Somerset County Health Department receives HERC grant

SOMERSET COUNTY, Md. – The Somerset County Health Department getting significant funding to broaden their services.

The agency has been awarded $1.7 million via a Health Equity Resource Communities (HERC) grant from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission.

Over the course of 5 years, those funds will be used to expand the reach of Community Health Workers (CHW) in the county.
Those health officials work with other agencies to connect patients with the resources and information that they need to stay healthy.

“Our goal is to reach 4500 unduplicated individuals through this project in the 5 year period, and we’re hoping to decrease hospitalization rates by 25%,” said Christopher Osment, CHW supervisor at the Somerset County Health Department.

The focus of the program is specifically to reach those with diabetes and high blood pressure, addressing those conditions before they lead to more serious ailments.