MACo 2024 County Innovation Award Winners Champion Public Safety & Diversity

MACo has announced the recipients of the prestigious County Innovation Award.

The County Innovation Award was established to recognize superb and leading-edge county programs that improve the overall quality of life and service delivery for a county’s residents. The Honorable Ingrid Turner, Prince George’s County Circuit Court Associate Judge, MACo Past President, and former Prince George’s County Council Member, instituted this award during her term as MACo President in 2012. The award is now a collaboration of the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance and MACo, with support from the Local Government Insurance Trust.

The County Innovation Award is issued to one urban county and one rural county each year. All nominees were impressive, addressing issues in their communities and serving the needs of residents in ways that were indeed “outside the box.” Details are below if you want to learn more about each nominated program.

MACo and the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance are pleased to announce our two award winners and nominees, as listed below.

AWARD WINNERS

Rural – Exploration Commons at 50 East – Carroll County

Exploration Commons at 50 East (EC50) is a community and innovation center, located in the same building as the downtown Westminster Branch of Carroll County Public Library. EC50 provides access to a high-tech makerspace, commercial teaching kitchen, and meeting rooms, designed to foster collaboration and innovation. Following the free public library model, EC50 has no membership fees, and class costs are minimal, based only on materials used. This accessible approach allows trained, dedicated staff to provide classes tailored to various skill levels, meeting individuals where they are and enabling them to successfully turn their ideas into reality.

Exploration Commons is designed to bring our community together. Through events, programs, classes, and services, Exploration Commons promotes innovation, fosters social connections, encourages community involvement, and provides a space for collaboration and lifelong learning. EC50 is where community members can work together and learn from each other. As a free and accessible space in the Westminster library, Exploration Commons enriches the library’s role as a community resource, supporting creativity, education, and collaboration for all.

Urban – Tele911 – Baltimore City

This EMS based telemedicine initiative, launched in April 2024, allows Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) Medics to use tablets equipped with Tele911’s emergency telemedicine software, marking a significant step in modernizing the City’s emergency response system. The first in the state. When dispatched, BCFD Medics can now assess patients and perform a telehealth consultation with emergency medical physicians licensed in Maryland. This often eliminates the need for costly hospital emergency room visits, as they can evaluate the situation and recommend alternative care options. This program is an important part of the City’s efforts to improve healthcare accessibility and efficiency.

The partnership between Tele 911 and the Baltimore City Fire Department offers patients the use of telemedicine technology in emergency medical services (EMS), specifically for 911 calls. In a large municipal city, this system permits emergency dispatchers and first responders to connect patients with healthcare providers via video or phone consultations. Tele 911 can be used to assess whether the patient needs immediate transportation to a hospital or if their condition can be managed through virtual care, alternative care sites, or by other means. Telemedicine offers several benefits to Baltimore City such as reduced emergency room overcrowding, improves ambulance response times, and enhanced patient outcomes.