Forty Years of Heartfelt Service: Honoring Dr. Jeffrey H. Etherton on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
EASTON, Md. (October 15, 2025) – For 40 years, Jeffrey Howard Etherton, MD, has been at the forefront of cardiac care, saving lives and shaping heart health on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. This summer, the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) and UM Shore Medical Group (UM SMG) community celebrated this remarkable milestone, honoring Dr. Etherton’s dedication, leadership and transformative impact on patients and colleagues alike.
“Dr. Etherton’s dedication, expertise and vision have shaped the very foundation of cardiac care at UM Shore Regional Health,” said Ken Kozel, President, UM SRH. “From program development to mentoring colleagues, his leadership has strengthened our ability to provide exceptional care to the communities we serve. We are deeply grateful that he chose to bring his talents to the Eastern Shore, and we take immense pride in the lasting impact he has made on patients, families and our entire organization, as well as to the community at large.”
A Foundation of Excellence
Dr. Etherton earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md., in 1985 and completed a residency at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., where he also began his medical career as a training physician.
Three years later, he returned to the University of Maryland as a fellow of cardiology. Following additional training at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a brief assignment at Bethesda Naval Medical Center during Desert Storm, he returned to the Eastern Shore to establish the device-based interventional cardiology program, electrophysiology program and Cardiac Research Program at Peninsula Regional Medical Center on the Lower Eastern Shore.
Prior to coming to UM SRH, Dr. Etherton co-founded Delmarva Heart, LLC, and the Delmarva Heart Research Foundation, directed cardiology services at multiple institutions, and served as Radiation Safety Officer for nuclear cardiology programs. A U.S. Navy Reserve veteran, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Medical Corps in 1985.
Dr. Etherton has been with UM Shore Medical Group – Cardiology since 2016. He sees patients in Easton and Cambridge, and is board certified in cardiovascular disease.
Throughout his career, Dr. Etherton has shared his expertise as an instructor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine as well as at Sinai Hospital. His mentorship emphasizes both technical skill and compassionate, patient-centered care.
“Dr. Etherton’s colleagues in UM Shore Medical Group have benefitted greatly from his leadership, collaboration and example,” said Erika Jordan, Senior Director of Operations, UM SMG. “His impact reaches far beyond the exam room, bringing comfort, hope and trust to countless lives. We are deeply grateful for his tireless service.”
A Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Etherton has been honored with the Bausch & Lomb National Science Foundation Award and remains active in professional and civic organizations, including the Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S., the Maryland Medical & Chirurgical Society, and the Wicomico County Medical Society.
Building Care from the Ground Up
Since establishing himself on the Eastern Shore, Dr. Etherton has worked tirelessly to expand access to advanced cardiac care across the region. In addition to leading the development of interventional cardiology, electrophysiology and cardiac research at Peninsula Regional, transforming heart care for local residents, in 2016, he was invited to launch the Interventional/STEMI Program at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton.
“It was truly a great day when Dr. Etherton agreed to come start the interventional cardiology program at UM Shore Regional Health,” said Timothy Shanahan, Medical Director, UM SMG. “Words cannot express the heartfelt gratitude Shore — and I personally — feel for his countless hours of dedication, ensuring that patients receive the highest quality cardiac care. It is both an honor and a privilege to work alongside him.”
During the 2017 construction of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Easton, Dr. Etherton collaborated closely with the builders to ensure the facility met the highest standards for patient safety and innovation. There were times when, during construction, Dr. Etherton could be found hammering alongside the construction team. Since then, the Cardiac Cath team has treated more than 1,000 STEMI heart attack patients and provided expert care to countless others.
“Dr. Etherton has dedicated his life to caring for the very community he grew up in, offering not only his extraordinary clinical expertise but also his heart, compassion and unwavering commitment to his patients,” said Jan McMichael, CMOM, PPMC, UM SMG-Cardiology practice manager. “He has touched countless lives, guided families through critical moments and strengthened the very fabric of our community. For four decades, he has led with humility, mentorship and encouragement, fostering a spirit of excellence and collaboration that continues to shape the future of cardiovascular care on the Eastern Shore.”
Dr. Etherton has been a driving force in advancing cardiovascular medicine on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, setting a lasting standard of excellence through his dedication to patients, colleagues, and cardiac science. His peers regard his work as a lasting legacy — for both him and UM SRH.
Reflecting on his career, Dr. Etherton said: “Providing care to the communities of Maryland’s Eastern Shore has been the greatest privilege of my life. Every patient, every family, and every moment in the clinic or the lab has reinforced why I chose this path. I am honored to serve and to witness the difference that compassionate, skilled cardiac care can make.”
CUTLINES: Dr. Jeffrey Etherton poses on the helipad at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton with his UM Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) colleagues from the Cardiac Catheterization Lab and UM Shore Medical Group – Cardiology, as well as UM SRH leadership team members.
About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health
A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.
About the University of Maryland Medical System
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.
