A Week In Business –February 28, 2020

A Week In Business –February 28, 2020
The Coastal Association of REALTORS® (CAR) welcomed 13 new members during New Member Orientation this month. Pictured, back row from left, are Jennifer Whittington of Long & Foster Real Estate in Salisbury, Jake Spence of Coldwell Banker Residential in Ocean City, Eileen Carl of Shamrock Realty Group in Ocean Pines, George Patterson of Keller Williams Realty of Delmarva in Ocean City, Josh Rose of Pro-Spect Inspection Services, Frederick Doster of Atlantic Shores Realty in Ocean City and Nathan Leber of Sellers Choice Real Estate in Ocean City; and, front, Katie Landon of Coldwell Banker Residential in Ocean City, Patricia Bounds of ERA Martin Associates in Salisbury, Tina Busko of Long & Foster Real Estate in Ocean City, Lindsay Patten of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty in Ocean City, Julie Hall of Sellers Choice Real Estate in Ocean City and Wendy Leber of Sellers Choice Real Estate in Ocean City. Submitted Photos

Foundation Appoints Hire

NEWARK — The Worcester County Education Foundation (WCEF) has announced the appointment of Olivia Momme as its new manager of operations and community

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Olivia Momme

relations.

The WCEF was established in 2013 to provide a perpetual funding resource to assure every student has equal access to a world-class education, enabling them to function in today’s digital environment and to compete in a new, emerging job market.
As manager, Momme will help the foundation grow and expand its engagement within the community.

“I am beyond grateful to be given this opportunity to give back to the community and to do my part to bolster the educational achievement of all Worcester County Public School students through the effective use of innovation, relationships, and resources,” Momme said.

She is especially interested in working with the schools to see where the foundation can make the biggest impact for students, as well as help them get the resources they desperately need.

“We are so excited that Olivia has joined the Worcester County Education Foundation,” said Worcester County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Annette Wallace. “She brings a skill set that will usher our foundation to new levels of philanthropic giving and community connections.”

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Monthly Market Recap

BERLIN – The Lower Eastern Shore kicked off the new year with increased settlements and new listings, according to the latest numbers from the Coastal Association of REALTORS® (CAR).

In all three counties throughout January, new settlements were up 8.1% compared to the same time last year. Individually, new settlements throughout January were up by 13.5% in Worcester and by 12% in Wicomico, but were down by 36.8% in Somerset.

Although active listings were down by 28.3% in January, the tri-county area saw a 10.3% increase in new listings added to the market last month, compared to the same time last year. Individually, new listings were up by 7.3% in Worcester, by five percent in Wicomico, and by 42% in Somerset. Active listings were down by 27% in Worcester, by 36.5% in Wicomico, and by 22% in Somerset.

The average list price for the Lower Shore was $227,741, which is 4.8% higher than this time last year. The average sale price was $191,096, which is three percent lower than this time last year.

The average Cumulative Days on Market (CDOM) for January was 150, or 52.4% lower than the same time last year. Individually, CDOM decreased by 34% in Worcester, by 62.4% in Wicomico, and by 52% in Somerset.

“We saw a strong start to the new year and with mortgage rates hovering near a five-decade low, according to Freddie Mac, we expect a very busy spring,” said CAR President Joe Wilson.

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New Board Member Named

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Joel Feldman

BERLIN — The Board of Directors for Worcester County GOLD, Inc. (Giving Other Lives Dignity), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing emergency assistance for Worcester County residents in times of crisis, has elected a new board member.

“I am pleased to welcome Joel Feldman to our Board of Directors,” said GOLD’s Executive Director Sandy Sipes. “He has a unique background, with diverse experiences that make him an incredible asset to the Board of Directors and the organization as a whole. We are excited and grateful that he plans to help us grow our annual GOLD on the Green Golf Tournament that is scheduled June 17.”

Feldman is a CEO and real estate agent with HergGroup Horizon of Keller Williams Realty. A retired firefighter, Feldman has a long history of community organizing and philanthropy. He has helped to coordinate the Chili Cook-Off to benefit GOLD’s Helping Hands for the Holidays Program for the past three years. A Worcester County resident since 2003, Feldman has shared his leadership through coaching with both Beach Lacrosse and Berlin Seahawks football for over 10 years.

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New Providers Announced

BERLIN – Atlantic General Hospital and Health System has recruited a number of advanced practice providers – certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants – to the Eastern Shore in recent months as part of its efforts to improve access to health care for a growing population.

The healthcare organization continues to recruit for primary care providers as well as specialists in the fields of general surgery, orthopedic surgery and gastroenterology to address long wait times for appointments in a region that is categorized by the federal government as medically underserved.

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Carrie Dawes

Carrie Dawes is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner with Atlantic General Health System. Dawes has more than 15 years of experience in advanced practice, having cared for children in both primary care and acute care settings. Prior to joining Atlantic General Health System, she worked at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children as well as the pediatric trauma and surgery unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She provides care alongside Drs. Laura Stokes and Anita Pascucci at Atlantic General Pediatrics in West Ocean City. Dawes’s arrival has made it possible for the practice to begin offering evening and Saturday appointments to busy parents.

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Kathleen Morris

Kathleen Morris has joined Atlantic General Health System to practice with Dr. Sally Dowling at Atlantic General Primary Care in Selbyville, Del. Over the last 11 years, Morris has worked in Atlantic General Hospital’s medical/surgical and intensive care units where she provided patient care, and trained and supervised other nurses in her roles as charge nurse and preceptor.

Corinna Kirkpatrick joined Atlantic General Health System in January to provide care alongside Drs. Lei Gong and Oswaldo Nicastro at Atlantic

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Corinna Kirkpatrick

General Primary Care, in Ocean Pines. She has more than eight years of experience as a physician assistant, with a diverse background in urgent care, family medicine, geriatric care, occupational medicine and addictions treatment.

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Gregory W. Smith

Gregory Wilkinson Smith is a certified physician assistant with Atlantic General Health System. He joined Atlantic General Primary Care in Ocean View, Del., in February to provide care alongside Dr. Kieran Py, and also cares for patients at the health system’s West Fenwick location. Smith is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Alison Lathroum is a physician assistant at Atlantic General Internal Medicine, in Berlin. Raised in Worcester County, Lathroum is a graduate of Stephen Decatur High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Towson University, where she played Division I lacrosse, before attending Keiser University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Lathroum returned to the Eastern Shore in 2015 to begin caring for patients in her community. She provides primary care to adult patients alongside internist Edwin Castaneda.

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Alison Lathroum

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Sarah Abdella

Physician assistant Sarah Abdella has joined Atlantic General Health System to practice with Dr. Sally Dowling at Atlantic General Primary Care in Selbyville, Del. Abdella has more than four years of clinical experience in behavioral health and hospital medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants.

Nurse practitioner Michael Boyle joined Atlantic General Health System in November to provide primary care alongside Dr. Kieran Py in Ocean View, Del. as well as the health system’s West Fenwick location. Boyle was a nurse for eight years, working primarily in critical care, before earning his master of science in nursing from Wilmington University to become a certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP) last May.

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Michael Boyle