Queen Anne’s Mobile Integrated Community Health Program Sees Continued Success 

Medical professional taking the blood pressure of a patientQueen Anne’s County’s Mobile Integrated Community Health Program (MICH) is having a continued positive outcome for patients and EMS and health care system capacity, according to an update received by the County Commissioners last week.

The MICH Program is addressing the healthcare needs of the counties most vulnerable, medically high risk and under-served individuals. The program is a collaborative effort between Queen Anne’s County Department of Health, Queen Anne’s County Department of Emergency Services, MIEMSS, UMMS Shore Regional Health, Luminis Health, Queen Anne’s County Addictions and Prevention Services, Queen Anne’s County Agency on Aging and Queen Anne’s County Government.

Health Officer Dr. Joe Ciotola shared that the MICH Program is improving health outcomes among citizens of Queen Anne’s County through integrated, multi-agency, and intervention based healthcare.  The program provides access to a variety of skilled health care professionals to assist individuals with the tools and support they need to reach their personal health goals.  Based on individual needs, professionals provide in home assessments and make referrals to appropriate community resources.  The program also provides access to behavioral health treatment through a counselor and peer recovery specialist, as well as links to telehealth.

Among the successes of the program included in the presentation were reduction in Emergency Department visits one year post enrollment, reduced hospital utilization, and improved patient outcomes.

Funding remains an ongoing challenge for mobile integrated community health (MICH) and similar programs. A study conducted by the Maryland Institute for EMS Systems (MIEMSS) noted that changes to existing EMS reimbursement policies and statewide health care payment under the All Payer System will be necessary to sustain existing programs and foster the growth of new ones.

The program won a MACo Healthy Counties Best Practices Awards in 2014 and was the first of its kind implemented in Maryland.

To hear more about the program and it’s success stories, watch the update here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-I965rzloc

For a closer look at the presentation with the data and success stories read here https://www.qac.org/DocumentCenter/View/17541/MICH-Commissioner-Presentation-4