(Annapolis, MD, Feb. 17, 2012)—The Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) issued today its Call for Proposals to support local action strategies around implementation of the State Health Improvement Process (SHIP).  Launched earlier this year by the Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DHMH), the SHIP provides a framework for accountability, local action, and public engagement to improve overall public health outcomes in our state.  

Submissions to the Call for Proposals are due on March 15, 2012, and the CHRC will announce grant funding decisions in mid-April, 2012.  A copy of the CHRC Call for Proposals can be accessed on the CHRC’s website, www.dhmh.maryland.gov/mchrc and the comprehensive SHIP website can be accessed at www.dhmh.maryland.gov/ship/SitePages/Home.aspx   

 

“The Commission is delighted to support the State Health Improvement Process,” commented John A.Hurson, Chairman, Community Health Resources Commission. “Implementation of the SHIP will improve overall public health outcomes and will encourage comprehensive systems of care at the local level.  These efforts reflect the mission of the CHRC.”  

Over the last six years, the CHRC has issued eight Calls for Proposals, targeting efforts to reduce infant mortality rates, expand access to dental care for low-income children, boost primary care capacity, integrate behavioral health services in the community, and invest in health information technology.   The CHRC has awarded 93 grants, totaling $22.6 million, supporting programs in every jurisdiction in the state.  The grant programs have collectively served nearly 100,000 Marylanders, and the grant funding provided by the CHRC has enabled its grantees to leverage $9.6 million in additional federal and private/non-profit resources.    

 “DHMH appreciates the CHRC’s support of the State Health Improvement Process,” commented Frances B. Phillips, DHMH Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services. “This implementation grant funding provided by the Commission will drive action and innovation at the local level.”  

 

The grant funding provided by the CHRC will support key actions identified by Local Health Improvement Coalitions (LHIC), and follows start-up funding provided earlier this year by the Maryland Hospital Association.  The SHIP evaluates the performance of local jurisdictions on 39 indicators of public health outcomes, and is designed to encourage data-driven health planning and public-private collaboration in local communities.  In addition, the SHIP provides data on critical health measures by race and ethnicity, so local planning efforts can target key health disparities for action.  

 

The SHIP complements other efforts underway in Maryland, such as the Maryland Health Improvement and Disparities Reduction Act of 2012 (SB 234/HB 439), under consideration by the legislature, which will address health disparities by creating an innovative pilot program for a series of geographically based Health Enterprise Zones (HEZs) in underserved communities.