CAMBRIDGE — UM Shore Regional Health’s (UM SRH's) Population Health Department has established a new Shore Community Outreach Team (SCOT) to serve Dorchester County residents.
Following the SCOT model operating in Kent and northern Queen Anne’s counties since 2021, members of the Shore Community Outreach Team – Dorchester will visit community sites throughout Dorchester County, including places of worship, residential care facilities, firehouses, senior centers, health fairs and community events, and other social centers.
SCOT also will serve Dorchester patients and families in their home settings. Specific services offered include: Home safety inspections, assistance with filling out advance directives, blood pressure checks and health screenings, case management for those with chronic illnesses (diabetes, heart failure, COPD, etc.), wellness activities, and arrangement of telehealth consults with health care providers.
In Kent County, SCOT activities have yielded impressive results, a statement from Shore Health said. During 2023, the team enrolled 115 patients and conducted 920 home visits in Kent County. After six months, 75 patients identified as “high utilizers” realized an average decrease in health care charges of $5,919 per patient.
“We’ve seen that taking health care information and support out into the community, meeting patients ‘where they are’ with free health care screenings, information, guidance and support, helps them manage their health conditions and achieve a better quality of life,” said Jess Denny, Interim Director of Population Health at UM SRH. “We are excited to get Dorchester’s Shore Community Outreach Team up and running, and to start providing these important health care services in Cambridge and other locations throughout the county.”
The SCOT – Dorchester staff now includes a nurse coordinator and two community health advocates.
Rochalla Jones, BSN, RN, has been named Nurse Coordinator of SCOT – Dorchester. A resident of Hudson, Jones has been with UM SRH for more than decade, most recently serving as Nurse Navigator in the Cancer Center since 2022. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from American Public University, and her Associate of Science degree from Chesapeake College’s Macqueen Gibbs Willis School of Nursing.
Courtney Thomas of Cambridge, and Amanda McDermott of Trappe, have joined SCOT-Dorchester as Community Health Advocates.
Thomas most recently worked for the Eastern Shore Area Higher Education Center (ESAHEC) in Cambridge, first as a Community Health Worker and then as Special Initiatives Program Coordinator. Previously, she served the Talbot County Health Department as a Medical Scribe. A graduate of North Dorchester High School in Hurlock, Thomas is licensed by the State of Maryland as a Community Health Worker, and holds certifications in Youth Mental Health First Aid and Strengthening Families Program Group Leader Training Facilitation.
McDermott’s experience includes more than 13 years in emergency health care services. She served as a certified Paramedic in Talbot County (2016-2023) and as a certified Emergency Medical Technician in Dorchester County (2006-2013). A graduate of North Dorchester High School, McDermott has served as an adjunct faculty member in Chesapeake College’s Paramedic Course, and is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management.
To learn more, request services or make a referral, contact Jones, 443-225-7545 or DorchesterShoreCommunityOutreach@umm.edu.
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