The St. Mary's County Health Department (SMCHD) has been awarded a $5 million grant from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) under the Health Equity Resource Communities (HERC) program. This significant funding aims to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes in underserved communities. Spread over five years, the grant will support the St. Mary's County Health Hub's operations, including behavioral health crisis services and various health and wellness programs for local residents.
St. Mary's County is one of eleven recipients of the grant, chosen from a pool of 59 eligible applicants. This new funding builds on the success of previous grants received from CHRC, facilitated by the Maryland Health Equity Resource Act passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2021.
The Health Hub currently provides a range of essential services such as walk-in evaluations for mental health and addiction issues, crisis counseling, primary care, and various community services that address non-medical factors impacting health. The Hub team also helps residents connect with other necessary health and wellness services in the community.
"This new HERC grant is critical to continuing services at the Health Hub. While our prior grant funding was ending, we were able to demonstrate the incredible value of what the Health Hub team does for our community," stated Dr. Meena Brewster, St. Mary's County Health Officer. "The Health Hub is a collaboration of our entire agency team and many community partners. It improves access to health care, serves as a major resource for individuals in crisis, and helps people succeed in both health and overall wellness. We are so grateful for this support from CHRC to continue serving our St. Mary's County community members."
To learn more about the St. Mary's County Health Hub, visit hub.smchd.org. For more information about the CHRC, please visit health.maryland.gov/mchrc.
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