CHESTERTOWN — Kent Shore Community Outreach Team is the Kent County Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Organization of the Year.
Kent SCOT is a population health initiative of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, a member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System.
Presented at the chamber of commerce’s annual meeting at Chester River Yacht & Country Club, the Community Excellence Award-Organization of the Year recognizes the outstanding community service and contributions of nurse coordinator Emily Welsh, social worker Michelle Matthews and community health advocates Amanda Webster and Serenity Kelly.
According to a news release, the award is designed to highlight a nonprofit or community organization that has “significantly enhanced the quality of life for Kent County residents through exemplary effort that contributes to the overall well-being and vitality of the community.”
In addition to a commemorative plaque, the award includes a $1,000 gift from the chamber of commerce to support SCOT’s continued health care outreach and services for residents of Kent County.
Since January 2024, SCOT members have provided 60 free health screening events (blood pressure and diabetes) and 988 home visits and case management support for 166 patients.
Patients served by SCOT may benefit not only from improved access to health care services, but also fewer emergency department visits and hospital admissions, as well as reduced health care costs.
”On behalf of the entire Shore Regional Health team serving Kent and northern Queen Anne’s counties, I am proud to congratulate our Kent Shore Community Outreach Team on this well-deserved recognition from the Kent County Chamber of Commerce,” Zack Royston, vice president of Rural Health Care Transformation and executive director of UM Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, said in the news release.
He added, ”The team has been a driving force in transforming rural health care by delivering services to individuals where they are — whether in patients’ homes, trusted community sites or through our partnerships with other community organizations. Through these efforts, the Shore Community Outreach Team is not only improving access to care, but also making a profound, positive impact in communities we serve.”
