Governor Larry Hogan recently issued a Governor’s Citation to Queen Anne’s County Health Officer Dr. Joseph A. Ciotola, Jr. recognizing him as a Rural Champion in the state of Maryland.
“Everything Dr. C touches turns to Gold,” said County Commissioner Philip Dumenil. “His ideas are years ahead of most and his passion for accessible and affordable healthcare is over the top.”
Linda Kohler, Executive Director of Chesapeake Charities nominated Dr. Ciotola for his many contributions. She wrote, “Dr. Ciotola believes in making health care better for all people. To that end, he is passionate about providing innovative services to Maryland's most needy residents - the elderly poor in rural communities. Dr. Ciotola was the brain and heart behind Queen Anne's County's Mobile Integrated Community Health (MICH) program which is now a statewide initiative benefitting thousands of Maryland residents. Through the MICH program, teams of public health nurses and paramedics visit impoverished individuals in their homes and link patients to community resources, improving health outcomes and reducing trips to hospital emergency departments for individuals with complex medical conditions. In addition to serving as both the Health Officer for Queen Anne's County and the Medical Director for the Department of Emergency Services, Dr. Ciotola graciously accepts appointments to state health committees, testifies before the legislature on important health policies, serves on local and regional boards and committees, and, at the end of a long week, is a thoughtful father and husband - not to
mention a terrific ballroom dancer. Dr. "C" is a renaissance man dedicated to improving the
health of his community. His many years of service should be recognized and applauded.”
When Kohler read that statement during the December 11, Queen Anne’s County Commissioners’ meeting, the Commissioners and audience gave a standing ovation in honor of Dr. Ciotola.
“Thank you very much but this is not just a one man show,” said Dr. Ciotola. “This is something that was accomplished because of the dedication of many individuals in this county, both from the department of emergency services, the health department, area on aging, social services, transportation, and, not in the least way, the commissioners of Queen Anne's County who had the faith and the confidence and the support to enable us to start this program which was the pilot for the state of Maryland and is now gaining popularity throughout. We are still fighting that battle for sustainability, but it is a program that truly addresses the needs of our elderly, our vulnerable and those that most need medical health.”