Shore Community Outreach Team offers free health screenings, information in Rock Hall

CHESTERTOWN — The Shore Community Outreach Team (SCOT) of Kent County continues to provide information, resources and free screenings through partnerships with local civic, religious and nonprofit organizations. SCOT is part of University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, a member organization of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health and University of Maryland Medical System.

On June 25, Kent SCOT members Emily Welsh, MSN, RN, Nurse Coordinator, Michelle Matthews, MSW, LSCW-C, Social Worker, and Serenity Kelly, CCHW, and Amanda Webster, CCHW, both Community Advocates, joined staff members from the Kent County Department of Social Services at a “Blessing Bag Giveaway” offered by the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Rock Hall.

As a collaboration between the Maryland Food Bank and the Seventh-day Adventist Church, this event is a food pantry open to community members every Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

“The event was a great success! We provided free health screenings, program information and connections to healthcare resources, including 15 blood pressure screenings and 10 hemoglobin A1c screenings,” Welsh said. “Two participating individuals who had no history of diabetes were identified to have prediabetic A1c readings. We counseled them to follow up with their primary care provider and gave them information on free diabetes prevention programs available in the area.”

The team also met a community member who recently been in the hospital and had no primary care provider (PCP) to provide follow-up care. SCOT members met with that individual later in the week, assisted with completing a new patient application for a local primary care office, and scheduled the client for a new patient PCP appointment.

“We are always happy when our efforts help our people improve their health status and gain access to quality care,” said Welsh. “Our participation was well received by the church and the Rock Hall community. We look forward to returning to there on Tuesday, July 23 to provide more free health screenings and connections to health care resources.”

Services provided by SCOT to residents of Kent and northern Queen Anne’s counties include: home safety inspections, 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.

To learn more about the Shore Community Outreach Team in Kent County, request services or make a referral, call 410-778-3300, ext. 5644.