Promoting Health Equity and Expanding Health Care Access Grant

The Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) aims to enhance health equity by increasing access to affordable, high-quality health care for low-income and underserved populations in Maryland. Established by the Maryland General Assembly, the CHRC has awarded 985 grants totaling $396 million, benefiting over 912,000 residents. By supporting community health providers and leveraging additional funding, the CHRC addresses critical health service gaps and strengthens the state's health care safety net.

The Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) was created by the Maryland General Assembly through the Community Health Care Access and Safety Net Act of 2005 to expand access to health care for low-income Marylanders and underserved communities in the state and support the delivery of affordable, high-quality health services by bolstering the capacity of the State’s health care safety net infrastructure. The CHRC is an independent commission, within the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), whose 11 members are appointed by the Governor. Since its inception, the CHRC has awarded 985 grants totaling $396 million, supporting programs in every jurisdiction of the state. These programs have collectively served more than 912,000 Marylanders. CHRC grantees have used initial grant funds to leverage more than $59 million in additional federal, private, and local funding. Approximately 75% of Commission programs have been sustained at least one year or more after the initial grant funding has been expended.
The Maryland General Assembly created the CHRC because it recognized the need to have an independent commission focused solely on supporting projects that serve the unique health needs of vulnerable populations, strengthen the state’s network of community health resources, and address service delivery gaps in Maryland’s dynamic health care marketplace. Health insurance coverage is not always sufficient for at-risk communities and vulnerable populations looking to receive affordable, high-quality health care services. The fundamental policy objective of the CHRC’s authorizing statute is to expand capacity and resources to community health providers that can close these health gaps.