TOWNE SPOTLIGHT
Providers on the Shore Expand Telemedicine
2020 TOP RURAL AND COMMUNITY HOSPITAL ACCOLADES University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton has been named a 2020 Top Rural and Community Hospital by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). Top 20 Rural Community Health winners were selected based on their high performance scores in the Hospital Strength Index compiled by iVantage Health Analytics. iVantage’s Hospital Strength index utilizes publicly available datasets to quantify overall hospital performance in eight pillars: Inpatient Market Share, Outpatient Market Share, Quality, Outcomes, Patient Perspective, Cost, Charge, and Financial Stability. “Of the 6,000-plus hospitals in the United States, more than 1,800 are classified as rural,” says Ken Kozel, UM SRH president and CEO. “Shore Medical Center at Easton’s selection as a Top 20 Rural and Community Hospital is an outstanding achievement and a testament to the strength of our team.”
From primary care to specialty care, University of Maryland Shore Medical Group providers want their patients to know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have not been abandoned. Quite the opposite, according to Timothy Shanahan, DO, medical director for UM Shore Medical Group, who emphasizes the importance of getting health care needs addressed even as COVID-19 imposes certain requirements for office visits, including wearing a mask, having your temperature taken, and social distancing. Thanks to the expansion of telemedicine in UM Shore Medical Group provider offices, an actual visit to your provider may not be necessary. “We understand nothing can replace a face-to-face visit, but this telemedicine technology, which enables us to meet with patients via video conference, provides a safe way for you and our health care team members to maintain your health,” Shanahan says. Patients who need to speak to their primary care practitioner, mothers who need to discuss a child’s care with a pediatric physician, and patients who need to discuss a necessary medication with a specialist should call their provider’s office to schedule an online doctor’s visit (telemedicine), where appropriate. Telemedicine video visits are patient encounters in which real-time communication is made possible through face-to-face video-conferencing software with integrated audio. In response to COVID-19, UM Shore Medical Group providers are offering telemedicine for new and existing patients.
MARYLAND DISTILLERIES ANSWER URGENT CALL FOR SANITIZER In response to COVID-19, Maryland distilleries shifted production to surface and hand sanitizers for front line personnel. The Maryland Distillers Guild (MDG) announced in April that they have produced over 50,000 gallons of sanitizer. At least 17 Maryland distillers, including Blackwater Distilling in Stevensville and Windon Distilling (Lyon Rum) in St. Michaels, with the help of some Maryland breweries and wineries, jumped into action in mid-March, after learning of a severe shortage of sanitizer. “We don’t know how to sew or make masks, but we do know how to distill and blend. So shifting from making whiskey to hand sanitizer seemed like an obvious way for us to do our part for the community while keeping our employees working,” said Arch Watkins, co-founder of Old Line Spirits in Baltimore. Although it currently remains unclear just how long distillers will be authorized to manufacture sanitizer under federal rules, many of them have committed to continuing with their production for at least a few more months.
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What’s Up? Eastern Shore | June 2020 | whatsupmag.com
