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January 27, 2015 | Issue No. 5
 Sustaining Community-Hospital Partnerships to Improve Population Health
The CHRC has released its white paper, “Sustaining Community-Hospital Partnerships to Improve Population Health,” which presents recommendations to replicate and sustain innovative partnerships. The white paper follows four regional forums that were held this past fall and analyzes the implementation experiences of five programs that are supported with CHRC grant funding. The white paper was developed by Frances B. Phillips, who presented the key recommendations to the CHRC at its meeting earlier this month. Some of the key recommendations include providing access to toolkits and support for future programs; determining a return on investment of grants aimed at upstream improvements to a community’s social or economic conditions; and exploring multi-investor partnerships around projects of mutual interest.
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CHRC selects twelve applicants to present in February as part of this year's Call for Proposals
The Call for Proposals released earlier this year by the CHRC generated 43 applications requesting $7.7 million in year-one funding (total funding requested was $18.6 million). The Call for Proposals targeted four types of projects: (1) Promoting access to comprehensive women’s health services and reducing infant mortality; (2) Increasing access to dental care services; (3) Building capacity of safety net providers; and (4) Expanding access to primary care services. Proposals were evaluated by independent reviewers on 11 review criteria listed in the Call for Proposals, and 12 top-scoring applicants have been invited to present to the CHRC at its next meeting, on February 19, 2015. Grant award decisions will be made by the CHRC Commissioners immediately following these presentations. Many proposals that were responsive to the goals of the Call for Proposals were favorably reviewed; however, funding constraints, not the quality of the proposals, prevented the CHRC from supporting every worthwhile project.
Calvert County Health Department working to improve birth outcomes
The Calvert County Health Department received a three-year grant last year from the CHRC to help improve birth outcomes by implementing an intensive case management program that targets substance-using women and expectant mothers. The program involves partnerships with Walden Sierra and the Carol M. Porto Treatment Center. The program also involves comprehensive community outreach and health education about the importance of prenatal services and the impact of substance use on pregnancy and the family. Under the grant, the Calvert Health Department is engaging local OB providers to refer at-risk women into the program and will eventually establish a “one-stop shop” that provides access to women’s health, behavioral health treatment, WIC, social support services, and enhanced transportation to appointments. Case management is available to coordinate care for each patient.
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Somerset County Health Department Addressing Childhood Obesity
The Somerset County Health Department received a three-year grant last year from the CHRC to support its ongoing efforts to reduce rates of childhood obesity. Under the grant, Somerset County launched a public outreach campaign to build community awareness for healthy lifestyle choices. The program helps create new after-school opportunities for physical activity; promotes expanded access to affordable healthy food options; and supports home visitation and health coaching for young people deemed at the highest risk of obesity. In the first year of the program, the Somerset Health Department hosted their First Annual Community Field Day, which attracted more than 1400 participants. The health department expects twice as many people to show up for The Second Annual Field Day scheduled for Saturday, April 25. They are also working with the Eastern Correctional Institution on their inmate garden program that has provided over 2500 pounds of fresh produce to Somerset County families.
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 Second Annual HEZ Report submitted to the Governor and Maryland General Assembly
The second annual Health Enterprise Zones (HEZ) report was submitted earlier this year. HEZs are defined geographic areas demonstrating significant health disparities. Five HEZs were designated in urban, rural, and suburban areas of the state. Eighteen months into implementation, the Zones report the following accomplishments: opening or expanding 15 health care delivery sites; recruiting 37.43 practitioner FTEs to provide services in the HEZs, including 20.50 Licensed Independent Practitioner FTEs; providing 93,495 visits to 50,290 patients; expanding access to self-management supports and community enabling interventions; and improving health information technology, cultural competency, and community capacity.
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