- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogToday Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) announced the grand opening of its new Specialty Physicians Suite–Annapolis. Located on the fifth floor of the AAMC Belcher Pavilion, the Specialty Physicians Suite will house Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Cardiology Specialists, AAMG Diabetes and Endocrine Specialists, AAMG Neurology Specialists, AAMG Neuropsychology Specialists and AAMG Palliative Medicine Specialists. Mitch Schwartz, MD, chief medical officer at AAMC, says bringing these multispecialty doctors, nurses and skilled care teams under one roof is part of AAMC’s continuous efforts to better integrate and coordinate patient care. “Patients will have the benefit of better communication between doctors, easy appointment scheduling and seamless medical record sharing between specialties. Our focus is on our patients and creating the best health care experience possible,” says Dr. Schwartz. Barbara Onumah, MD, of AAMG Diabetes and Endocrine Specialists, says both patients and providers benefit from having all the care teams in a single location. “The environment will encourage collaboration between providers in different subspecialties. This will lead to better coordination of care and testing and improved patient outcomes,” she says. Patients visiting AAMC’s Specialty Physicians Suite will have the ability to get referrals and consultations on the spot, as well as save time scheduling appointments with specialists who can meet a spectrum of health care needs. Dr. Onumah explains how this works, specifically as it relates to patients with diabetes. “People with diabetes are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Adults with type 2 diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or stroke than adults without diabetes. Patients seeing an endocrine specialist within the Specialty Physicians Suite will have a ‘one stop shop,’” she says. To schedule an appointment with any of the practices located in the Specialty Physicians Suite—Annapolis call 443-481-6700.0
- Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLuminis Health partners with the Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) system, providing healthcare learning opportunities and career counseling to students as they train for their future careers. Both the Center of Applied Technology (CAT) North in Severn and CAT South in Edgewater are part of AACPS and prepare students for career pathways by offering experiential learning, post-secondary credits and industry certifications. In addition to providing CAT students with opportunities to practice clinical skills, Luminis Health hires them as interns and both temporary and permanent team members. Bennett Chateauneuf shares how he has benefited from this partnership. Bennett Chateauneuf is a senior who recently graduated from Broadneck High School in Annapolis. He worked a summer job at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC) in 2022 in Food and Nutrition where his role included delivering meals to patients throughout the hospital, returning used dinnerware to the kitchen and washing and sanitizing dishes. “My job in Food and Nutrition helped me come out of my shell a little bit,” Bennett says. “I became more comfortable with introducing myself to patients and making sure they knew who I was.” His summer position with LHAAMC’s Food and Nutrition team helped him ease his way into the next step he had mapped out for his future: a degree as a certified nursing assistant (CNA). In this role, he would have the opportunity to provide basic bedside patient care—such as checking vitals — and other patient-centered tasks under the supervision of licensed nursing staff. Bennett applied and was accepted into CAT South’s Academy of Health Profession, a 2-year program offered to 11th and 12th grade students. This program empowers students to become multi-skilled health care providers. “I have always loved talking to people, helping them and being in an environment where I’m communicating with a team,” Bennett says. Luminis Health’s partnership with CAT South means that Bennett and his classmates were able to complete 20 hours of hands-on clinical training at LHAAMC. Having worked in Food and Nutrition the previous summer, Bennett felt right at home—his classmates relied on his familiarity with the facility to help them navigate. “I knew my way around the entire hospital and my peers were able to rely on me for directions,” he recalls. “I knew where everything was.” After graduation, Bennett knew that he wanted to apply the skills he had learned as a student at CAT South to a job as a CNA at LHAAMC: “The people who work at LHAAMC are super nice,” he says. “It’s a great community and it’s the largest hospital in the Annapolis area, so they’ve got cool high-tech equipment that you just don’t see at other facilities. There’s nothing else like Luminis Health in Maryland.” Bennett’s dedication and focus paid off when he was hired as a CNA at LHAAMC. He officially started his role at the hospital this month. For Bennett, this is just the beginning of a well-considered career plan: his ultimate goal is medical school, where he would like to earn a degree in anesthesiology. CAT South and Luminis Health’s collaboration has played an important role in helping him achieve his dream of helping others through a healthcare career. AACPS students can get involved in this program by speaking with their instructors about the CAT Academy of Health. Beyond this partnership, Luminis Health has a variety of job shadow, student volunteer and internship opportunities for any student who may be interested in the healthcare field.0
- News & Press Releases, Women's Health, Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogToday’s uncertainties with COVID-19 likely raise additional concerns in your mind as you prepare for your labor and delivery. Know that we hear you and so many others who are faced with similar challenges. Here are some of the most frequent questions we are hearing. As you know, things are changing rapidly. Keep checking our website for up-to-date policies and procedures that may apply during your stay with us. We will continue to add to these questions as we work together to explore ways to make your experience a good one despite these extraordinary times. How will the COVID-19 restrictions affect my routine prenatal care? Right now, we advise pregnant mothers to keep their routine appointments. Should this need to change, your provider will notify you. You may receive a call from us before your appointment to screen for any symptoms and exposures or to check your travel history. We will provide advice around these questions and assess whether to have you come to the office or schedule a telehealth visit. Can a support person come with me to my prenatal appointments? We realize that someone may bring you to and from your appointments and we ask that only you come inside the office for your appointment. Please have your support person stay outside of our waiting areas. In our office settings, we want to be mindful of social distancing. More people in our waiting areas makes it difficult to follow social distancing guidelines. The safety of you and your family is our priority. How will COVID-19 restrictions change my birth plan? While every birth plan is different, some of the updates we announced may have an impact on visitation during your stay. Visitors are limited to one consistent support person throughout the duration of your labor, delivery and postpartum care. Rest assured that your support person can be with you in the delivery room and spend the night with you and your baby the entire time you are with us. This policy change protects you and your baby and protects the health and safety of our workforce. Caring for our frontline staff is a high priority so that they can continue to work to deliver our babies and care for our families now and in the weeks ahead. Will I be tested for COVID-19 before my delivery? If you are being admitted for delivery, we have universal COVID-19 testing procedures in place, documented here in English and Spanish. If I test positive, will my baby and I be separated after birth? We are no longer advising separation if the mother tests positive, based on new recommendations and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and others. You may choose to keep your baby in the room to maximize the benefits of direct newborn care. We ask that mom and baby stay spaced six feet apart and that mom wears a mask and practices good hand hygiene before breastfeeding or other direct newborn care. If you prefer, we can arrange to care for your baby in our NICU to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to your baby while in the hospital. If mom chooses temporary separation, we will gladly provide a hospital-grade breast pump for breastmilk expression during admission. Does my support person have to be the same person throughout my entire stay? If that initial person leaves, can someone else take their place as the one visitor? We ask that you have the same support person throughout your stay. This person should limit coming and going from the hospital to reduce the chances of exposure. Can my doula accompany me during my stay, along with my support person? Yes, we welcome doulas back into the hospital as part of your care team, along with one family member/support person. Your doula may be present with you through labor and delivery and postpartum. We do not consider doulas visitors. Rather, they are part of the care team. Attending doulas are not interchangeable with an additional family member/support person. One person may be present with patients delivering in an operating room. The support person selected to be present is the choice of the mother. In addition to our general health and safety guidelines around PPE use and hand hygiene, we also ask doulas to check in with the charge nurse upon entry to the unit and provide identification, a copy of their formal patient agreement and their doula certification. How long will these restrictions be in place? We cannot determine when we will lift restrictions until COVID-19 infection rates decline. There are many experts looking at our nation’s infection rates to understand when we might begin to experience a decline in COVID-19 cases. We will continue to do what is best to keep you, your baby and our staff safe. Our healthcare providers are ready with knowledge and support. They are resilient. They are not skipping a beat when it comes to caring for our patients and families safely. While these are extraordinary times, we are dedicated to continuing our compassionate care for new life, for our mothers, for our families and for each other. Originally published March 23, 2020. Last updated Sept. 22, 2020.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogRebecca “Becky” Fortney (formerly Becky Greco) was a true champion of our community. She lent her time and philanthropic support to several wonderful non-profit organizations in Anne Arundel County. Becky had a busy schedule running a successful real estate business and caring for several members of her family. Still, she found time to be a supporter for healthcare in our region by serving on the AAMC Foundation Board of Directors from 2003 to 2011. Becky was sensitive to those who did not have the resources to access care. Over nearly two decades of support for AAMC, Becky provided more than $500,000 to fund: A safe room for victims of domestic violence in the Emergency Room. Programs and facilities for breast healthcare. Facilities within the Geaton and JoAnn DeCesaris Cancer Institute. Sadly, Becky passed away unexpectedly in the summer of 2014, but her legacy lives on. Becky made a significant planned gift to AAMC through her estate to support breast health and geriatric care at AAMC. To honor her commitment, The Breast Center on the main AAMC campus was renamed The Rebecca Fortney Breast Center at a ceremony held on March 29, 2016. It is the Fortney family’s hope, and ours, that Becky’s compassion, spirit, courage and legacy will serve as a source of inspiration and strength to all of the patients and families who receive care in The Rebecca Fortney Breast Center for many years to come.0
- Patient Stories, Plastic Surgery & Skin CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAfter a lifetime of feeling uncomfortable in his own skin, Giovanni Rozier made the decision to receive gender affirmation surgery on his chest (commonly known as top surgery). He explored surgical programs in Maryland and was pleased and surprised to learn he could receive surgery at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC). “I love that hospital. All the babies in my family were born there…I would rather use LHAAMC than any other place.” “We are proud to help patients achieve their gender affirmation goals,” says Derek L. Masden, MD, chief of plastic surgery. “This procedure involves removal of breast tissue to create a flat and masculine chest.” Top surgery is widely recognized for improving the quality of life in those experiencing gender dysphoria, which is a sense of unease that a person feels when the gender they were assigned at birth does not match with their gender identity. Since transitioning, Giovanni says his life has changed for the better. “Now I don’t have to worry when I use men’s bathrooms and locker rooms. I know I am supposed to be there and I look like I’m supposed to be there. There’s no denying it.” “Gender affirmation can be life-changing,” says Lauren Eisenbeis, physician assistant. “Patients can finally be their authentic selves without having to hide or feel disconnects between their external appearance and internal selves.” Giovanni’s advice for others considering surgery is: “do what makes you happy.” He adds, “Nobody else has to live in your skin. Nobody else has to be you every day. I want trans people to love what they see in the mirror.” To learn if gender affirmation surgery at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center is for you, please reach out to our plastic surgery team at 443-481-3400 to schedule a consultation, or visit our Plastic Surgery page on Luminishealth.org.0
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