
Redesigning care, with your safety top of mind.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GBMC Health Partners will continue to offer telehealth video visits for anyone who prefers that option. Please call your provider or login to MyChart to schedule an in-person or telehealth video visit today! If you have an existing appointment that you'd like to reschedule, please do so directly from your MyChart account.* Please expect delays as our staff endeavor to assist all patients with their needs and questions. Do not send multiple MyChart messages or walk in to GBMC Health Partners locations without an appointment. We understand that patients are eager for access to care, and we are doing everything possible to respond to each patient as quickly as possible.

Greetings,
The following practices are experiencing issues with their phone lines due to a service interruption with an outside vendor:
- GBMC Health Partners Eye Center at Joppa Road
- GBMC Health Partners at Jonestown
- GBMC Health Partners at Hunt Manor
- GBMC Health Partners at Hunt Valley
- GBMC Health Partners at Jarrettsville
- GBMC Health Partners at Owings Mills (Family Care and Internal Medicine)
- GBMC Health Partners at Padonia
- Dr. Caren Craig's office
- Ambulatory Testing Center
- The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute at Crossroads
- West Road Business Office
If you need to reach your medical provider, please use the MyChart patient portal at gbmc.org/mychart. MyChart can be used for secure messaging with a provider, prescription refills, accessing test results, and more!
If you have tried using MyChart and still have an urgent need, please call 443-849-8556 for assistance. If this is a true medical emergency, please dial 911.
GBMC will be sending out additional communications to keep you informed as we work to address the vendor's service disruption.
Yours in good health,
GBMC Health Partners

Keeping You Safe
Hospitals and medical offices are now permitted to see patients for all types of care, including elective surgery. We have been working hard to ensure that the hospital and physicians' practices are ready for you. We have redesigned the way we provide care with your safety in mind.We will continue to offer telehealth video visits for anyone who prefers that option. However, we want to reassure you that we are taking the necessary steps to protect your safety when you need to come to the hospital, a primary care office, or one of our specialty practices.
Some of the measures GBMC Health Partners is taking to protect patients include:
- GBMC Health Partners is seeing patients in person and via telehealth video visits. Using video visits allows you to talk with your doctor without leaving home. This reduces the number of patients coming through the office and decreases the potential for inadvertent exposure of patients and staff to COVID-19. Thus, in-person visits can be done safely for those who need them. We encourage you to utilize MyChart for your telehealth needs, and you can also call your doctor if you need help. We are ready to assist you.
- Extensive cleaning of all work spaces and patient areas is performed between encounters and throughout the day.
- All patients, providers, and staff members attest to COVID related symptoms upon arrival and must wear masks (along with other appropriate personal protective equipment "PPE" if necessary).
- All patients are asked COVID-19 screening questions when they make their appointment and again when they arrive. Patients are given specific appointment times to limit the number of people in the offices at one time, and are kept in private exam rooms during their visits.
- To allow for safe distancing, our office hours may be adjusted during this time, and offices themselves have been rearranged. In certain locations, there may be physical barriers in place, and in some cases, family members may be asked to wait in their vehicles. One family member or friend may accompany a patient to the appointment.
- All surgical patients are tested for COVID-19 pre-operatively.
- COVID-19 positive patients and patients under investigation (PUIs) who require hospital admission are sequestered in the hospital. Outpatients who are COVID-19 positive or PUIs are encouraged to utilize telehealth video visits to determine whether in-person care is needed.
Helping you to hear again, or for the first time
At the Presbyterian Board of Governors Cochlear Implant Center of Excellence at GBMC, it is our pleasure to work with children and adults, along with their families and educators as they pursue cochlear implant candidacy testing or need audiologic and rehabilitative services for their current implant. Our multidisciplinary team will work together to determine if a cochlear implant is appropriate for you. We serve individuals with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss, in both ears, during candidacy, surgery and follow-up. Our goal is to provide comprehensive care for you and your family as well as to work collaboratively with educators and other service providers.
Our Team

Brian A. Kaplan, MD
Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology
Otolaryngology

Brian A. Kaplan, MD
Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology
Otolaryngology

Scott D. London, MD
Otolaryngology

Scott D. London, MD
Otolaryngology

Regina Presley, Au.D., FAAA, CCC/A
Director of Audiology
Audiology
Cochlear Implants

Regina Presley, Au.D., FAAA, CCC/A
Director of Audiology
Audiology
Cochlear Implants

Bridget Garrison, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA
Cochlear Implant Audiologist
Audiology
Cochlear Implants

Bridget Garrison, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA
Cochlear Implant Audiologist
Audiology
Cochlear Implants

Mary O'Leary Kane, M.A., CCC/SLP
Auditory Rehabilitation Specialist
Mary O'Leary Kane, M.A., CCC/SLP
Mary O’Leary Kane, MA, CCC-SLP earned her Bachelor’s degree from Towson State University and her Master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She has been a licensed Speech Language Pathologist and certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) since 1996.
As a member of GBMC’s Cochlear Implant Team, Mary provides aural rehabilitation therapy for children and adults to support listening development, demonstrate best use of CI technology, and track progress of oral communication skills.
Mary has 20 years of specialized experience in a variety of settings, including hospital, private practice and schools. She has contributed to a number of research articles and academic materials related to the field of hearing loss and rehabilitation, and continues to present findings at local and national events.
Mary brings with her an enthusiasm to help children and adults through the cochlear implant process, bringing sound to life in meaningful therapy sessions. Her goal is to educate patients and maximize their use of cochlear implant technology.

Nina Bagley
Medical Secretary
Nina Bagley
Ms. Bagley serves at the Medical Secretary to the Presbyterian Board of Governors CI Center of Excellence at GBMC. She has over 30 years of Healthcare Administrative experience. She is responsible for providing secretarial support for the department including scheduling appointments, schedule coordination, telephone inquiries, email communication, and surgical coordination. In addition, Ms. Bagley may assist with equipment orders, event planning, and community outreach. She will be the smiling face you see upon entering our office. Ms. Bagley looks forward to seeing you at your CI Center

Meredith Kruzits, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Cochlear Implant Audiologist
Audiology
Cochlear Implants
Meredith Kruzits, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA
Dr. Kruzits received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences at University of Maryland, College Park and her Doctorate of Audiology from Towson University. She completed her fellowship at the Presbyterian Board of Governors Cochlear Implant Center of Excellence at GBMC and ENT and Allergy Specialists in the Greater Philadelphia area. Dr. Kruzits has co-authored and published articles examining hearing loss as a public health issue in the Hearing Review. Dr. Kruzits is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology.

Paula McDaniel
Cochlear Implant Technician
Cochlear Implants
Paula McDaniel
Paula joins the Cochlear Implant Team after serving as part of the GBMC organization for the last 22 years. She is a certified nursing assistant and has been a unit coordinator. For the last 17 years, she served an Emergency Medical Technician for the pediatric emergency room. Paula’s work experience provides her with tremendous counseling and problem-solving skills. Her extensive cochlear implant training will allow her to assist you along your cochlear implant journey. Paula will work alongside you to guide you in device selection, troubleshoot equipment when needed, and educate you to ensure that you get the most from your cochlear implant.
Our Services
The Cochlear Implant Center at GBMC offers a variety of services encompassing the entire spectrum of care, including:
- Audiological Testing: assess hearing sensitivity in test booth, with and without hearing aids
- Speech Recognition Testing: assess ability to recognize and repeat words and sentences in the presence of quiet and in noise
- Speech and Language Evaluation: assess speech and/or language abilities (as needed)
- Speech and Language Therapy: address voice, articulation, and language disorders
- Aural Rehabilitation Therapy: provide practice with implant in order to improve awareness of environmental sounds and speech understanding
- Ear, Nose and Throat Evaluation: performed by surgeon to determine if cochlear implantation is medically appropriate for you
- Psychological Evaluation: assess cognitive abilities (as needed)
- Counseling regarding cochlear implant technology: choosing device options, discussing patient/parent expectations, ongoing maintenance of the device
- Cochlear implantation surgery: performed on an outpatient basis, usually a 90 minute procedure
- Hearing aid fittings and modifications: maintenance and hearing aid selection
- Impressions: making earmolds for hearing aids
- Mapping of cochlear implant: programming of cochlear implant processor - completed frequently during initial stages of activation and annually thereafter

Your 1st step to better hearing.
Test your hearing on your phone for free!
The app uses digits presented in background noise to allow for accurate detection of hearing loss. A 23-step hearing screening, which can be completed in under 3 minutes. Download the app, put on a pair of headphones, and test away!

We never imagined something like this could happen
13-month-old Kharmin, was still recovering from a severe case of bacterial meningitis when her family received troubling news. Although the toddler was healing from her illness, she had suffered profound hearing loss in both of her ears…
Watch & Read Kharmin's StoryCI Connection
Here at the Cochlear Implant center, we are committed to providing you with support throughout your process. You may find it beneficial to speak to others regarding their cochlear implant experience.
That's why we have assembled a team of all-star patient advocates to help answer any questions you may have before the implantation process. If you wish to be contacted by a GBMC Cochlear Implant Advocate, please click the button below. You can expect to receive contact from 1-3 advocates within the next 7 days.
*Note* You must have completed your initial candidacy evaluation with the CI center prior to joining this program.
Recent Stories | Video | In the Media

GBMC Achieves the Prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
Awards
Combating accidental drug overdose
Family Focus
Ask an Oncology Expert with Dr. Ari Elman
Healthy Tips
Bariatric Surgery - Greater Living Live
Healthy Tips
GBMC President and CEO Recognized with Baldrige Leadership Award
Around GBMC
Join GBMC Sonographer in Bringing Medicine to Ukrainian Mothers and Families
Supporting Excellence
Fighting for Their Family
Supporting Excellence
Managing type 2 diabetes without insulin
Healthy Tips
Emergency Medicine Physician Serves Others in More Ways Than One
Supporting Excellence
Designing the Infusion Center in the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion
Supporting Excellence
The Power of a Positive Attitude
Supporting Excellence
Financial Navigator Clears Hurdles for Cancer Patients
Supporting Excellence
Local Family Business Gives Back
Supporting Excellence
Getting to Know the Cancer Team: Brittney Davis
Supporting Excellence
Telehealth: An important notice for all GBMC HealthCare patients
Around GBMC
The risk factors and treatment plans for thyroid cancer
Healthy Tips
April 20, 2022: COVID-19 Update with President and CEO, John B. Chessare, MD, MPH
COVID-19
Good Friday Service - 2022
Around GBMC
Colon and Rectal Cancer Discussed on Greater Living Live
Healthy Tips
GBMC SAFE/DV Community Collaborations: Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention
Supporting Excellence