On Tuesday, October 12th, the Community Health Resources Commission’s (MCHRC) Pathways to Health Equity Program began soliciting applications for grants intended to address health disparities. Moreover, the MHCRC will begin hosting several regional forums to inform local communities about the grant program.
According to a recent Maryland Matters article, the program will provide nearly $13 million to applicants seeking “to reduce health disparities in Black, Brown and disabled communities, improve health outcomes and access to primary care, promote preventative health programs and reduce the cost of medical services and lower hospital admissions.” In the same piece, Senator Antonio Hayes (D-Baltimore City), the primary sponsor of the bill establishing the Pathways to Health Equity Program, is quoted as having said:
“I believe that this is a this is a positive step in the right direction, that can serve as an example to states throughout our nation, to make sure that some of the inequities in our healthcare system are eliminated or mitigated in some substantial way.”
In a MCHRC press release, Maryland Senator Edward Kasemeyer, MCHRC’s Chairman, added:
“Promoting health equity is a long-standing goal of the Community Health Resources Commission… We look forward to implementing the Act and informing local communities across the State about this funding opportunity.”
Pathway applicants must be either nonprofit community-based organizations, nonprofit hospitals, institutions of higher education, Federally Qualified Health Centers, or local government agencies. Applications are due by noon on December 7, 2021. The call for proposals can be found here.
