Out and About in Kent County with the Shore Community Outreach Team

Warmer weather and the end of the pandemic have created more opportunities for community engagement, and University of Maryland Shore Regional Health's Shore Community Outreach Team (SCOT) is making the most of these opportunities.

"Mind, Body and Soul – Exploring Mental Health in the African American Community" was the focus of a half-day, free event on Saturday, April 29, at Minary's Dream Alliance in Chestertown. Sponsored by SCOT in collaboration with the African American Women's Health Committee and Minary's Dream Alliance, the event attracted 40 community members.

At a health fair at Calvert Heights Apartments in Chestertown on May 20, SCOT team members provided 15 blood pressure screenings and provided five automatic blood pressure cuffs to screening participants who did not have cuffs at home. They also checked six individuals' HgA1c readings.

For Older Americans Day at the Amy Lynn Ferris Adult Activity Center in Chestertown on May 23, SCOT staff provided a presentation on how organize your health care to a group of 20 attendees.

Moving outdoors, SCOT used grant funding from the Midshore Health Improvement Coalition to revitalize the community garden beds planted last year in three locations: Chesapeake Villa in Rock Hall, My Abode in Worton, and Hope Community Alliance at Rock Hall Church of God in Edesville.

"Late April and May were busy for us and June will be as well," said SCOT Nurse Coordinator Emily Welsh, MSN, RN. "We have a number of community outreach activities in the works for this month, including a collaboration with Choptank Community Health and Angelica Nurseries to create an educational program about heat exhaustion prevention for migrant farm workers."

SCOT will also provide blood pressure and HgA1c screenings at two Chestertown locations: Recovery in Motion's Backyard Bash on Saturday, June 24; and at Brookmeadow Apartments on Thursday, June 29.

SCOT's mission is to improve the health of Kent and northern Queen Anne's counties by collaborating with partner organizations to bring health care access and support services to residents in their home settings and at convenient community sites. In addition to Welsh, the team includes social worker Michelle Mathews, two community advocates, Serenity Kelly, CCHW, and Amanda Webster; and Social Worker Michelle Matthews, MSW, LSCW-C. To learn more about SCOT programs, request services or make a referral, call 410-778-3300, ext. 5644.