Thanks to the Western Maryland Area Health Education Center (AHEC West) for coordinating community partners and submitting an application that secured $4.5 million dollars from the state Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC).
It’s an incredible opportunity for our region, and we are thrilled to work collaboratively on the initiative AHEC is spearheading called Healthy Together. This initiative will begin serving people along the Georges’ Creek corridor in Allegany County and remote communities in Garrett County and will likely expand geographically over a five-year period.
In the grant award, the Population Health, Innovation, and Informatics Unit within the Garrett County Health Department will carry out several deliverables for Healthy Together. We’re focusing on our continued work to improve well-being through physical activity by holding free classes and activities. We’re also continuing our efforts to expand the Garrett County Community Food Network by working with local farms and other partners to address food and nutrition security; visit GarrettCountyFood.com to learn more. Our work wouldn’t be complete without increasing capacity around data. Upgrades and enhancements to GoGarettCounty.com and the Garrett County Resouce Guide are top priorities.
Please mark your calendars and plan on attending our first class as we celebrate this exciting new opportunity at the Friendsville Elementary School in Friendsville, MD. On Thursday, December 5th, from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., everyone is welcome to attend Move, Groove, Release & Relax! It’s a fun movement class for all ability levels. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring an exercise mat if you have one. Limited mats are available. Click on our calendar for more details: https://garretthealth.org/events/.
Parents must accompany children.
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Sounds interesting.
This is an exciting initiative! Congratulations to those who helped secure the grant!
Sounds interesting
Thank you!
Great
What a great physical activity opportunity for Friendsville and nearby towns.
In the news release it said “remote communities in Garrett County and will likely expand geographically over a five-year period” please indicate which remote communities have been identified and the date for distribution. The statement “will likely expand” suggests that they have not been identified, that the funds may not last until then, nor has a date been selected to make this happen. Please clarify this.
Also which organization is charged with diistribtuing the funds and will you publish their time line, the amounts and allotment dates that rhe responsible group has assigned specifcally to Garrett county and the amount already designated for Garrett Countyand when those funds will be released.
Hi Tom,
AHEC West is in charge of distributing the funds. We are working with a variety of partners throughout the region to include GCHD, Mountain Laurel Medical Center, Garrett & Allegany DSS, Tri State Community Health Center, Allegany County Health Department. We had to identify the zip codes prior to submission in October of 2023. Those zip codes are 21520, 21521, 21522, 21523, 21532, 21536, 21538, 21539, 21540, 21542, 21543, 21561, 21562. Expansion will be in 21550 and 21502. A large amount of the funding is coming to Garrett County – over $408,000 to GC partners per year. Not including AHEC West staff time, etc. Happy to share any other information. Thanks for the great questions! Ask more if you have them. Always love chatting with you. ~Melissa
Melissa: Thanks so much for your overview. What I need to know now is with regard to the Garrett County Partners, how much each year of the $408,000 will be allocated to each partner? To avoid redundancy What kind of safeguards are in place To provide for all persons who should receive benefits? Specifically with regard to the Garrett County Health Department how are the funds to be allocated annually by category each year and how willl the funds be distributed? Specifically how many recipients will receive benefits In each funding year Through the health department? how many persons have been identified in each zip code To date? How will each recipients snap benefits be treatd In terms of their ability to receive direct funding from this program and the anount each will receive? How much administrative expense is involved with each Funding year For the health department? Using the Garrett County zip codes what is the needs assessment in each of them Using the funding guidelines? What are the requirements to qualify through the health department For each recipient? When will the first funding be released to GCHD?
Thanks. Look forward to hearing from you.
Tom
Sounds good
Great initiative
Another way to stay active when the weather makes it challenging!
We are so excited to be partnering with GCHD – Go Garrett County!