[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6373816,"mediaKeyId","2145516-e38f727c52c55ba4fd6c04696d1f3b05","parentId",2145516,"title","Office of Minority Health reports staffing rebuild, interactive data tools and $4.4M in FY24 community grants","audioSeconds",4676,"startMs",5579000,"endMs",10255000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145516-e38f727c52c55ba4fd6c04696d1f3b05&start=5579&end=10255","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145516-e38f727c52c55ba4fd6c04696d1f3b05/thumbnail_5579000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6373816/Maryland/Office-of-Minority-Health-reports-staffing-rebuild-interactive-data-tools-and-44M-in-FY24-community-grants","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373816-429eb76663f08787ddecbe1e9d00c4fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181767&Signature=nKzPZvPTE2DE8Q68zTLEv4BoUILC1~VcmiHPhiGksuR2yytxFPo5~vVxLsDj~iJWSBtWJJptv3cJ-lVwNslz~ql1DDrTTE~s6oCH4ZukjYNMFAyZoYswy3TDeM0h1ebjh6aCne3RT7nAStHYA123XMVpbwBsT4AOS2rK4gtbMcbeBL1CmDIqkByWIK5XzXrQDxFGeuPuyaPYY6eaH2Go35eRTZKQ-ceeRUrwEujKcG5TkBni9wMr9K-93P5g1KqUCy6IaTQ7PcOHII~-BGWPBQnOyKT44tIISlt-x1Ckuj2v2ZSGHDcX5EHVlFRsMcaSM4dOHhO4xcDYZziMjyRXOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - Health and Government Operations","date","2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","article","Camille Blake Pfau, director of the Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (MHHD), told the House Health and Government Operations Committee she has rebuilt the office's capacity after prior turnover, resolved FY24 grant funding problems and is focusing the office's activity on data tools, community engagement and a health equity framework.

Blake Pfau said the office currently operates with seven staff positions (including the director and one contractual position), and that resolving grant-delivery problems in FY24 required rehiring four staff members early in her term. She said MHHD administered roughly $4.4 million in FY24 through 41 awards to 32 organizations.

Data, community engagement and strategic framing

- Data dashboards and report card: MHHD reported that the department's chief data officer has built an interactive public dashboard that allows users to slice data by ZIP code, age and other variables for topics including overdose, biosurveillance and cannabis; firearm violence and women's health were listed as coming soon. The office is also developing an interactive health disparities report card required by statute; MHHD said an initial version has been circulated for review and is being iterated.

- Health equity definition and framework: Blake Pfau said MDH has never had a standardized, state-level definition of health equity and that MHHD's collaborative work is producing a Maryland-specific definition for MDH use. The office is finalizing a health equity framework adapted from the Maryland Commission on Health Equity's work and plans to publish it within the department.

- Health Equity Liaisons Collaborative and community engagement: MHHD described a 24-member internal MDH Health Equity Liaisons Collaborative composed of staff across state hospitals, local health departments and MDH administrations to embed equity work across the department. The office said it is drafting a comprehensive community engagement strategy to improve how MDH solicits and uses community input.

Grants, training and workforce

- Grants and technical assistance: The office runs three grant programs (minority outreach and technical assistance; social determinants of health; and epidemiology and laboratory capacity through ELC/COVID funding). MHHD said ELC COVID dollars will end in 2026. The office provides quarterly technical assistance for grantees and has reinstated grantmaking operations after the FY24 issues.

- Workforce and training: MHHD has offered implicit-bias training for MDH employees (via federal public health infrastructure funds), participates in an underrepresented behavioral health professionals work group, and plans to hire a grant writer to expand federal grant-seeking and to provide written-application assistance to community-based organizations.

Statutory duties and follow-up requests

Blake Pfau reminded the committee that the office carries numerous statutory responsibilities from its 2004 authorizing law (the committee heard that the statute contains about two dozen discrete \"shall\" mandates). She said MHHD is prioritizing those tasks while also working within staffing limits and coordinating with MDH leadership.

Ending: The director requested continued legislative support and offered to provide the committee with the FY24 annual report and follow-up material on grantee results, the health equity definition and the interactive data tools. Committee members asked the office to seek partnerships with academic centers and community groups and to return with additional detail on grantee outcomes and proposed staffing expansions.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HGO Committee Session, 1/22/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","The Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities told lawmakers it has restored staff, resolved FY24 grant delays, distributed $4.4 million in community awards and is building interactive data tools and a state health equity framework.","taxTitle","Health and Government Operations Committee, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15061,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6373825,"Board of Nursing reports staffing, technology and fiscal fixes; proposes fee changes and Salesforce licensing system",3701,177000,3878000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145516-e38f727c52c55ba4fd6c04696d1f3b05&start=177&end=3878","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145516-e38f727c52c55ba4fd6c04696d1f3b05/thumbnail_177000.jpg","/articles/6373825/Maryland/Board-of-Nursing-reports-staffing-technology-and-fiscal-fixes-proposes-fee-changes-and-Salesforce-licensing-system","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373825-689fa46d485ee538b6b5a205cf749c77/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181767&Signature=RXbK0~t1oGqFm28ikz0lsYuuCk9o1Rm9EV1c3xElgT6FNLAWX3yIrPtmL15oSoMCBOtmjwutew52nzGBNb8M57-mxmFNMM7Jhj4kVcasarQ-t11jcYb~ua0HgTZ9KI-Pz71W6je5HDtveEfiytBEISnPGV-RhSEIErKPXEKPvrET2qcRQ55Xsfcc0zGr6Ng905~GrUwPhL5~nH6Fis-wBDNVpr60cea0oWaQskizRPyl66gYm3puE2VIv986IuIjQ8nii3sPMxvv9ksuZLhNN8rXo9XCctAfayrWdFth1zJmRM6EzmMUo6p-VlYkawd-NP9RshNbt~dS~8flB8AamA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Maryland Department of Health and the Maryland Board of Nursing told the House Health and Government Operations Committee on the afternoon of the committee's briefing that they have made \"substantial progress\" on longstanding problems in licensing, investigations and customer service but that several key changes remain in progress.

For the record, the department's secretary, Laura Herrera Scott, said the department and the board's partnership \"is really a path forward\" for how the state manages health occupations boards. Chief of Staff Erin McMullen and Board of Nursing Executive Director Rhonda Scott outlined staffing hires, a proposed fee schedule, and plans to procure a new licensing platform built on the Salesforce platform.

Why it matters: Licensing delays and slow complaint investigations at the Board of Nursing previously disrupted the healthcare workforce in Maryland, the department and board told the committee. The board's finances were also strained; absent a time-limited general fund appropriation the board would have ended FY24 with a projected deficit near $6,000,000, the presentation said.

Major updates and current status

- Leadership and staffing: The board appointed Rhonda Scott as executive director in September 2023. The department and board report subsequent hiring in IT and operations, including a new director of operations and a new director of information technology to manage existing systems and the licensing replacement project. Erin McMullen said the volunteer board voted to extend the secretary's authority over the board's infrastructure and operations for an additional five years.

- Complaints and investigators: To address investigation backlogs the department approved 10 contractual non-nurse investigator positions, revised minimum qualifications and reclassified investigator roles. Board leadership reported active recruiting to fill four to five additional non-nurse investigator slots.

- Constituent services and phone access: The board said it has maintained zero overdue constituent inquiry cases to the MDH Office of Constituent Services since December 2023; at that time the backlog was about 197 overdue cases. The board added phone lines, hired licensing and certification staff, installed a new telephony queue with a callback option in October 2024, and uses QR codes and real-time responses to improve customer feedback.

- Fiscal condition and proposed fees: The board reported it began FY24 with a negative fund balance but closed the fiscal year with a $1,800,000 fund balance after general fund support. The board has not raised fees since 2007 and developed draft regulations proposing increases based on FY24 expenditures; those draft regulations were solicited in more than four stakeholder sessions with \"hundreds\" of comments and are expected to go to the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review (AELR) and a public-comment period.

- Licensing system procurement: MDH described plans to procure a single, modern licensure system to replace the board's two-part process (front end intake and a separate back-end processing system). The department will leverage Salesforce as the platform chassis and issue solicitations for the vendor to build the architecture on that platform. The department said the State of Wisconsin shared code and architecture to accelerate implementation; other states named as using Salesforce for licensing include Wisconsin, Ohio, Oregon, New Mexico, Texas and D.C. Erin McMullen and the secretary used a consumer-facing analogy, saying applicants will be able to see application progress much like a commercial order tracker.

- Scope and limits: Officials repeatedly stated that the board is an independent, volunteer board but is working under departmental operational oversight per the temporary infrastructure authority and that any long-term changes to independence would require further action. The board also developed draft regulatory language that would create an alternative pathway for some endorsement applicants to meet Maryland licensure requirements by presenting additional educational credentials; that pathway is part of departmental legislation being prepared by the board.

Questions from committee members and follow-up items

Committee members pressed MDH and board staff about the procurement process for the licensing system, whether current vendors will be eligible to bid, and timeline considerations. Secretary Herrera Scott said the RFP for the build will be open to vendors; parts of the project leverage existing state enterprise vehicles and the department is coordinating with DGS and DoIT/DUIT. Delegate Kerr asked if the current vendor will have an opportunity to bid; the department said any vendor that can meet the requirements will be eligible.

Delegate Woods and others asked whether artificial intelligence will be used in the new system; department staff said it is too early to say but that the build will consider end-to-end efficiencies and avoid reintroducing manual, inefficient steps.

Noted operational problems still in progress

- Testing vendors for nursing assistants: The board said it voted to add a second testing vendor to address CNA testing backlogs; that second vendor is not yet online and procurement work is ongoing. The board is working with the existing vendor on a plan of action and pursuing a mass-testing event to reduce backlog.

- Technology and integration: The new licensing system will not immediately resolve every technology finding, but the department said the change will permit applicant document uploads, an integrated complaint-tracking database, automated dashboards, and better workforce reporting. MDH termed this an MITDP (major IT development project) coordinated with DoIT.

What the board and department asked of the committee

Officials asked for continued legislative and budget support for the licensing system procurement and for patience during implementation, while noting several near-term improvements already delivered.

Ending: The committee thanked MDH and board leaders for the work and asked for follow-up memos on the RFP process, the membership and timeline for the vendor selection, and the numeric detail the board will supply on proposed fee impacts.

","Maryland Department of Health and the Board of Nursing told the House Health and Government Operations Committee they have reduced complaint and constituent backlogs, hired key staff, and launched a plan to replace the board's licensing technology with a Salesforce-based system.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6373820,"MDH outlines plan to expand school-based health centers, push billing and sustainability",569,3954000,4523000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2145516-e38f727c52c55ba4fd6c04696d1f3b05&start=3954&end=4523","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2145516-e38f727c52c55ba4fd6c04696d1f3b05/thumbnail_3954000.jpg","/articles/6373820/Maryland/MDH-outlines-plan-to-expand-school-based-health-centers-push-billing-and-sustainability","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6373820-e18e4093b7889c5ab662c8011f5c941a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181767&Signature=jrn7969ODW1FmmQnQtlbeSEIBLyK1TJqTn~254lsrHmAzx6DhCAcSVnn8Mv-fBNmezMlShL8FLn0gVz2keOXmAiyIzMgRpldEM7my-R-dyhCwyD9Vzb22xZyJwZ2DtqObfdY6QHP4YEU-LUE1A7-Okk~0J361BaUee~H2RfolSA6Wyco6UbbEq-2gdN8IOPFnSFZ4xGIcgx-bAz1WLCpAKoUHkPigmTUaDC93dFcyeY6580~6MXqcjJCVogR9gU2Hx5OZizqbdxg4JqE3WlbYnpBpULR66I1HnFlgtDKuFkWhnAsXJfb5BNIek26t99cT4bR53hWmFudbjMcf3f~3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Maryland Department of Health told the House Health and Government Operations Committee that it is pursuing a multi-part plan to grow and financially sustain school-based health centers (SBHCs) across the state, increase billing capacity, and standardize quality reporting.

Deputy Secretary for Public Health Nilesh Kalyanaraman and Dr. Ben Wormser, medical director of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, said the program moved from the Maryland State Department of Education to MDH in 2022 and that $6.5 million in Blueprint funding was allocated to support expansion and operations.

Key facts and figures

- Scope today: MDH said there are 89 school-based health centers in 16 counties, serving students in 161 ZIP codes. MDH reported 30,000 clients enrolled in SBHCs, of whom about 20,000 used services, generating roughly 48,000 visits (17,000 students and more than 3,200 non-students).

- Financial sustainability and billing: MDH said it is building a sustainable financial model for SBHCs by improving billing practices, especially Medicaid billing and revenue-cycle management. The department updated its billing manual, changed regulation to permit Medicaid reimbursement for sports physicals, and disaggregated provider IDs to track where billing originates within centers. The department said Medicaid accounts for 39% of SBHC clients, uninsured patients 35%, and the remainder privately insured (presented by Dr. Wormser).

- Grants and site expansion: MDH approved 14 new candidate sites for SBHC status and issued two-year planning grants to support infrastructure and staffing; MDH has awarded four planning grants to date and aims to get 8 to 14 of the 14 approved sites up and running over the next two years. The department also described an onboarding institute to provide technical assistance and peer learning for new sites.

- Quality standards and data: MDH updated SBHC standards in coordination with national support organizations (NASBHC and CASBHC) and is finalizing those standards. The department has produced its first individualized site profiles, released an annual report, and convened a learning collaborative for existing centers. Data and reporting improvements are intended to track operations, quality and value.

Questions and details requested by the committee

Committee members asked about payer mix; Dr. Ben Wormser said Medicaid makes up 39% of SBHC clients, 35% are uninsured and the remainder privately insured. Members also asked whether SBHCs must collect insurance information at enrollment or at point of care; MDH said enrollment packets and other mechanisms (QR codes, phone follow-up) are used and procedures vary by site.

MDH said it would continue to work with federally qualified health centers to leverage enhanced Medicaid funding and with local jurisdictions to reopen or stand up centers where necessary. MDH noted that some counties (for example Prince George's) have been working with local school systems to reopen SBHCs previously managed by the county school system; MDH awarded at least one planning grant to Prince George's Public Schools.

Ending: MDH officials asked for continued partnership with the Legislature and local jurisdictions to support contracts, billing capacity and site start-up. The department said it will provide further details and reports as planning grants mature into operating clinics.

","Maryland Department of Health briefed the House Health and Government Operations Committee on plans to grow school-based health centers, improve billing (including Medicaid reimbursement for sports physicals), and use grant funding and technical assistance to bring new clinic sites online.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Office of Minority Health reports staffing rebuild, interactive data tools and $4.4M in FY24 community grants

Board of Nursing reports staffing, technology and fiscal fixes; proposes fee changes and Salesforce licensing system

MDH outlines plan to expand school-based health centers, push billing and sustainability