AGH Closes Pocomoke Clinic

POCOMOKE – Atlantic General Hospital announced last week that the Atlantic ImmediCare walk-in clinic located within the Rite Aid in Pocomoke City has permanently closed.

The seven-day-a-week walk-in clinic first opened in December 2009 along with sister clinics at the Ocean Pines and Millsboro, Del., Rite Aids to address a need for additional access to primary care on the Delmarva Peninsula.

According to Atlantic General Hospital leaders, who operate the Atlantic ImmediCare affiliates, the Pocomoke location has not realized the patient visit volumes necessary to maintain a walk-in presence in southern Worcester County. The other Atlantic ImmediCare clinics continue to thrive.

“We have found that the family medicine practices and other primary care providers in the Pocomoke community are extending their hours to better accommodate their patients, so there is not a significant need for a walk-in clinic there,” said Michael Franklin, president and CEO of Atlantic General Hospital and chair of the board for Atlantic ImmediCare. “It’s important that we focus our efforts and our resources where they are most needed.”

While volumes are low, a sizeable number of patients seen at the Pocomoke clinic come from Chincoteague and other areas on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where access is more limited. Therefore, Atlantic General Health System is expanding services at its Pocomoke Medical Center to include same-day care availability.

HealthFest Features
Olympic Gymnast

SALISBURY -- Peninsula Regional Medical Center and the Wicomico County Board of Education invite everyone on the Delmarva Peninsula to join them for HealthFest: An event for all ages, on Saturday, March 31.

Joining HealthFest as the event’s guest speaker is three-time Olympic gymnast, gold medalist and health advocate Dominique Dawes.

Dawes, who speaks nationally on fitness and health, was named the co-chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and served as a member of the “Magnificent Seven” 1996 U.S. team that won the gold medal at the Atlanta summer Olympic Games. Dawes will speak at 11:30 a.m. on fitness, exercise and staying healthy. The first 200 people into the Bennett gymnasium for the presentation that morning will be provided an opportunity to meet Dawes at a one hour photo and autograph session following her appearance.

This year’s event, a showcase of healthy exhibits and health screenings, is free and open to the public at James M. Bennett High School on College Avenue in Salisbury. The event will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Over 30 different and free health screenings, performed by Peninsula Regional Medical Center healthcare specialists and other area healthcare providers, will be available to anyone looking to find out how healthy they actually are, and to learn what they can do to lead a healthier and more productive lifestyle. ABI-Lower Body Circulation Screening and Prostate Screening require advance registration.

Registration will be open from Monday, March 12 through Friday, March 16 from 9 a.m. until noon each day or until all available appointments have been filled by calling 410-543-7139. Also available will be Total Cholesterol and Blood Glucose (Blood Sugar) tests, which do not need advance registration but do require all participants to have nothing to eat or drink for at least eight hours prior to the screenings.

At various times during the event, HealthFest will also offer participants a fun walk, a K-9 demonstration, a rock climbing wall and obstacle course, a health corner for kids, Zumba exercise and chair aerobics demonstrations and a healthy cooking demonstration. Additionally, attendees can meet the mascots from UMES, Salisbury University and Sherman the Shorebird.

The daVinci Surgical System Robot will be on exhibit, giving anyone interested a “hands on” opportunity to test the robot, and see, first-hand, how the technology is used at PRMC during revolutionary cutting edge surgeries. Over 40 additional exhibitors and vendors will also join HealthFest with valuable information on their services.

Business Expo Next Week

BERLIN -- The Berlin Chamber of Commerce and the Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce will once again join forces for the 2nd Annual Joint Chamber Business Expo on Thursday, March 15, from 5-8 p.m. in the former Harley-Davidson building on Route 50 in Berlin.

Over 50 businesses will display their services and products with creative and interactive exhibits in a wide range of interest such as business products, home improvements, social media, healthcare, education, financial, insurance, travel, beauty, massage, promotional products and much more. There will be lots of great door prizes donated from local businesses and a 50/50 raffle.

This is a great networking opportunity for members of all area chambers and for businessmen and women to mingle with fellow business owners, learn about new businesses in town and talk to hundreds of potential customers. This event is open to the public. All area business people, local chamber members and professionals are encouraged to attend.

Hors d'oeuvres sponsored by Royal Plus, Inc. and complimentary beer and wine sponsored by Bennett Termite & Pest Solutions and Racetrack Auto. Soda and water provided by Pepsi.

For more information or to register your business contact the Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce at 410-641-5306 or the Berlin Chamber of Commerce at 410-641-4775.

Care Unit Awarded

SALISBURY -- For a second, consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report, in its recent 2012 “Best Nursing Homes” study, awarded the Transitional Care Unit (TCU) at Peninsula Regional Medical Center a 5-Star overall rating for the quality of care provided to its residents. Peninsula Regional’s TCU was one of 51 skilled nursing facilities in Maryland and one of just four on the Eastern Shore to earn the 5-Star designation, indicating it is performing “far above average” when compared to the other 15,500 nursing homes in the United States.

Peninsula Regional’s TCU was awarded 14 out of a possible 15 stars, an Eastern Shore best, in the three categories U.S. News and World Report used to determine a center’s overall rating; Health Inspection, Nurse Staffing and Quality Measures. “Organizationally, this is a wonderful honor to have,” said Gina Nanna, Peninsula Regional Medical Center TCU Administrator. “However, the real recognition goes to the nursing and rehabilitation staff that works day-to-day with our patients. Their caring and dedication are the reasons that our patients routinely enjoy an exceptional experience.”

The Transitional Care Unit is a clinically staffed, skilled nursing facility that provides treatment for patients who no longer require inpatient care, but are in transition between returning home or moving into an extended care facility.