News


Photo of Shannon Trego with Dr. Don Richter and Kari Bernard

Pictured (L-R) are Shannon Trego with Dr. Don Richter and Kari Bernard of Mountain Laurel Medical Center in Oakland, Maryland. Shannon comes to Western Maryland via the Garrett Allegany Health Workforce Development Network, a Western Maryland AHEC grant funded by the United States Office of Rural Health Policy. For more information contact Martha Bird at mbird@wmahec.org. 

Trego is a student from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Physician Assistant Program. She will be at Mountain Laurel Medical for 2 months until March 6, 2013 as part of a 12 month series of rotations that make up the Physician Assistant clerkship. Shannon will be completing her entire clerkship in Western Maryland, alternating between Garrett and Allegany counties. She is projected to complete her clerkship in December 2013.


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Pictured above from left to right are Martha Bird, GAHWDN Director; Dr. William Pope, Deputy Health Officer; Dr. Castel Santana, University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine Medical Resident; Mr. Rodney Glotfelty, Garrett County Health Officer; Susan Stewart, Executive Director, Western Maryland AHEC; and Dr. Don Richter, Mountain Laurel Medical Center.
Garrett County Welcomes Medical Resident Dr. Castel Santana

Garrett County Health Officer Rodney Glotfelty introduced Dr. Castel Santana to Garrett County Health Department and Western Maryland Area Health Education Center staff at a welcome luncheon at the health department on Tuesday, January 8, 2013, as Dr. Santana begins his month-long Community Medicine rotation. Dr. Santana is a medical resident from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Santana will learn public health in a rural setting via the health department. He is also spending time with preceptors Dr. Donald Richter, Mountain Laurel Medical Center Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center, with Family Practitioner Dr. Robert Goralski of Garrett Medical Group, and with Dermatologist Dr. Daniel Herring, Oakland, Maryland.

Glotfelty expressed his pleasure in having Dr. Santana in the county to explore how the provision of health care services are done in a rural county in a uniquely collaborative manner. Programs such as the Garrett Allegany Health Workforce Development Network (GAHWDN) will eventually help with the difficult job of recruiting physicians to rural settings.

Dr. Santana, who was the Midwest Wrestling Rookie of the Year in 2001, maintains his interest in sports via coaching and planning community health fairs focused on health and fitness. He stated that he is looking forward to working with physicians in the community and getting to know Garrett County.

Dr. Santana comes to Western Maryland via the Garrett Allegany Health Workforce Development Network, which is funded by the United States Office of Rural Health Policy.  For more information contact Martha Bird at mbird@wmahec.org at Western Maryland AHEC.

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Medical Resident Dr. Michael (Mike) Pitzer touches base with Carole Kenny, Director of Physical Health and Nursing, Allegany County Health Department as part of his month-long Community Medicine rotation in Allegany County.  Dr. Pitzer, who is a resident from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, participated in the Garrett Allegany Health Workforce Development Network (GAHWDN) program which was initiated to increase the number of medical residency rotations in Garrett and Allegany counties.  

Dr. Pitzer stated that he was appreciative to be here and that everyone was friendly and helpful.  He particularly enjoyed his time in Allegany County and learning about rural public health.   He also practiced with Dr. Michele Kennedy at Tri-State Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center, and with Family Practitioner Dr. Anthony Bollino, LaVale, Maryland.  Dr. Pitzer was quite impressed with the extent of the scope of practice in Allegany County.  GAHWDN is a Rural Workforce Network with partners Western Maryland Area Health Education Center, the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Department of Family and Community Medicine, Garrett County Memorial Hospital, Western Maryland Health System,  Mountain Laurel Medical Center and Tri-State Community Health Center (the latter two both Federally Qualified Health Centers), and other health providers funded by the U.S. Office of Rural Health Policy.  For more information contact Martha Bird at mbird@wmahec.org


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Dr. Tracy Givens completes her October 2012 month-long rotation in Western Maryland with Dr. Robert Goralski, Garrett Medical Group, who practices Family Medicine in Oakland, Maryland.  Medical residents such as Givens are required to complete this curriculum by the University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Family and Community Medicine (“UM SOM Department”). 

In addition to her time at Garrett Medical Group, Givens spent a week at the Allegany County Health Department and a week at Garrett County’s Mountain Laurel Medical Center with Dr. Donald Richter. This curriculum, along with other initiatives designed to increase access to primary care services in the region, was created by the Garrett-Allegany Health Workforce Development Network (GAHWDN) and is funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. GAWWDN is a collaborative effort among health facilities and providers in both counties, Western Maryland AHEC, and the UM SOM Department of Family and Community Medicine. For further information, contact Martha Bird, Network Director, at 301-777-9150, Ext. 110, or mbird@wmahec.org.