Mary Therese Phelan
The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) is building on the success of the West Baltimore RICH Collaborative that focused on reducing social isolation and inequities in cardiovascular health in West Baltimore.
UMSON was awarded a five-year, $5 million Health Equities Resource Communities (HERC) grant from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (MCHRC) over the summer to establish the West Baltimore Reducing Inequities in Cardiovascular and Mental Health Collaborative-Stronger Together (RICH 2.0). Two years ago, the West Baltimore RICH Collaborative was supported by a $2.4 million Pathways for Health Equity Grant from MCHRC.
As with the original initiative, in collaboration with community, faith-based, academic, and health care organizations, RICH 2.0 aims to reduce cardiovascular health disparities, improve health outcomes, improve access to primary care, and reduce health care costs. This project extends into three additional ZIP codes in West Baltimore and expands beyond social isolation to other aspects of mental health.
The project is led by Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, NNP, FNAP, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of UMSON, with support from Janette North-Kabore, MPH, and Asunta Johnson, MSHCM, project directors.
“Collective power is needed to advance health equity and its impact on community health,” Ogbolu said. “The West Baltimore RICH Collaborative-Stronger Together not only aims to improve health outcomes but also demonstrates that multisectoral organizations can work together toward eliminating health disparities. I am proud to be partnering with trusted community organizations and health equity promoters that are committed to collaborating to improve cardiovascular and mental health and address the social determinants of health so that communities are stronger, safer, and healthier.”
West Baltimore RICH 2.0 will integrate activities and resources across multiple organizations to improve mental (social isolation, stress, and anxiety) and cardiovascular outcomes and social determinants of health (SDOH), such as food, transportation, and economic security.
The program includes five strategic interventions: a health equity collaborative, nurse-led clinics, self-monitored blood pressure programs and mobile health programs, events, and a community outreach worker model to support and address social determinants of health.
Through the original West Baltimore RICH Collaborative, several University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland School of Pharmacy students worked with the initiative to gain skills and insight related to addressing SDOH barriers. Four community-based youth ambassadors were recruited to assist with community activities and learn about addressing complex community needs with wraparound resources.
In its first 13 months, the West Baltimore RICH Collaborative and its partners engaged with 7,725 residents; attended 546 mobile health events; enrolled 2,001 participants into the program; distributed 925 blood pressure cuffs; established four nurse-led clinics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Community Engagement Center, Coppin State University, McCullough Homes public housing, and Family NP at Garwyn Medical Center; and provided health screenings to 1,124 participants, of whom 96 percent reported at least one SDOH need and received immediate resources.
Building on the success of the original project, West Baltimore RICH 2.0 will expand partnerships with organizations to meet the need for mental health services and place-based care in senior housing facilities; expand two mobile health programs for implementation in senior housing sites; continue community outreach to address SDOH, with a central team at UMSON and additional support hired by and placed at partner sites; maintain the nurse-led clinics; and measure community assets and strengths assessing perceptions of hope and their association with social isolation, mental distress, stress, and anxiety.
By the end of the five-year grant period in 2029, 4,000 additional individuals will have been served.
See a list of partner organizations involved in this project.
