State records obtained by the Kent County News reveal that two residents of Kent Center, Inc. died amid serious care failures at the Chestertown disability services provider — disclosures that help explain why Maryland health officials moved to suspend the organization’s license in late January, even as its executive director has publicly characterized the shutdown only as a “transition.” The Maryland Department of Health’s Office of Health Care Quality issued an Order of Summary Suspension against Kent Center on Jan. 29, 2026, halting the organization’s residential programs, day habilitation services, and pre-vocational services. The suspension has displaced an estimated 60 residents and program participants and triggered layoffs of nearly 200 employees.