One of the world's great estuaries, Chesapeake Bay, divides Maryland into two parts. The bay is navigable, and offers a rich habitat for abundant populations of fish and wildlife. The bay and its harbors provide the right environment for migratory waterfowl, and for harvesting crabs, oysters, and clams. Maryland covers 9,774 square miles, with a 2006 estimated population of 5,615,727 people – with 297,872 people living in rural Maryland (USDA-ERS). Annapolis is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are Baltimore, Gaithersburg, and Frederick. According to the 2005 Census, 64.0% of the state’s population is white, 29.3% is Black/African-American, and 5.7% is of Hispanic/Latino origin.
There are 47 hospitals in Maryland, five of which
are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research
and Policy Analysis Center, 2007). The state has zero
hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical
Access Hospitals. There are zero Rural Health Clinics in Maryland,
and 13 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 78
sites in the state (Kaiser, 2004). Thirteen percent of Maryland
residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2004-2005).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Maryland residents in 2005 was $41,972, although rural per-capita income lagged at $34,623. Estimates from 2004 indicate a poverty rate of 9.9% exists in rural Maryland, compared to 9.2% in urban areas of the state. Data from 2000 finds that 18.9% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 16.0% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Maryland is 4.5%, and in urban Maryland, it is 3.8% (USDA-ERS, 2006).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau:
State & County QuickFacts
USDA
Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North
Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Kaiser
Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Maryland
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Maryland Child Support Enforcement Program
State government
Enables, encourages, and enforces parental responsibility through innovative programs, partnerships, and technology, thereby contributing to child and family well-being.
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
State government
Works to improve the health of all Maryland residents.
Maryland Department of Human Resources
State government
We will aggressively pursue opportunities to assist people in economic need, provide prevention services, and protect vulnerable children and adults.
Maryland Family Policy Impact Seminar
State/regional organization
Supports decision making of state policy makers. Part of the University of Maryland Family Studies Department.
Maryland Hospital Association (MHA)
State/regional organization
Created in 1970 as a forum for cooperation and communication among the state's major providers of health care.
Maryland Office of Rural Health and Primary Care Services (ORHPCS)
State/regional organization
Collects and disseminates information within the state, coordinates rural health interests and activities across the state, and provides technical assistance to attract more federal, state, and foundation funding for rural communities.
Maryland Rural Development Corporation
State/regional organization
The Maryland Rural Development Corporation, Inc., is a private, non-profit corporation that has been serving the rural communities of Maryland for 20 years.
Maryland Rural Health Association (MRHA)
State/regional organization
Focuses on developing a broad-based grassroots advocacy effort on rural health issues.
Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Centers (MACHC)
State/regional organization
Works to provide health care services to the medically underserved and uninsured in Maryland and Delaware. MACHC is built on delivering accessible, affordable, cost effective and quality primary health care to those in need in rural and urban communities.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Southeastern/Atlantic Region (NN/LM-SE/A)
State/regional organization
Works to improve access to health information for health care providers, librarians and the public in Alabama, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia and West Virginia.
Rural Maryland Council (RMC)
State/regional organization
The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) brings together citizens, community-based organizations, federal, state, county and municipal government officials as well as representatives of the for-profit and nonprofit sectors to collectively address the needs of Rural Maryland communities.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (Southeast RCAP)
State/regional organization
Helps rural communities in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida to improve community infrastructure, including water and wastewater treatment.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Maryland
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Maryland State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: Maryland
Web site
Statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Maryland QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Maryland Community Level Information on Kids (CLIKS)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Maryland Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Maryland Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Maryland State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
Maryland State Medicaid Profile
Web site
Provides data on Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Maryland
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
BJ’s Charitable Foundation
Funding for safety, security and well-being of children and families, education and health programs, community service opportunities, and hunger and disaster relief.
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loan Fund Program
Provides low-interest loans to low-income rural communities for predevelopment costs, system upgrades and new construction of water and wastewater services and facilities.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Changing Faces of New England: Increasing Spatial and Racial Diversity
Author(s): Keneth M. Johnson
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Discusses racial diversity in New England. Includes information about rural or Nonmetropolitan New England.
Date: 2008
Demographic and Economic Profile: Maryland
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Maryland Rural Health Plan
Sponsoring organization: Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Describes Maryland's Rural Health Plan to improve rural health.
Date: 06 / 2007
Obstacles to Employment among Poor Rural Women
Author(s): Sheila Mammen, Elizabeth M. Dolan
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Rural Policy Research Center
Compares women in seven counties in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York
who are working consistently, intermittently, or not at all. Discusses key employment supports including child care support, reliable transportation, and strong social networks.
Journal citation: Perspectives: On Poverty, Policy, and Place Volume 3 Issue 2 Pages: 4-6
Date: 2005
Recruiting Local People to Fill Health Care Needs
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Discusses how frontier and rural health care providers looking for innovative ways to solve increasing workforce shortages, are recruiting and training local people to be health care professionals in their communities. Highlights programs in Nevada, Maryland, and Alaska.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08 / 2007
Small Business Profile: Maryland
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2006
State Profiles - Maryland: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Journals
Maryland - MRHA News
Published six times per year. Contains articles, events, news, and more.
Success Stories
Agriculture Care and Education (ACE)
The Agriculture Care and Education (ACE) program was developed to reduce injuries and improve the health of the farming community in and around Garrett County, Maryland.
Connections For Care
The Connections for Care project in Wicomico County, Maryland seeks to bridge the gap in access to care for the region's minorities, uninsured, underinsured, and those with mental illness and addictions.
Eastern Shore Oral Health Action Network (ESOHAN)
The primary goal of the ESOHAN is to address disparities in access to, and use of, oral health care services for children and low-income families.
Prenatal Outreach Project
Clinic that provides comprehensive prenatal services for low income pregnant women in Dorchester County, Maryland.
Something to Smile About: Preventive Dental Care Project for Garrett County
This network was established to provide dental health care to underserved individuals by utilizing existing private providers and providing additional dental care service through a community dental health center, coordinate community efforts to negotiate with managed care organizations (MCOs) and recruit needed health providers to the area, and develop and conduct a comprehensive education campaign promoting preventive dental health care.
Worcester Adult Centralized Care, Evaluation, and Support Services (ACCESS) Collaborative
The Worcester Adult Centralized Care, Evaluation, and Support Services (ACCESS) Collaborative will expand services that promote independent, unrestricted living for Worcester County's aging population.
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