Loan Program Announced
SALISBURY — Local housing non-profit Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (SNHS) has recognized a need for assistance to help residents in Somerset and Worcester Counties achieve the American dream of owning a home.
SNHS currently offers down payment and closing cost assistance loans for those who are buying in Wicomico County. This opportunity will now be available in Somerset County and Worcester County. Prospective homebuyers may apply for a loan of up to $15,000 to assist with downpayment and closing costs. The property must be owner-occupied, a minimum credit score of 650 is required to access this loan and the household income is restricted to 80% Area Median Income.
Director Cheryl Meadows is excited about this program expansion and helping more people become homeowners.
“In many cases, a mortgage payment can be less than what someone is paying in rent. However, coming up with the cash for a downpayment and closing costs can be a barrier to homeownership,” she said.
Homebuyer’s education workshops, foreclosure mitigation and intervention as well as budget and credit counseling are already currently available for residents of Somerset and Worcester so this loan takes our services a step further.
Additional rules and restrictions apply to the Somerset and Worcester County Closing Cost Loan Program. Prospective clients who are buying within the aforementioned counties should contact our Assistant Director, Jane Hoy for more information at 410-543-4626.
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SU Names Chief Of Staff
SALISBURY — Salisbury University President Charles Wight has named Eli Modlin his new chief of staff.
Modlin, an SU alumnus, has served as deputy chief of staff and director of government and community relations since 2016.
Eli Modlin
“Eli has an extraordinary ability to advocate for SU, working with important external partners, across campus and with the executive staff,” said Wight. “He will continue to support the President’s Office in the overall mission of the institution.”
Modlin serves as chair of SU’s Town-Gown Council and is a member of the University’s Safety Task Force, Neighborhood Relations Committee, Strategic Planning and Budgeting Committee, and Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement steering committee.
Prior to SU, he worked at the Maryland Comptroller’s Office as special liaison officer and then public affairs officer. He earned his B.S. in communications arts from SU.
Beyond the university, Modlin serves on the board of directors of My Brother’s Keeper, a Baltimore organization that provides workforce development and meals for those in need, and the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce. He also is a member of the National Folk Festival Executive Committee and the Leadership Maryland Class of 2020.
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Hospital Recognized
SALISBURY — Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC) is among the nation’s best hospitals for 2019-2020, and has again been named a Best Regional Hospital on the Eastern Shore of Maryland according to U.S. News, the publisher of Best Hospitals. The magazine ranked PRMC as the No. 7 hospital in Maryland.
U.S. News & World Report named PRMC a “high-performing hospital” in the treatment of heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), knee replacement surgery and hip replacement surgery. To be nationally ranked in a specialty, a hospital must excel in caring for the sickest, most medically complex patients.
The annual Best Hospitals rankings, now in its 30th year, is designed to assist patients and their doctors in making informed decisions about where to receive care for challenging health conditions or for common elective procedures.
For the 2019-2020 rankings, U.S. News evaluated more than 4,500 medical centers nationwide in 25 specialties, procedures and conditions. 165 hospitals were ranked in at least one specialty.
“Organizationally, this is another outstanding honor to receive,” said Steve Leonard, President/CEO of the Peninsula Regional Health System and Peninsula Regional Medical Center. “This recognition is again an acknowledgement of how hard everyone in our health system continues to works, including our Board, medical staff and volunteers, to maintain the best possible environment for our patients, and it is gratifying to know these team efforts are being recognized again nationally by U.S. News.”
Peninsula Regional was also recently presented the Healthgrades 2019 America’s BEST 250 Hospitals Award for Clinical Excellence, placing PRMC amount the Top 5% of all United States hospitals for patient care and outcomes for the second consecutive year. The Salisbury hospital also again earned a 5-Star Rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2019.