$463K Award To Help Battle Chronic Disease In Howard County

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Howard County Health Department has been awarded a $463,369 "Local Health Department Disparities Funding Opportunity" from the Maryland Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The award will be used to reduce health disparities related to chronic disease and COVID-19 infections in Howard County.

“As a whole, Howard County’s health indicators are strong, but we know health disparities exist. This funding will allow us to support our residents to stay healthy or become healthier," Howard County Health Officer Maura J. Rossman said. “We expect to meet people where they are on their health journey and provide the needed information and resources to help make their journey successful.”

The Local Health Department Health Disparities Funding Opportunity also will allow the health department to fund two categories of grants. The first is for local organizations to identify and recruit 40 community leaders to create a network of certified community health workers to aid in chronic disease prevention and management, and to decrease hospital utilization rates in identified communities. The second grant will be awarded to local organizations to provide ongoing support for this CHW network.

Organizations interested in either of these grants should visit www.howardcountymd.gov/health/health-disparities-grants(link is external) for detailed information about the application process. Grants will run from Sept. 1 to Jan. 15 or June 30, 2023 depending upon the grant applied for. Application deadline is Aug. 31.