vice president of population health. “More patients in beds does not generate more money. In order to maintain the health and wellness of our community and reduce the number of readmissions, the hospital is following an innovative model focused on education, goal setting and personal care and have already measured dramatic positive responses and results.”
That’s because of people like Shawntell Mitchell, one of three Community Health Workers deployed by Peninsula Home Care who is currently providing care to 81-year old Ms. Francis, a client who was referred for CHW services by her doctor.
“I look forward to visits from Shawntell,” said Ms. Francis. “It breaks up my day and gives me someone to talk to. She helps by keeping an eye on me. Makes sure I am doing what I can on my own to stay as healthy as I can.”
“I ask her a lot of the same questions every time I visit her,” said Shawntell Mitchell. “How are your legs feeling, did you check your blood pressure today, what did you eat today, did you drink your Ensure and plenty of water? I enjoy spending quality time with her. She can call me and I can call her anytime. She makes my day.”
Mitchell underwent 16, three-hour sessions of training provided by the Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center based in Cambridge. Lisa Widmaier, a community health worker trainer, administered the training to all three Peninsula Home Care community health workers from March to May.
“We cover everything from public health concepts, advocacy, health literacy and safety to diffusing conflict and how to promote behavior change in clients,” said Widmaier. “We train them to use a technique called motivational interviewing. You can’t tell a client what to do but you can guide them to make good decisions. We also provide self-care for the CHW’s through stress management and time management.”
In addition, each CHW is responsible for shadowing PHC nurse navigator, Kelly English in the field for an extended period of time before serving patients on their own. English’s training is focused on health related scenarios such as chronic disease self-management and fall prevention.
The three Peninsula Home Care CHW’s are provided through a doctor’s referral at no charge and available to provide services and support to community members in Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties.
Pharmacy Now Open
MILLSBORO — Peninsula Regional Medical Center last week opened the new PRMC Home Scripts community pharmacy at the Delmarva Health Pavilion on Route 113 in Millsboro. The pharmacy is open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and offers prescription medications as well as over-the-counter products.
Peninsula Regional Medical Center first launched PRMC Home Scripts to serve patients being discharged from the Medical Center. The much-anticipated Millsboro pharmacy builds upon its success, launching PRMC Home Scripts into the retail pharmacy business with the same attention to prompt prescription fills and exceptional customer service.
PRMC Home Scripts has one additional special feature thanks to pharmacy technician Stacy Sterling: bilingual service.
Sterling, who was born in San Antonio, Texas, to two Hispanic parents, learned Spanish from her mother.
“I also watched telenovelas – Spanish-language soap operas,” said Sterlin, who has been a pharmacy technician for nine years. “I have worked in the PRMC main pharmacy for two years.”
She is excited to make the move to Millsboro to help customers understand their medications, including Spanish speakers. The pharmacy’s opening is another step in Peninsula Regional’s efforts to make the Millsboro location a convenient, “one-stop shopping” area for health. Already open at the site are a Peninsula Regional Family Medicine office, a PRMC Family Lab, Peninsula Imaging, Peninsula/NRH Regional Rehab, and Peninsula Orthopaedic Associates, P.A.
OCDC Board Approved
OCEAN CITY — At its June 2015 Board meeting, a new slate of board members were approved as the Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) Executive Committee for the next year.
The new officers are President Chris Trimper, Trimper Amusements; Vice President Igor Conev, Mann Properties; Secretary Reid Tingle, Bank of Ocean City; Treasurer John Lewis, MR Ducks; and Immediate Past President Bob Givarz, Alaska Stand
The OCDC is a nonprofit organization charged with revitalizing downtown Ocean City.
Designation Earned
SALISBURY – Amy Miller, Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness-Miller Commercial Real Estate in Salisbury, announced that Property Manager Janiene Thompson has earned her Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) designation through the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM).
Thompson has been with SVN-Miller since 2013 as a collections specialist in addition to handling residential property management. Prior to joining SVN-Miller, she worked at Unifirst Corporation as an Administrative Assistant.
The ARM designation is regarded as the most recognized credential for residential real estate managers and signifies a specialist in managing the complexities of a range of residential properties.
“We are excited for Janiene’s accomplishment, and her additional expertise in residential property management will allow us to better serve our clients,” Miller said.
Monthly Award Presented
SALISBURY — Spending a holiday in the hospital is never ideal, but one nurse at Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Hannah Ehrisman on the 5 East unit, made Easter memorable for her patient, earning her the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
A colleague nominated her for the award, explaining that there was a man who had been a patient since January who had endeared himself to the staff.
“Hannah, who is a night shift nurse, came into work on Easter Sunday and brought this gentleman an Easter basket,” the colleague wrote.
Ehrisman and a certified nursing assistant on the unit combined funds to bring their patient this gift.
“His face still lit up with happiness days later when asked about his Easter treats,” the nomination read. “This is just one example of how Hannah goes out of her way to deliver exemplary care to her patients, to treat them with compassion and to demonstrate her obvious love of her profession.”
Ehrisman was honored with the Daisy Award in a ceremony before her colleagues and received a certificate commending her for being an extraordinary nurse. The certificate reads, “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” She was also given fresh daisies, and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
To nominate an exceptional nurse, visit www.peninsula.org/DaisyAward and share a story.
Hospital Expansion Completed
SALISBURY — Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) today announces the completion of its operating room (OR) expansion and renovation project. The three-year undertaking was launched in January of 2012.
“The project team owes a huge debt of gratitude to the surgeons, OR staff and nursing staff that have dealt with evolutionary changes during the past three years,” said Tom Anderson, PRMC’s Executive Director of Facilities and Properties. “It took the combined cooperation and patience of the entire team to make this happen.”
With the project’s completion, PRMC now features the region’s largest, most state-of-the-art surgical suites featuring rooms dedicated specifically to specialties like heart surgery, trauma surgery, orthopaedic surgery and robotics. Updates include two cardiac surgery or “heart” rooms that add technology that will advance PRMC’s offerings to the highest possible standard of care found in the region.
Each of the 16 operating or procedure rooms was enlarged from 400 square feet per room to 600 or more; four were expanded to 800 square feet. The increased size permits greater access to the da Vinci Surgical System Robot and other specialized surgical technology used in procedures at PRMC like joint replacement and open heart surgery. Peninsula Regional introduced robotic surgery to the Delmarva Peninsula in 2007. OR rooms were taken offline and renovated in phases, in an effort to limit disruption to the hospital’s always demanding surgical schedule.
Also successfully completed was a capital campaign in support of the project by the Peninsula Regional Medical Center Foundation.
“The foundation is pleased to have completed a $3 million campaign in support of the operating room renovation,” said Leighton Moore, Foundation Board Chairman. “We thank everyone who contributed to this campaign, and congratulate the Medial Center for providing a much improved patient and physician experience.”
In other infrastructure news, Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) has announced plans to replace the two visitor elevators (elevators 5 and 6) that are located just off the Guerrieri Heart and Vascular Institute lobby. The elevators have been in service since 1977 when the East and West Towers of PRMC were added.
Visitor elevator 5 will be out of service for approximately 10 weeks. Elevator six will follow.
“This is all part of a scheduled modernization of both visitor elevators serving the East and West Towers,” added Tom Anderson, Executive Director of Facilities and Properties at PRMC. “The new elevators will be more energy efficient, provide a smoother ride and will feature all modern technology which will result in a faster response time once called to the floors.”
PRMC is not planning to have both elevators out of service simultaneously at any time during the next five months