Dear Colleagues,
As I write this, the Delta variant of COVID-19 is causing rising rates of illness, hospitalization and death nationwide. Sadly, our numbers here on the Shore are rising as well. The variant is more virulent and more transmissible and the large number of people who have either declined or delayed vaccination contribute to this fourth Covid 19 surge. The sector of our population that is most vulnerable is children – particularly children under the age of 12 for whom we do not have a vaccine available yet. Along with older adults and those with various health conditions, children, teens and young adults remain at risk for severe illness.
For me – personally as well a professionally – widespread vaccine hesitancy and vaccine refusal are particularly frustrating factors in the resurgence of the pandemic. Throughout UM Shore Regional Health and the greater University of Maryland Medical System, all are doing everything possible to increase vaccination rates among all team members. Sharing up-to-date information regarding vaccine efficacy and safety, emphasizing our responsibility to safeguard patients, co-workers and our families, introducing a vaccine mandate that goes into effect for all employees (with certain exceptions) as of October 1, 2021, and providing free vaccine clinics on-site in our facilities are among the strategies that have helped bring more of our SRH team members into the vaccinated fold. I am hopeful this trend will continue, and that you and your colleagues are actively promoting 100 percent vaccination for your colleagues, patients and families.
With the support of all our volunteer medical providers and team members, testing and vaccination clinics (including mobile vaccination clinics throughout our five-county region) have been conducted at large employer sites, churches, senior centers and other locations. The new and hopefully last surge will require us to continue to provide these services to bring the pandemic to an end. Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do in these critically important endeavors.
While COVID continues to occupy much of our day-to-day time and attention, there are exciting developments and initiatives unfolding at UM Shore Regional Health. Wherever you look – especially Cambridge, Chestertown and Easton – real change is bringing real progress in accomplishing our mission of creating Creating Healthier Communities Together. This progress in outlined elsewhere in this edition of PulseCheck, which I hope you will review and find informative.
As always, if you have questions, ideas or concerns, please feel to reach out to me directly. Your collaboration and leadership, particularly in these trying times, is critically important to our success. Many thanks to you for all that you have done and will continue to do. Thanks, also, to those who support you and for all that our loved ones have done to assist us as we bring the pandemic to a close.
Best wishes to you and yours for a safe and healthy summer and fall.
Sincerely,
William Huffner, MD
Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer
UM Shore Regional Health