The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) was recently awarded a 5-year $8.4 million grant that will support the people, services, and systems of the public health infrastructure.
Awarded by the CDC, the funding is part of a $3.2 billion effort by the federal government to help strengthen public health on the state and local levels.
“This grant supports direct spending on much-needed resources that invest in our depleted workforce following the aftermath of the pandemic,” Baltimore City Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa said in a statement. “We will use this important funding for public health infrastructure allowing us to establish more resilient internal systems, processes, and protocols.”
According to city officials, BCHD was one of the few agencies in Baltimore that continued work during the pandemic, causing employee burnout.
With this funding, BCHD will be able to hire more than a dozen new staff members who will help improve the organization; increase recruitment; support retention; and strengthen morale.
BCHD will also increase the administrative staff to ease the daily burdens of program managers, which will give them more time to focus on other pertinent duties.
“These new positions will support our ability to provide training and professional development for our staff and create a healthy and supportive work environment for team members who have given their all to public health over the past almost three years,” Dzirasa said.
BCHD will also implement a new electronic health records system that will allow providers easier access to health records.
Patients will also have easier access to medical records, electronic lab results, telehealth options, and 24-hour communication with providers.
