Jeanette Jeffrey Named Health Educator for Shore Medical Center at Chestertown’s Rural Health Transformation Team

Jeanette Jeffrey has joined the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown as Health Educator on the hospital’s Rural Health Care Transformation Team.

The Health Educator position was established to provide leadership and collaboration with local community partners in developing and managing community health education programs and campaigns that will be offered through the Chestertown hospital’s Aging and Wellness Center of Excellence. Lara Wilson, Director of Rural Health Care Transformation for UM Shore Regional Health, said the goal of these initiatives is to inform residents of Kent and northern Queen Anne’s counties of strategies for maintaining their health and to promote appropriate use of local health resources. 

Prior to joining the Rural Health Care Transformation team, Jeffrey served for three years as Extension Educator - Family and Consumer Sciences for the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Anne Arundel County; 1.5 years as Senior Health Education Consultant for Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group in Rockville and 13 years as Director and Professor of Public Health and Nutrition at Howard Community College in Columbia. Her teaching experience also includes many years on the adjunct faculties of the Community College of Baltimore County (Catonsville campus) and the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She is certified as a Master Health Education Specialist by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing.

Jeffrey’s educational credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education from Towson University and a Master of Public Health/Public Health Nutrition and Master of Science in Education, both from Johns Hopkins University (JHU). She also has completed graduate certificate programs in Humanitarian Assistance from JHU and in International Health/Clinical and Community Care from the University of Arizona. She has authored and co-authored articles on a wide array of public health topics in research, scholarly and general interest publications, and also served as a consultant and speaker for multiple public health organizations and conferences. 

 “Jeanette’s broad credentials and experience in public health and community education make her a fantastic addition to the Rural Health Care Transformation team,” said Wilson. “We look forward to introducing her to our hospital staff and to our community partners in Kent and northern Queen Anne’s counties.”

“The new health educator position will play an indispensable role in the development and long-term sustainability of our various initiatives to advance health care accessibility and improve health outcomes in our region,” said Dennis Welsh, Vice President, Rural Health Care Transformation, UM SRH, and Executive Director, UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown. “Jeanette’s  experience and training will add greatly to the work that is ongoing.”