Baltimore Healthy Start one of Nine Grantees for the Pathways to Health Equity Program

Baltimore, Maryland– Baltimore Healthy Start, Inc. is one of nine organizations who were awarded the Pathways to Health Equity Grant issued by the Community Health Resources Commission. Baltimore Healthy Start kicked off implementation of grant activities on July 1, 2022.  

“Pathways to Health Equity” is a new grant program that will provide $13.5 million for new grant investments in underserved communities to reduce health disparities. The funding is made available under recent legislation approved by the Maryland General Assembly, the Maryland Health Equity Resource Act of 2021. Pathways grants are place-based grant awards that will bring new grant resources and technical assistance to underserved communities. 

The Baltimore Healthy Start Pathways Project will address disparities in hypertension, Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Low Birth Weight, and Severe Maternal Morbidity for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants living in the Baltimore Healthy Start census tracts within zip codes 21216 and 21217 in Baltimore City. The project will expand existing service coordination and home-visiting projects and facilitate access to primary care and substance use treatment through referrals. Interventions include hypertension education administered by trained CHWs, home BP monitoring and tracking, peer support groups, and care coordination addressing clients’ acute stressors and SDOH needs. The Baltimore Healthy Start FQHC partner for the project will be Total Health Care.