Primary Care Coalition Receives $250,000 Grant from Maryland Physicians Care to Provide Immunizations for Low Income Adults
Silver Spring, Maryland (PRWEB) March 28, 2017 -- The Primary Care Coalition (PCC) has been awarded $250,000 by Maryland Physicians Care (MPC), a Medicaid managed care organization, to purchase immunizations for residents enrolled in Montgomery Cares, a public-private partnership that provides basic health care to low-income and uninsured adults in Montgomery County, Maryland.
These funds were directed to Montgomery Cares by Holy Cross Health, one of the four Maryland health systems that own MPC. MPC has made funds available to support health improvement in each of its owner's communities. "We were so pleased to help address a significant health risk in our community," said Annice Cody, President of Holy Cross Health Network. Founded in 2005, Montgomery Cares is a public-private partnership composed of 12 independent safety-net primary care clinics, six hospitals, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and the PCC, as well as volunteer health practitioners and other community-based organizations.
Over the past two years, the PCC and its partners have taken significant steps to strengthen the network of safety-net clinics by developing a comprehensive enrollment system, establishing consistent provider standards, and reaching consensus on a broad set of essential services including adult immunizations.
“We are extremely grateful to Maryland Physicians Care,” said Leslie Graham, president and CEO of the Primary Care Coalition. “This is an incredibly important contribution to public health and to the health of our community.”
Immunizations are a cornerstone of public health and can significantly reduce or even eliminate infectious diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) immunization schedule recommends that 14 immunizations for adults aged 19 years and older be administered at various intervals throughout adulthood.
Providing access to immunizations saves lives and ensures the health and vitality of communities, however, people with limited means often cannot afford the recommended immunizations and remain at risk for communicable diseases that are potentially deadly.
The highest priority immunizations identified by medical directors of Montgomery Cares participating clinics are pneumococcal pneumonia and the TDAP vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. In 2016, 72 patients served at Montgomery Cares participating clinics were diagnosed with pneumonia. The funds provided by MPC will protect uninsured residents against these preventable diseases.
The Primary Care Coalition works with clinics, hospitals, health care providers, and other community partners to coordinate health services for low-income, uninsured residents of Montgomery County, Maryland and the National Capital Area. Our vision is a community in which all residents will have the opportunity to live healthy lives. PCC is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization.
Holy Cross Health, founded in 1963 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, is a comprehensive Catholic health care delivery system that includes two hospitals and a network of community health centers in Montgomery County, Maryland. Holy Cross Hospital, the largest hospital in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, is located on the Kevin J. Sexton Campus of Holy Cross Health in Silver Spring. Holy Cross Germantown Hospital is the first hospital in the nation located on the campus of a community college. Holy Cross Health Network provides primary care at health centers located in Silver Spring, Aspen Hill, Gaithersburg, and Germantown and community education throughout Montgomery County. Holy Cross Health is a member of Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation.
Hillery Tsumba, Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland, http://www.PrimaryCareCoalition.org, +1 (301) 628-3425, [email protected]
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