$26K to support healthcare disparities on Smith Island

SMITH ISLAND, Md. – Smith Island is improving its access to health care with new funding.

“We need access to health care,” Senator Mary Beth Carozza said.

Maryland Senator Mary Beth Carozza emphasized the need for more healthcare resources for her constituents on Smith Island. “Difficult for us to go there, it’s not impossible. We have an older generation too so trying to get them on the boat to go to Ewell where the clinic is, then they have to have someone to pick them up,” Missy Evans, a resident of Smith Island said.

With $26,000, TidalHealth will be expanding care on the island. “We’ll be able to do more work and actually do some renovations to the building where we’re seeing those patients,” said Kat Rodgers, the Director of Community Health Initiatives with TidalHealth.

The care team comes to the island between March and November and for this season, they’ll have some new equipment to improve health outcomes. “Purchase things like an EKG machine, chronic disease management workbooks, to use with health education with the patients on the island, transportation vouchers to go to and from the island for primary care visits,” said Rodgers.

With health disparities growing, health officials and residents say this funding is a need. “Higher risk for chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension and part of the reason for that is a lack of access to primary care. They have to leave the island to go to the mainland to areas like Crisfield in order to receive care,” said Rodgers. “A lot of people don’t have primary care physicians. It’s hard to get a primary care physician,” said Evans.

Senator Carozza says this is a step in the right direction, but more is yet to come. “And you see a grant like this come through again it’s a first step more grants to come showing them that there will be support for our residents and families on Smith Island,” said Senator Carozza.

TidalHealth received the grant from the Somerset County Health Department. The team also partnered with the Somerset County Health Department to provide COVID-19 boosters.

Senator Carozza says the island also received a $15,000 federal grant for tourism and marketing.