March 12, 2021
Dear Colleagues,
I hope this issue of PulseCheck finds you, your families and your care teams well. As we approach the one-year mark in the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of stress, fatigue and over-work experienced throughout the health care sector — but especially on the “front lines” of patient care — is of increasing concern. While I am optimistic that the steady distribution of vaccines ultimately will ease the challenges brought on by the pandemic, there are signs that for the several weeks, we must all maintain our vigilance in adhering to safety precautions and in our preparation for another possible surge in hospitalizations due to the arrival of new, more contagious variants of the disease.
In the meantime, I thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do to care for our patients, our teams, yourselves and your loved ones.
For all our challenges, however, I am happy to share some good news from within UM Shore Regional Health. A few more notable example are:
- We have welcomed a new medical practice – the former Kidney Health Center of Maryland is now UM Shore Medical Group – Nephrology, effective March 1, 2021. Based in Easton at 5 Martin Court, the practice includes five providers (see “Welcome, New UM SMG Providers”) who also see patients in Cambridge, Chestertown and Queenstown. To refer a patient, please call 410-820-9823 or fax 410-822-7141.
- The quality of our UM Shore Regional Health hospitals and specialty care programs continues to win professional recognition from within the national health care sector. UM Shore Medical Centers at Chestertown, Dorchester and Easton all earned “A” ratings for the Fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. This national distinction recognizes our achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.
- Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, telemedicine has filled the growing need for a safe and convenient alternative to in-person medical appointments. Physicians and advanced practice providers in nearly all of UM Shore Medical Group’s 20 practices are using telemedicine – phone calls and videoconferencing via Zoom, Facetime and Webex – to meet with their patients. In January 2021, UM SRH passed a major milestone – 25,000 telemedicine visits with patients who were seen in the comfort and safety of their own homes.
- We continue to strengthen our role as part of UMMS through our growing partnerships with University of Maryland School of Medicine, the Greenebaum Cancer Center at University of Maryland Medical Center and UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center’s Vascular Team. These affiliations are bringing an additional layer of expertise and support to our cancer and vascular programs here on the Shore.
- UM Shore Regional Health’s COVID-19 Incident Command has enjoyed steady support from and collaboration with University of Maryland Medical System’s ICS and our county health departments and emergency services providers throughout the five-county region we serve. Our frontline health care providers – especially those caring for patients in our COVID unit, emergency departments and intensive care units – have held up incredibly well under the most challenging circumstances, as have our outstanding teams in Infection Prevention, Pharmacy, Facilities and Materials Management. All are encouraged that the majority of UM Shore Regional Health team members have either received the vaccine or are signed up to receive it. We are grateful that COVID-19 hospitalization rates in our region have remained low enough that we have not had to open our alternate care sites – the reserve “modular tent” units at our three hospitals.
As always, I welcome your concerns, ideas, feedback and questions as we navigate this unprecedented chapter in the health care landscape. In the meantime, best wishes for continued safety and good health, especially as we approach Doctor’s Day, March 30, 2021.
Sincerely,
William H. Huffner, MD, MBA, FACHE
Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs & Chief