Marylanders now have access to an updated COVID-19 booster vaccine that is designed to better protect against symptoms of subvariants Omicron BA.4 and BA.5. The BA.5 subvariant makes up almost 90% of all COVID-19 strains now in circulation. The new boosters are available in time for fall, typically a time of year when cases of … Read more
To combat the critical health care workforce shortage in Maryland, hospital leaders across the state formed a task force to study challenges in the workforce pipeline and provide comprehensive recommendations. Convened by the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) in November 2021, the Task Force on Maryland’s Future Health Workforce released an extensive report this month on … Read more
Incoming results from Tuesday’s primary elections in Maryland indicate Del. Dan Cox, backed by former President Donald Trump, as the GOP winner. Results from the Democratic primary are still pending, although author and army veteran Wes Moore holds a lead over other frontrunners Tom Perez and Peter Franchot. Cox and Moore have expressed vastly different … Read more
Maryland leads the Mid-Atlantic region for best health care during the COVID pandemic, according to a new analysis from the Commonwealth Fund. Maryland ranked 7th best nationwide, and also led the Mid-Atlantic in avoiding hospital use and costs, and racial/ethnic equity. The report measured state success from February 2020 to March 2022 in … Read more
With ongoing health care workforce shortages, the rise of telehealth, and an increasingly diverse population now on Medicaid as a result of the pandemic, COVID continues to impact our communities in ways yet to be seen. Four experts, including newly-appointed House Health and Government Operations Committee Chair Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk, came together during last month’s … Read more
Maryland’s unique Total Cost of Care (TCOC) model continues to shape the state’s recovery from the pandemic, especially among hospitals and other health facilities. Bob Atlas, President and CEO of the Maryland Hospital Association; Katie Wunderlich, Executive Director of the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC); and Joe DeMattos, President & CEO of the Health … Read more
Ben Steffen is the executive director of the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC), an independent regulatory agency under the Department of Health. MHCC designates Maryland’s health information exchange (HIE), the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP). In this Q&A, Steffen reflects on the role CRISP played in mapping the COVID-19 pandemic and how … Read more
Health leaders from three corners of the country reflected on their experiences addressing the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years at the 2022 State of Reform Federal Health Policy Conference. Discussions on the importance of addressing disparities with data, workforce reform, and more took place at the “How COVID has changed our health care … Read more
Governor Larry Hogan announced the end of a statewide mask mandate in state buildings this week, following several emergency orders in response to the Omicron variant surge. The mandate will end on Feb. 22, although “masks will continue to be strongly recommended for employees and visitors who are unvaccinated.” The mandate lift would … Read more
A new public service announcement from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) aims to encourage vaccinations among Marylanders by highlighting support from community voices. The 30-second PSA features Baltimore City National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President, Reverend Kobi Little, as a GoVAX ambassador. In the video, Rev. Little says … Read more