People on the Move is a rundown of recent hirings, promotions, appointments and other notable movements by professionals in the state. If you’re interested in submitting an entry, please contact news@delawarebusinesstimes.com.
Melissa Morgan-Gouveia, M.D., director of Geriatric Education in ChristianaCare’s Department of Medicine, has been named the House Call Educator of the Year by the American Academy of Home Care Medicine (AAHCM). Morgan-Gouveia is a board-certified geriatrician in ChristianaCare’s Primary Care at Home program.
In ChristianaCare’s Primary Care at Home program, a multidisciplinary team provides elderly patients a way to meet their medical, emotional and social needs without leaving home. In 2023, 260 patients were served in the program, which also has relationships with home health, palliative care and hospice programs to provide a seamless continuum of care.
“It is an honor to be recognized by my colleagues,” Morgan-Gouveia said. “My passion for home care medicine is the reason I chose to become a geriatrician. The homebound population is growing and it is critical to educate trainees about caring for this complex population in the home.”
Morgan-Gouveia is co-chair of the AAHCM’s Education Committee. She has presented at AAHCM’s national conference each year since 2019 on evidence-based ways to teach and train learners for home-based primary care.
Morgan-Gouveia has trained many peers, medical and pharmacy residents, students and community stakeholders over the last decade and is involved with efforts to improve geriatric clinical care and education nationwide, serving as a member of state and national committees. She joined ChristianaCare in 2013 and was named director of Geriatric Education in 2022. She also is assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Beebe Healthcare announced the addition of Wendi Schirvar, PhD, LP, NCSP. Schirvar is the first licensed clinical psychologist to be hired by Beebe.
Schirvar will look to help develop, implement, and coordinate behavioral health programs through fostering collaborative networks between primary care and behavioral health specialists at Beebe. Additionally, she sees patients of all ages at Beebe Primary Care Long Neck, where she treats and evaluates a number of clinical and behavioral conditions including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mood disorders, developmental delays, dementia, and complicated behavioral presentations.
“I am passionate about educating providers and patients about the connection between physical and mental health,” Schirvar said. “As the need for behavioral health services continues to grow, it is imperative that healthcare systems put the right resources in place to make it easier for people to understand and access the care services that are available to them. Beebe’s decision to hire a licensed clinical psychologist demonstrates the organization’s commitment to doing exactly that. I am proud to serve in this role and to play an active part in growing behavioral health services within Sussex County, where the need is proven and strong.”
Schirvar earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology and School Psychology at the University of Minnesota. She completed a post-doctoral clinical fellowship within the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She is licensed in the state of Delaware as a Clinical Psychologist and a School Psychologist and is also nationally certified as a school psychologist. Prior to joining Beebe Healthcare, Dr. Schirvar served as a pediatric Clinical Psychologist and chief operating officer at the Child and Family Behavioral Health Clinic in Lewes.
John D. Shevock, FACHE, FACMPE, senior director of operations Oncology Service Line and executive director of Bayhealth Cancer Institute, has been appointed to the Council of Regents, the legislative body of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).
Shevock has served in his current role at Bayhealth for almost 20 years. Previously, he was director of operations, oncology services and manager, radiation oncology at Bayhealth.
Currently, Shevock is board chair of Delaware Hospice Board of Trustees, delegate representative to the Association of Community Cancer Centers. He is also a member of the Delaware Technical and Community College Terry Campus Advisory Council, Delaware Cancer Consortium’s Delaware Cancer Registry Advisory Council, the Cancer Support Community of Delaware Kent County Advisory Council, and the Preliminary Review Committee for the Delaware Supreme Court. He has previously served as a member of the Board of Professional Responsibility for the Delaware Supreme Court, board member of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce, Greater Milford Chamber of Commerce, and is a graduate of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce Leadership Central Delaware.
Shevock is a graduate of North Carolina State University and holds a bachelor of science in animal science and a master of science in management.
Joseph L. Thomas, director of Sussex County’s Emergency Operations Center announced his retirement.
“We have accomplished so much since I took this position in 1997, and I am very proud to have led a great team that has made the Sussex County Emergency Operations Center an envy among its peers, not just regionally, but nationally,” Thomas said. “I want to thank everyone who has been part of that effort along the way, from our dispatchers and support staff to the County Council and administration. It truly has been a remarkable experience, and I’m honored to have been part of such a dedicated group who work every day to ensure the public’s safety.”
The Sussex County Emergency Operations Center serves as the hub for public safety operations in southern Delaware, answering more than 120,000 9-1-1 calls annually and dispatching police, fire, and emergency medical services personnel 24 hours a day. Additionally, the center prepares for, trains, and responds to disasters of all sorts, including snowstorms, floods, hurricanes, nor’easters, chemical spills, and hazardous materials incidents.
Thomas said working with his peers, not just in Delaware, but regionally – he currently serves as chair of Delmarva Emergency Task Force, a regional emergency planning group comprising emergency managers, law enforcement, and transportation officials from Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia – is what he will miss most as he steps aside. “I won’t miss the handwringing over whether and how to evacuate, or the early morning calls during a snowstorm to assess road conditions, or the sleepless nights worrying about the ‘what if’ scenarios of emergency management,” Thomas said. “But I will miss the people sitting at the table who have helped make this job and this journey easier in all my years. Those are the friendships and connections that are most special, and endure well after the cleanup from a disaster has ended.”
