Thank you for attending the 2023 HSMP Annual Meeting and for another successful year! There were a total of 92 attendees this year. We hope that you were able to take away key ideas and apply them to your unique communities.
With your support, HSMP donated 1 box of non-perishable foods to the St. Mary’s County Health Hub’s Food Pantry and 1 box of fresh fruit and snack bars to the homeless community on Great Mills Rd!
If you have not already, please complete the HSMP Annual Meeting Feedback and Evaluation Form to provide insight on how we can better improve our meetings in the future!
Thank you to our sponsors!
The Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for participants to network, learn from public health experts, and receive updates on local health improvement efforts. The 2023 HSMP Annual Meeting will include learning sessions from distinguished speakers on various topics related to the four priority health issues facing St. Mary’s County: Behavioral Health, Chronic Disease, Environmental Health, and Violence, Injury, and Trauma. The afternoon segment will be utilized for group planning activities.
Speaker Sessions & Topics
Building a Digital Hub to Advance Health Equity
The St. Mary’s County Health Department and its private sector partner, WellCheck, will demonstrate how technology can address barriers to health and human services, including those addressing social determinants of health. Dr. Brewster and Mr. Nickerson will lead a discussion of how SMCHD is implementing technology strategies to advance health equity and support community partnerships.
Meena Brewster has served as the Health Officer for St. Mary’s County, Maryland since 2012, directing the local health department and providing health guidance for the county. Prior to her current role, she served as the Medical Director for the Health and Human Services Commission at the Indiana State Department of Health and as the Chronic Disease Director for the state. Her previous work experience also includes appointment as Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where she taught medical students, primary care residents, and sports medicine fellows while providing clinical care to patients of all ages and backgrounds. She is a primary care physician with clinical training in the specialties of Family Medicine and Sports Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science, Master of Public Health, and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of Miami (FL).
Chris Nickerson is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of WellCheck, a Maryland-based healthcare innovation company. Chris Nickerson is an entrepreneur with a natural drive and passion for business, as well as an eye for potentially disruptive and innovative business opportunities. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for filling market gaps that his competitors overlook. Chris made waves in the mortgage education industry over two decades ago when he founded TrainingPro in 2000. He built TrainingPro into the largest financial services training and testing company in the United States, expanding from two states in 2000 to all 50 states in less than a decade. Mr. Nickerson drafted, lobbied, and passed legislation both at the State and Federal levels to raise the standards of training, testing, and continuing education for the mortgage industry and led efforts to develop the National Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS registry). Chris is not only an accomplished business executive, leader, and “change-maker”; he is also an advisor, venture capitalist, and mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners. He was previously named a finalist by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 and 2007 Awards in Maryland.
Establishing and Maintaining a Work-Life Balance
This workshop is designed to help the participants examine their current practices for managing stress and to offer tools to strike a better balance of well-being to avoid burnout.
Wauchilue Adams, Ed.D. has dedicated nearly four decades to teaching and leading for equity. As a public-school educator, Dr. Adams has provided professional development to educators and community partners on topics such as equity, diversity, trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), wellbeing, poverty, and more. Dr. Adams’ work with adults who serve the public has focused on equipping participants to be mindful of maintaining personal health and wellness to maximize productivity.
Dr. Adams earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Sociology from Hood College, a Master of Education for Guidance and Counseling from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Maryland College Park.
Handouts:
An Introduction to Problem Gambling and Screening Tools
for Gambling Disorder
Gambling activities have expanded in Maryland and across the Country over the last 15 years with the most recent expansion through legalized sports betting at casinos and through mobile betting. It is anticipated that problem gambling behaviors will increase with more people exposed to gambling. This workshop will provide an overview of gambling activities in Maryland, an overview of problem gambling, tools to screen for disordered gambling, and resources for help available to Maryland residents.
As Clinical Manager with the Center, Kristen Beall provides consultation to providers to integrate Problem Gambling into their current treatment paradigms. Previously, she worked at Johns Hopkins University as a Health Behavior Specialist as part of an interdisciplinary team. She began her career with the University of Maryland’s Methadone Treatment Program; worked as a lead counselor and patient advocate to reduce stigma of OMT. At Baltimore Crisis Response, Inc. Kristen performed crisis interventions and assessments in the community. She maintains a LCSW-C with the Board of Social Work Examiners, an ICGC-I with the International Gambling Counselor Certification Board, and a CAC-AD with the Board of Professional Counselors & Therapists.
Heather Eshleman is the Prevention Manager at the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling. She works collaboratively with community organizations, schools, and government agencies to prevent underage and problem gambling as well as oversee special population and youth grants. She currently leads the Center’s efforts in compiling an underage and problem gambling prevention needs assessment to provide baseline data to guide future prevention strategies. She served as the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Supervisor at the Anne Arundel County Department of Health from 2006-2019, overseeing the Substance Abuse Prevention coalitions, the Opioid Misuse Prevention Program, the Strengthening Families Program, the Fatal Overdose Review Team, and Coordination of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Chapters. Before becoming Supervisor, from 2002-2006, Heather was a Grants Administrator at Anne Arundel County Department of Health. Heather received her Masters in Public Health from the University at Albany School of Public Health and her Bachelor’s degree in School and Community Health Education from Towson University. Heather served in the United States Peace Corps in Morocco, North Africa, as a Maternal and Child Health volunteer, working on hygiene promotion and prenatal care for two years.
Walkability, Health, and Community Design
The health benefits of everyday physical activity are undeniable. Yet walkability is often a low priority in how we design our communities. Mike will discuss the health benefits of walkable communities, the community design decisions that make a difference, and trends in transportation and land use policy across the country.
Mike McGinn got his start in local politics as a neighborhood activist pushing for walkability, and as a volunteer local leader in the Sierra Club. From there he founded a non-profit focused on sustainable and equitable growth, and then became mayor of Seattle. He has always worked to add new voices to local decision-making and freely gives his time to support advocates working to create positive change. Just before joining America Walks, Mike worked to help Feet First, Washington State’s walking advocacy organization, expand their sphere of influence across Washington state. He has worked on numerous public education, legislative, ballot measure and election campaigns – which has given him an abiding faith in the power of organizing and volunteers to build better communities.
The Importance of Youth Engagement
Youth engagement is a powerful way for child and family-serving organizations to include the young people in their work. Youth engagement offers the expertise and partnership of young people, helping adults fully understand what it is like to grow up in a rapidly changing world while navigating the various systems and policies impacting the lives of youth each day. Join members of the Maryland Youth Advisory Council to learn how you can collaborate with young people to make meaningful change in your community.
Panel Speakers
Christina Drushel Williams is the Chief of Community Initiatives in the Children & Youth Division of the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services. She administers the Children’s Cabinet Interagency Fund and directs over $26 million to local communities implementing the Children’s Cabinet priorities. She leads policy research, recommendations, and technical assistance for the policy areas of youth homelessness, youth engagement and leadership, and childhood hunger. Ms. Drushel Williams also serves as Advisor of the Maryland Youth Advisory Council – a coalition of diverse young advocates and leaders that ensure Maryland’s youth have the opportunity to provide feedback and recommendations regarding public policies and programs that affect their future and to take a leadership role in creating meaningful change in their communities.
Rishi Sheth, a Maryland Youth Advisory Council (MYAC) Member, is a sophomore at Great Mills High School. Currently he is serving his first year of his 2 year term on the MYAC. In the tri-county area he has participated in numerous health advocacy, fundraising, and internship programs, interesting him in this opportunity with HSMP.
HSMP Updates
Lori Werrell, MPH, MCHES is the Assistant Vice President of Care Transformation for MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital (MSMH) and MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center (MSMHC). Lori assumed this new role in December of 2021, previously serving as the Regional Director of Population and Community Health for MSMH and MSMHC. Throughout her 30+ year career in healthcare, Lori has had the opportunity to be part of many grant-funded community health improvement initiatives, serving as the program director of the Greater Lexington Park Health Enterprise Zone (2013-2017), and currently serving as the Co-Principal Investigator for the PreventionLink program. During this presentation, Lori will provide an overview of HSMP and an update on the achievements and work of the action teams over the past year.
Interactive Planning Session
Jacqueline Wells and Shan Chen will be leading a group planning activity during the second half of the day. HSMP Annual Meeting attendees will get the opportunity to collaborate with other community partners on a health priority topic of their choice.
Physical Activity Session
Mark and Anissa Davis of WARcycle will be leading a FREE outdoor spin class for HSMP Annual Meeting attendees immediately following the meeting. This physical activity session is FREE for HSMP Annual Meeting attendees. The session is 30 minutes long, however if there is greater interest, it may be broken up into 2-3 small group sessions. Space is limited.
WARcycle’s mission is to provide Fitness on the Go. WARcycle provides you with a means to help you reach your fitness goals, by bringing fitness to your front door. We encourage, inspire and P.U.S.H (Pedal Until Something Happens) you to your limits to become a better version of you; with energy, poise and strength. The WARcycle Experience will have you spiritually, mentally, and physically uplifted, while leaving you feeling stronger and healthier. We encourage, motivate and support you through your fitness journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be a member of the Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership to attend this event?
No, anyone that is interested is welcome to attend the HSMP Annual Meeting! But if you would like to help create a healthier St. Mary’s County you can join HSMP for free by visiting: https://healthystmarys.com/membership!
Where does the HSMP Annual Meeting take place?
The 2023 HSMP Annual Meeting will take place in Center Hall at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland at 44219 Airport Rd, California, MD 20619.
Is the conference schedule available?
The 2023 conference schedule will be posted on this web page as soon as it becomes available.
Will lunch be provided?
HSMP event organizers are currently working with local food providers to secure a lunch options for annual meeting.
Will Continuing Education Units (CEUs) be provided?
Our Department of Social Services partners will coordinate CEUs for interested attendees. Attendees who meet the requirements will receive their CEUs by mail. Please note that you will be required to sign in and out of EACH SESSION this year to receive CEUs for the day. Please contact the St. Mary’s County Department of Social Services with any questions regarding the status of your CEUs.
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
No, printed tickets are not required but all attendees are asked to register so that we can be prepared with enough seating, handouts, and refreshments.
Where can I contact the organizer with additional questions or suggestions?
The Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership would love to hear from you! Contact us at:
Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership
PO Box 316
Leonardtown, MD 20650
stmaryspartnership@gmail.com