The Maryland Department of Health Announces $19 Million Startup Funding Program to Expand Primary Care Access in Underserved Areas

In Maryland, primary care access will be expanded in underserved communities across the state, thanks to a $19 million startup funding program that the Maryland Department of Health, in partnership with the Health Services Cost Review Commission announced today. The funding, provided through the new Episode Quality Improvement Program for Primary Care (EQIP-PC), will offer infrastructure investments to support 11 primary care practices in establishing new or expanded advanced primary care locations. The program aims to create additional access to high-quality primary care for approximately 18,000 residents statewide. The eleven primary care practices awarded funding through EQIP-PC represent geographic diversity throughout the state. Awardees include:

• Lower Shore Clinic (Dorchester, Somerset, and Wicomico Counties)

• Eastern Shore Primary Care & Wellness (Dorchester and Somerset Counties)

• Somerset Primary Care (Somerset County)

Additional Information from Maryland Department of Health:

The new program builds on the existing Episode Quality Improvement Program, a voluntary program that provides incentive payments to physicians who improve the quality of care and reduce the cost of care that they provide to Maryland Medicare patients. 

“The Episode Quality Improvement Program for Primary Care is a major investment in Maryland’s health care landscape, focused on delivering essential services to communities that have historically lacked access to primary care,” said Maryland Secretary of Health, Dr. Laura Herrera Scott. “This funding reflects our commitment to health equity, ensuring that every Marylander, regardless of where they live, can access high-quality, comprehensive primary care in their community.”

Funded by one-time savings available under Maryland’s Total Cost of Care model, the program’s funding will be distributed over the next three years. Practices will use the funds for infrastructure costs, including building new facilities, recruiting new providers, and establishing services tailored to meet the unique health needs of their local communities. The program is managed by the team at the Maryland Department of Health that operates the Maryland Primary Care Program , and is part of a larger umbrella of programs aiming to increase access to advanced primary care throughout Maryland under the state’s new AHEAD model.

“The Episode Quality Improvement Program for Primary Care is a key component to our broader strategy to make sure all Marylanders can get the right care, at the right time, in the right place,” said Chief Medical Officer for the Maryland Department of Health Dr. Djinge Lindsay. “By investing our resources in communities that our health care system often leaves behind, we are driving a more equitable health care landscape. A strong primary care system is the foundation for better health for all Marylanders.”

The eleven primary care practices awarded funding through EQIP-PC represent geographic diversity throughout the state. Awardees are:

• Chase Brexton Health Services (Baltimore City)

• Ascension Medical Group (Baltimore City)

• Suyi Park, MD & Associates (Baltimore City)

• Mace Medical (Baltimore County)

• Charm City Healthcare (Baltimore County)

• Comprehensive Primary Care (Prince George’s County)

• Capital Care Clinic (Prince George’s County)

• Wellspring Family Medicine (Allegany County)

• Lower Shore Clinic (Dorchester, Somerset, and Wicomico Counties)

• Eastern Shore Primary Care & Wellness (Dorchester and Somerset Counties)

• Somerset Primary Care (Somerset County)

The Health Services Cost Review Commission, which regulates hospital rates and tracks hospital performance data, works to ensure equitable, financially sustainable health care services across the state. The Maryland Primary Care Program is a collaboration between the federal government and the Maryland Department of Health, supporting primary care practices by enhancing care quality and improving patient outcomes statewide, through payment incentives for Medicare beneficiaries.

For more information about the program and its impact, visit https://www.crisphealth.org/learning-system/eqip-pc/.