Sara Visintainer receives Rural Community Volunteer Award
Choptank Community Health System board member Sara Visintainer was recognized as an Outstanding Rural Community Volunteer by the Rural Maryland Council at their December 4 Annual Dinner and 2024 Rural Impact Award Ceremony, where she was one of eight award winners. 
From left: Choptank Health President and CEO Sara Rich with Choptank Health board member Sara Visintainer, who recently received the Outstanding Rural Community Volunteer Award from the Rural Maryland Council. The award recognizes Visintainer for her leadership, dedication, and noteworthy volunteer achievement. She has served on Choptank Health’s board for 10 years, and her community service includes working with the United Way of Caroline County, the Caroline Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, and the Mid-Shore Behavioral Health Coalition.
The award recognizes Visintainer for her leadership, dedication, and noteworthy volunteer achievement beyond the call of one’s professional duties to help improve their community. The award is part of the Maryland Rural Impact Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations that have performed extraordinary acts of service to communities throughout rural Maryland.
“This is a moment to celebrate not only Sara’s achievements but also the impact she’s had on the rural communities of Maryland’s Eastern Shore,” said Choptank Health CEO and President Sara Rich. “This is an incredible achievement, and a true reflection of Sara’s hard work, dedication, and exceptional contributions to the patients served by Choptank Community Health System.”
The criteria for the awards include distinctive volunteer efforts, an understanding of community needs, positive contributions impacting the economic, health, or well-being of their community, dedication to the community, and overall community leadership.
“Caring for people in rural communities is at the heart of everything we do at Choptank Health,” said Rich. “This is well-earned recognition for Sara, and we are extremely grateful for her leadership and steadfast support of fortifying our mission of providing access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated health care for all.”
Visintainer has served on Choptank Health’s board of directors for 10 years. She has also served the community through the United Way of Caroline County, the Caroline Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, and the Mid-Shore Behavioral Health Coalition, among others. She is the Chief Operating Officer for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and previously served as a Partner with Maven + Smith and as Chief of Staff for the Caroline County government.
The Rural Maryland Council unites citizens, organizations, and government officials to address the needs of rural communities. It provides a platform for agriculture, natural resources, health care, education, economic development, nonprofits, and businesses to collaborate, share information, and tackle challenges holistically. Learn more at rural.maryland.gov.
Choptank Community Health System provides medical, dental, and School-Based health services to more than 30,000 adults and children in Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties, with a mission to provide access to exceptional, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare for all. Services include primary healthcare, women’s health, pediatrics, pediatric dental, behavioral health, chronic health management, lab services, and care navigation, with new medical patients welcomed. More information is at www.choptankhealth.org.