Read more about the article Water, PFAS, and Climate Resilience: What Counties Need to Know
County Budgets / County News / Environment / Health and Human Services
Water, PFAS, and Climate Resilience: What Counties Need to Know

In this episode of the Conduit Street Podcast, our host Dominic Butchko is joined by Zach Schafer, Assistant Secretary at the Maryland Department of the Environment, for a wide-ranging conversation on the environmental issues shaping county decision-making ahead of the 2026 General Assembly session. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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December 24, 2025
Read more about the article #MACoCon Recap: Counties Protecting Public Health Together
County News / Health and Human Services / NACo and Federal Issues / Winter Conference
#MACoCon Recap: Counties Protecting Public Health Together

As funding uncertainty and rising health needs converge, county leaders are leaning on trust, coordination, and cross-sector partnerships to protect public health across Maryland. At MACo’s Winter Conference, county leaders and public health partners came together for a timely and candid conversation about what it will take to protect community health in an era of uncertainty. The panel, "Navigating Trust and Collaboration: Counties Protecting Public Health Together", explored how counties can sustain essential public health…

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December 17, 2025
Read more about the article #MACoCon Recap: County Solutions to Safeguard Local Communities
County News / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Winter Conference
#MACoCon Recap: County Solutions to Safeguard Local Communities

Counties are using practical tools, from housing coordination to legal support and smarter enforcement, to protect vulnerable residents and strengthen community stability. The "County Solutions to Safeguard Local Communities" panel offered a grounded look at how counties are using their authority, partnerships, and data to protect vulnerable residents and strengthen community stability. Moderated by Senator Antonio Hayes, the panel highlighted county-led strategies to address family instability, housing insecurity, and exploitation, demonstrating how local governments are…

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December 16, 2025
Read more about the article Washington County First Responders Now Deliver Whole Blood in the Field
County News / Emergency Management / Health and Human Services / Public Safety and Corrections
Washington County First Responders Now Deliver Whole Blood in the Field

The Washington County Division of Emergency Services (DES) has announced the launch of a Whole Blood Program, a life-saving advancement in prehospital care for critically injured patients experiencing severe blood loss (hemorrhagic shock). Meritus Medical Center, the region’s Level III Trauma Center, is the first hospital in Western Maryland to stock low-titer O whole blood (LTOWB), a battlefield innovation now transforming civilian medicine. Patients in hemorrhagic shock have a much higher chance of survival when whole…

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December 4, 2025
Read more about the article Howard Announces New Opportunity & Economic Mobility Center
County News / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Human Resources
Howard Announces New Opportunity & Economic Mobility Center

Howard County Government has announced the purchase of the 9755 Patuxent Woods Drive building in Columbia, with the intention of housing several County departments. This new building will become their new opportunity and economic mobility center.  From the press release: "This year has been a challenging one for many of our residents, who were negatively impacted by federal government level cuts and the historic shutdown. With more than 50,000 government employees and contractors calling Howard…

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December 4, 2025
Read more about the article SNAP, Medicaid Changes Could Deepen MD’s Fiscal Challenges in 2027
Health and Human Services / NACo and Federal Issues
SNAP, Medicaid Changes Could Deepen MD’s Fiscal Challenges in 2027

Maryland is bracing for more than $300 million in new supplemental nutrition-related costs just as the state enters an already challenging budget year. Federal changes under HR 1 are shifting major administrative and benefit responsibilities to states, and Maryland’s high error rate is putting even more pressure on the bottom line. In a recent Maryland Matters article, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) are warning that new…

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December 3, 2025
Read more about the article Fed Homelessness Funding Shift Could Significantly Affect MD Communities
County News / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development
Fed Homelessness Funding Shift Could Significantly Affect MD Communities

Federal shifts in homelessness funding could upend years of Maryland’s progress, putting thousands of residents at renewed risk of losing stable housing. In a recent article from The Baltimore Sun, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is flagging concerns about major federal funding changes that could substantially increase homelessness statewide. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced a shift in its Continuum of Care program, reprioritizing permanent housing resources…

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November 26, 2025
Read more about the article Howard County’s “Path Toward Zero” Plan To End Homelessness at #MACoCon
County News / Health and Human Services / Housing and Community Development / Winter Conference
Howard County’s “Path Toward Zero” Plan To End Homelessness at #MACoCon

Howard County is reshaping its homelessness response system with the release of a new five-year strategic plan designed to streamline services, expand housing options, and strengthen prevention efforts. Howard County has released a new roadmap to strengthen its homelessness response system and move the community toward “functional zero,” the point at which the number of residents experiencing homelessness consistently remains below the county’s ability to house them. This roadmap builds on the draft plan that…

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November 24, 2025
Read more about the article Navigating Trust and Collaboration: Counties Protecting Public Health Together
County News / Health and Human Services / NACo and Federal Issues / Winter Conference
Navigating Trust and Collaboration: Counties Protecting Public Health Together

Maryland’s public health challenges show up in emergency rooms, school classrooms, and county budgets. As conditions shift and federal support fluctuates, counties are being asked to do more with less while still earning and sustaining the trust of the communities they serve. Public health in Maryland is navigating a period of rapid change. Counties are balancing rising service demands with evolving federal expectations, fragmented funding streams, and increasingly complex health needs, from behavioral health and…

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November 24, 2025
Read more about the article National Rural Health Day Celebrated This Week
County News / Health and Human Services
National Rural Health Day Celebrated This Week

This week, National Rural Health Day is celebrated across the country, highlighting the “Power of Rural,” the people, providers, and partnerships working to ensure that rural communities have access to quality and sustainable health care. Established by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health in 2011, Rural Health Day recognizes both the strengths of rural America and the unique health care challenges these communities face. Rural communities succeed on long-standing connections, deep civic…

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November 21, 2025
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