Eastern Shore Wellness Solutions Overview
Eastern Shore Wellness Solutions, Inc. (ESWS) – a nonprofit, community based, health education and training organization managed by Joyce Opher and Ashyrra Dotson which focuses on closing the racial and health disparities gaps in six (6) Eastern Shore Counties (Dorchester, Caroline, and Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Kent, and Wicomico). With a targeted and primary population service area within Dorchester County; Eastern Shore Wellness’ work is implemented through the Community Health Workers (CHW) providing programs inclusive of Minority Outreach and Technical Assistance (MOTA), HIV/AIDS Awareness, Pregnancy, Youth and Retailer Tobacco Education Programs, Epilepsy Awareness, Food Insecurity Awareness and the Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Programs, where we touch more than 200,000 individual per year. All programs and services are at no cost to the program participant. ESWS is 100% supported through grant funding and continues to garner partnerships within the communities they serve in order to move the needle toward improved health outcomes for minority and marginalized community members on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Community Health Worker (CHW) Program
In order to advance Health Equity across Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the CHW program operates by using a non-clinical team of trusted community members who have been professionally trained in the areas of Chronic Disease, Cultural Competency, Motivational interviewing, Medication Technicians, First Aide, CPR and AED as well as Ethics and Professionalism to help empower residents to advocate for the health outcomes of themselves and their family. The CHW team members continue to serve on the Statewide CHW Network /Association. This work is further supported by trained Peer Support Specialists who facilitate community training services.
Minority Outreach and Technical
Assistance (M.O.T.A.) Program
ESWS continues to chair the Dorchester Community Wellness Coalition and has moved the coalition into a more structured leadership with a defined purpose and strategic plan for the work in the future. The coalition is a cohort of community leaders and partners working together to create a Community Health Plan that will reduce the impact of chronic illness on the Dorchester community as well as reduce Emergency Room visits for preventable chronic disease.
The programmatic work for the outreach component is driven by the health outcomes within our largely Diabetic community which focuses on helping individuals successfully manage this chronic condition through follow-up post the DSM training at 30, 60 and 90 day intervals in order to continue to reduce the number of preventable emergency room visits by this population. The secondary or co-agenda under the ESWS leadership is to assist in the reduction of health disparities that prevent marginalized community members from access or utilizing health care services; which is completed through monthly Mobile Pantries.
Additionally, Eastern Shore Wellness Solutions, offers other programmatic services including: Tobacco Education, Cessation and Awareness
Services includes:
Youth Tobacco Education – Designed to use Peer Models “Youth Ambassadors” to advocate regarding Smoking Cessation or not starting smoking to and for youth aged 9 – 19.
Vendor Education – designed to educate any vendors within the county with a license to sell tobacco, nicotine or vape products on sales to minors and the Maryland laws associated with such.
PATCH – A tobacco education and cessation program for Pregnant Women, Young Children, Fathers and family members of the women of childbearing age.
Epilepsy Awareness which provided information and education on Epilepsy in our community as well as information for providers and caregivers.
Healthy Kids – a 6 week physical activity and nutrition education program designed to reduce obesity among young children who attend an early childhood or elementary education facility.
Smart & Secure Children – an evidence based Parenting Skills program offered for 12 weeks to parents.
Environmental Public Health Tracking Portal Program – designed to provide community members with invaluable information on the EPHT portal, its tools and environmental impacts on specific communities across the state of Maryland.
Chronic Disease
Prevention
and Management
By continuing to cultivate partnerships and collaboration efforts with Choptank Community Health, Shore Regional Health Systems and local primary care providers – Eastern Shore Wellness, engages community members, provides education and assistance, is able to document and track program participant referrals to the 6 week DSMP (Diabetes Self-Management Program) and CDSMP (Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs) along with the year-long N-DPP (National Diabetes Prevention Program) through the BE Healthy MD Database. The Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialist lead the charge on the Eastern Shore for providing community wide, evidence-based Living Well training and facilitation through our partnership with MAC, Inc.
Mobile Food Pantries
Mobile Food Pantries are offered monthly at various locations around Dorchester County providing a minimum of 6,000 pounds of food to community in need. Eastern Shore Wellness, has and will continue to partner with community organizations outside Dorchester County to address Food Insecurity in communities that are burdened by limited access to healthy and quality produce and sustainable proteins for families on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.