HealthFocus Summer 2024

In 2023, TidalHealth Peninsula Regional began renovating the walk-in entrance to the Salisbury hospital’s emergency/trauma center as part of a security enhancement effort. This spring, that expanded to include the installation of a metal detection system in a vestibule immediately outside the waiting area.

Anyone entering the emergency/trauma center through the walk-in entrance is being screened prior to being admitted to the waiting and registration areas.

“The reaction and support from the community has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Scott Phillips, MBA, Vice President of Supply Chain and Support Services.

TidalHealth asks everyone to please make sure they empty their pockets of cell phones, keys, smart watches, RFID-blocking wallets, steel-toe footwear, vaping pens and certain belts prior to screening. Purses and bags are also subject to inspection. Signage is posted at the screening area as a reminder and protection services officers are present to assist everyone before passing through the detection system.

Additionally, a secondary layer of security has been added that prevents patients and visitors from directly accessing the hospital from the emergency/trauma waiting area.

As the emergency/trauma center becomes its own stand-alone unit, anyone needing to leave the area or enter the hospital will have to exit through the vestibule. Those returning will be rescreened prior to entry.

TidalHealth thanks our community for its support and understanding as we work to improve the safety to everyone working on or visiting our campus. Additional security enhancements, including metal detection at other entrances, are planned.

In the photo, Scott Phillips, Vice President of Supply Chain and Support Services, passes through metal detection on his way into TidalHealth’s Emergency/Trauma Center in Salisbury.

TidalHealth Peninsula Regional now offers the VELYS™ Robotic-Assisted Solution, the latest advancement that helps surgeons perform knee replacement surgery that is tailored to each patient with the goal to get patients back to life faster.

In 2019, there were approximately 900,000 primary knee replacements performed in the United States. Patients are often looking for the latest technology as they aim for improved outcomes, increased movement, and shortened recovery time.

Every knee is different, as is every patient requiring a knee replacement procedure.

Peninsula Orthopaedic Associates, P.A. (POA) surgeons in the joint replacement program at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional in Salisbury, Md., are now using the VELYS™ Robotic-Assisted Solution, a technology that helps surgeons perform a knee replacement with the use of data that’s tailored to each patient’s anatomy.

This new service at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional is the first use of robotic-assisted technology in knee replacement surgery at the Salisbury hospital. The collaborative partnership between TidalHealth and POA continues the commitment to bring innovative and advanced technology and new, less-invasive surgical options to patients on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Scott Gelman, MD is a member of the joint replacement team at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional and champion of the robotic total joint replacement program at the Salisbury hospital.

“This technology is designed to help ensure predictable results to improve outcomes, increase mobility, and helps patients recover faster,” said Dr. Gelman, orthopedic surgeon and joint replacement specialist with POA in Salisbury. "The VELYS robot, which has an added benefit of not requiring CT scanning to ensure a precision fit of the knee joint, provides our patients outstanding outcomes by balancing the ligaments and placing the knee replacement in a more anatomic position. The goal is that this provides our patients with less pain on recovery and a quicker return to normal activities.”

The VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution works in tandem with the ATTUNE® Knee System, which is an innovative knee implant designed to work more closely with an individual patient’s anatomy. The ATTUNE Knee can help increase stability and reduce pain, providing better range of motion and preventing the unstable feeling some patients experience during everyday activities, such as bending and walking up and down stairs. With these systems together, there is now an option for patients who are seeking the latest technology designed to provide digital precision in knee replacement.

Following years of unsuccessful pain management attempts — and the inability to perform daily activities like climbing stairs or riding a bike — Noreen Fleming of Ocean Pines has reclaimed her quality of life. After undergoing VELYS robotic-assisted knee-replacement surgery, the 69-year-old is enjoying increased mobility.

“The outcome even exceeded my expectations,” she excitedly shared. “I had a full knee replacement on my right knee in 2022, and I believe this surgery has me six to eight weeks ahead of my last recovery.”

Noreen credits a great team in the operating room and outstanding physical therapy with advancing her recovery.

“Early on, I was quite confident that would be doing the things I loved before and even more,” she added. “Dr. Gelman is such an excellent surgeon that we’ve chosen him to do my husband’s knee replacement this fall. He and the TidalHealth team were my only choice.”

In the first photo, Noreen Fleming, a recent knee replacement patient who benefited from the VELYS robotic solution available at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, enjoys the pain-free freedom or riding her bicycle again.

In the second photo, Scott Gelman, MD, orthopedic surgeon with Peninsula Orthopaedic Associates, P.A. and member of the TidalHealth joint replacement program, and members of the surgical team perform a total knee replacement using the VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution.

TidalHealth Peninsula Regional was recently named a “best” regional hospital for equitable access on the Eastern Shore by US News. The recognition identifies our Salisbury hospital as achieving excellence in caring for patients in historically underserved communities while maintaining high-quality care. It was one of only 98 hospitals honored across the United States. Given this exciting designation, it’s a great time to share the remarkable strides our community wellness initiatives have made in advancing healthcare access across Delmarva.  

Our Community Wellness team remains steadfast in their commitment to equitable healthcare access. Through proactive outreach efforts, they bring vital services directly into our communities. This quarter, they have tirelessly conducted screenings and provided health education throughout our service area. These efforts extend beyond traditional healthcare settings, with our team visiting homes to address social determinants of health such as food security, transportation barriers, and housing stability. 

In Delaware, our partnership with the Seaford Community of Hope and Children and Families First has been instrumental in providing screenings and health education to residents of Meadowbridge and Chandler Heights. Notably, our collaboration culminated in a successful community health fair at West Seaford Elementary this spring. Our Mobile Unit also frequents community sites like the Salvation Army and Papayo Market, offering blood pressure checks and diabetes risk assessments while linking community members to insurance coverage and primary care providers. 

Across Maryland, our team extends its reach to underserved communities from Salisbury to Smith Island. Partnering with Aetna Better Health of Maryland, they conduct vital screenings at local laundromats and collaborate with Rebirth, Inc., to serve the Haitian population with essential screenings and healthcare connections. Additionally, our nurse practitioners provide critical care to uninsured immigrants with chronic conditions, ensuring they receive immediate medical attention and ongoing support. 

Looking ahead, I am excited to announce our receipt of a new $4.8 million Health Equity Resource Community grant. This initiative, developed in collaboration with our coalition partners, will expand our outreach, screening, and education efforts. It represents a significant step toward linking even more residents to the comprehensive care and resources necessary for optimal wellness. 

We’re also raising funds for a state-of-the-art mobile mammography unit that will bring advanced breast screening technology and experienced clinicians to the doorsteps of those who may face barriers to preventative care. According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will experience a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, underscoring the critical importance of our Drive for Mobile Mammography campaign. This initiative aims to ensure every woman on Delmarva has access to essential breast cancer screenings. We are almost a quarter of the way to our $1 million goal. If you’d like to make a donation and help save the life of a friend, family member or neighbor, click here.

Together, we continue to uphold our commitment to advancing healthcare equity across Delmarva. Thank you for your dedication to our mission, and for your tireless efforts in making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. 

The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) recently completed its review and consideration of TidalHealth Peninsula Regional as a Cardiac Interventional Center.

MIEMSS found substantial compliance with the required standards and has re-designated TidalHealth Peninsula Regional as a Cardiac Interventional Center (CIC) for the next five years. This designation was first received April 1, 2011, and TidalHealth Peninsula Regional has continuously held it ever since.

The CIC designation means TidalHealth Peninsula Regional is available to the public 24 hours per day, seven days per week with the required equipment and supplies and is staffed with qualified clinicians and team members to serve the needs of patients with acute ST-elevated myocardial infarction (heart attack) or STEMI.

When caring for a heart attack patient, time is muscle.

A STEMI occurs with an artery that supplies blood to the heart is suddenly blocked. The most common symptoms of a heart attack are discomfort, pressure, or pain in the center of the chest, pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea and lightheadedness.

If any of these symptoms are present, EMS should be called immediately by dialing 9-1-1.

In the photo, TidalHealth Peninsula Regional has again been designated as a Cardiac Interventional Center.

A community member lost 12 pounds and brought her blood sugar level down from 250 mg/dL to 150 mg/dL after participating in healthy lifestyle programming provided in her primary language of Haitian-Creole through facilitators at her church.

Another woman was seen by a registered nurse at a local Haitian community center and found out her blood pressure was uncontrolled. She visited the clinic and worked with a community health worker, nurse, and nurse practitioner to get appropriate medication, make healthy lifestyle changes, and improve her blood pressure.

These are two examples of the successes from TidalHealth’s partnerships with community-based nonprofits such as the Haitian Development Center of Delmarva (HDCD) and Rebirth, Inc. HDCD’s mission is to assist, educate, and empower immigrant communities to better themselves. They provide case management services to immigrants and migrants in need. Rebirth, Inc. also aims to empower immigrants and enrich our local communities through a variety of services including case management, disease education, and a culturally inclusive food pantry.

The collaboration with HDCD and Rebirth, as well and many other community organizations, is part of the Rural Equity and Access to Community Health (REACH) project funded by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC), through the State of Maryland’s Pathways to Health Equity grant program. This grant was a two-year pilot project that ended in June 2024. The work that began under the REACH grant will continue and expand thanks to a new grant program of the CHRC, through development of Health Equity Resource Community.

TidalHealth is excited to announce that it is now the recipient of an additional $4.8 million grant award to extend the REACH project for another five years. TidalHealth and its partners will continue to scale strategies that address health disparities, particularly among the Haitian community. The grant is made available under the Maryland Health Equity Resource Act which provides funding and resources for local communities to address health disparities, improve health outcomes, expand access to primary care and prevention services, and help reduce health care costs.

Haitian immigrants of the Lower Eastern Shore are at greater risk for complications from chronic health conditions because of limited access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care as well as social risk factors such as poverty, food insecurity, and housing insecurity. Those who have newly arrived in the country may be uninsured or underinsured and lack a primary care provider to continue their care and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

To address disparities and improve care, TidalHealth supported HCDC’s Sante ou Se Riches (Your Health is Wealth) Campaign. There are 15 Haitian churches in Wicomico County. The goal of the campaign was to educate up to 1,000 Haitian community members at local Haitian churches through a collaboration with health care providers who provide information about chronic disease management.

TidalHealth’s Community Wellness team also worked with Rebirth to offer onsite clinic services to clients with diabetes or hypertension and who do not have yet have access to health insurance coverage or a primary care provider. Nurse Practitioners fill in the gap to treat acute medical issues and write prescriptions as needed.

The medical and social needs are many in the Haitian population. TidalHealth meets the needs of the Haitian community, not in isolation, but through these vital partnerships. The new grant program will expand REACH partnerships and improve the health of our communities.

Supported by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission. The views presented here are those of the grantee organization and not necessarily those of the Commission, its Executive Director, or its staff.

Leadership

Steve Leonard, Ph.D., MBA, FACHE, President/CEO

Memo Diriker, Chairperson, TidalHealth, Inc. Board of Directors

Christopher C. Hall, Vice President, Strategy/CBO

Roger A. Follebout, Jr., Director of Strategic Communications/ Contributing Writer/Editor

Contributing Writers

Laren MacMillan, Director of Brand Marketing

Jessica Perry, Coordinator of Strategic Communications

Katherine Rodgers, Director of Community Health Initiatives

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