Larry J. Hogan, Jr., Governor
Boyd Rutherford, Lieutenant Governor
Van T. Mitchell, DHMH Secretary
|
Allan Anderson, M.D.
Elizabeth Chung
Maritha R. Gay
J. Wayne Howard
William Jaquis, M.D.
Surina Jordan, Ph.D.
Hon. P. Sue Kullen
Barry Ronan
Carol Ivy Simmons,Ph.D.
Julie Wagner
|
The October meeting of the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission is scheduled for
Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 2:00 pm
. This meeting is open to the public and will be held in the House of Delegates Office Building, Room 240 - Health & Government Operations Committee Room, 6 Bladen St. Annapolis, MD 21401
.
|
NASHP and HRSA release a primer of opioid intervention and treatment in rural areas
Through a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) has developed a primer entitled "Intervention, Treatment, and Prevention Strategies to Address Opioid Use Disorders in Rural Areas" for Medicaid officials and healthcare providers working to reduce opioid addiction. It details the role safety net providers play in improving emergency medical intervention and treatment to Medicaid enrollees, many of whom live in rural regions, and low-income and vulnerable populations facing opioid use disorders.
|
 |
|
New National Quality Forum action guide for multi-sectoral collaboration to improve population health
The National Quality Forum has released an
action guide entitled "Improving Population Health by Working with Communities" to help multi-sector groups work together to improve population health by addressing 10 interrelated elements for success and using the related resources as needed. Like a "how-to" manual, the Action Guide is organized by these 10 elements and contains definitions, recommendations, practical examples, and a range of resources to help communities achieve their shared goals and make lasting improvements in population health.
|
|
|
|
Carol Ivy Simmons appointed as new Commissioner to CHRC
The CHRC welcomes the addition of Carol Ivy Simmons,
PhD (ABD), LCSW-C, as a new Commissioner. She was appointed by Governor Hogan earlier this month. Since 2012, Dr. Simmons has been the President and CEO of
Simmons Health Systems Consulting
, which focuses on building health systems infrastructure. Dr. Simmons also serves as Director of Outpatient Mental Health Services for Mentor Maryland Inc. Earlier in her career, Dr. Simmons served as Program Manager for the Partial Hospitalization Program at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital. Dr. Simmons also served as a U.S. Public Health Services-Commander for the
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services and the
Bureau of Primary Health Care.
|
|
CHRC invited to participate in Consumer Health First's Health Care Reform Symposium
The CHRC participated in a panel discussion earlier this month as part of the Consumer Health First symposium, "Transformation: Getting it Right." The panel discussion focused on consumer engagement in the health care system and highlighted the important role that safety net providers will continue to play in terms of promoting health literacy, consumer engagement, and addressing social determinants of health. For more information about the event, click
here.
|
|
|
|
Panel participants (from left to right): Fran Phillips, Moderator; Adrienne Ellis, Mental Health Association of Maryland; Brandon Neiswender, CRISP; Diane Feeney, HSCRC; Mary Jo Braid-Forbes, Braid-Forbes Health Research; Mark Luckner, CHRC; Ben Turner, Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County; Jeananne Sciabarra, Consumer Health First.
|
|
Potomac Healthcare Foundation launches Project Lifeline
Potomac Healthcare Foundation is launching Project Lifeline, a recovery support center, which will provide access to opioid addiction treatment for low-income individuals in a structured, supportive environment. Potomac Healthcare received a three-year CHRC grant to support the center in 2016. The recovery support center will partner with an on-campus community treatment program to provide a full continuum of behavioral health treatment for opioid addiction and co-occurring disorders including: partial hospital program, ambulatory detox, intensive outpatient, buprenorphine treatment, extended release naltrexone treatment, and an outpatient mental health clinic delivering Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment (an evidence-based specialty program for integrated treatment of co-occurring SUDs and psychiatric disorders). Project Lifeline will have the capacity to house 40 patients at a time who will stay up to 4 weeks in the facility.
CHRC has prioritized supporting programs that expand the capacity to deliver behavioral health services in community-based settings and are able to achieve post-grant sustainability. Particular emphasis in 2016 was given to supporting projects that reflected the recommendations of the Governor's Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force. The Commission has awarded 33 grants totaling $10 million to promote the integration of behavioral health services in community-based settings. These grants have supported programs in 16 jurisdictions. For more information about CHRC's behavioral health grants, click
here.
|
Tri-State Community Health Center completes women's health grant with CHRC
Tri-State Community Health Center recently completed a three-year grant from the CHRC to support the "Healthy Mothers and Babies" program, which provided prenatal services to 1,175 high-risk pregnant women in Allegany County. The program involved a partnership with the Allegany County Health Department. The program provided access to care-managed clinical, psycho-social, and behavioral health services, as well as linkage to everyday life resources such as transportation, housing, heat, and domestic violence assistance. Over the course of the program, 88% of at-risk patients began receiving care in the first trimester, higher than the statewide average of 79% (2009-2011 MD Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), which included non-high risk women). The percent of babies born at low birth weight to program participants declined from 23% in 2012 to 11% from 2014-2016. Having demonstrated the effectiveness of care management, Tri-State Community Health Center sustained and incorporated the program into its Women's Health Center practice.
The CHRC has awarded 19 grants totaling $3.8 million to promote access to comprehensive women's health services to help reduce infant mortality rates. These grants have collectively served more than 15,000 Marylanders. For more information about these programs, click
here.
|
|
|
