The new population health tool will put critical patient data directly in the hands of care teams

(Conowingo, Md.) West Cecil Health Center (WCHC), a nonprofit community health center, is set to receive $130,000 in grant dollars from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) to implement a population health technology platform that will help identify, monitor, and manage patients that are most at risk from chronic diseases such as diabetes.

“The Commission congratulates West Cecil in their ongoing efforts to deliver services for underserved residents in rural communities in Maryland,” commented Mark Luckner, CHRC Executive Director.  “We commend West Cecil for developing its population health technology platform, which will help support their overall efforts to address chronic diseases of their patient population.”     

The two-year project supports the procurement, implementation, and optimization of a population health analytics platform, and the employment of a full-time Data Analyst to oversee the new technology. 

WCHC will utilize the new technology to automate and enhance its capabilities to identify and monitor patients that are at higher risk of poor health outcomes due to chronic disease diagnosis and demographic information. The platform will play a large role in the process of stratifying patients and assigning them to care teams, creating more efficient and effective patient engagement. 

“In today’s world, health IT is critical to successfully managing patient care, but as a small nonprofit health center, we don’t often have the resources needed to implement new tools and technologies,” comments John Ness, WCHC President & CEO. “That’s why support from the Community Health Resource Commission is so important to organizations like ours and the communities we serve. 

“I am so excited about this opportunity to put meaningful, actionable data into the hands of our clinical care teams,” Ness continues. “I know it will have a positive impact on our team and their ability to have more focused and intentional interactions with our patients, leading to improved outcomes.”.

West Cecil Health Center (WCHC) provides high-quality, compassionate, and comprehensive healthcare services for the entire family at two locations: Conowingo and Havre de Grace. We serve as a one-stop destination for a range of services, including primary care, behavioral health, laboratory, pharmacy, and dentistry. Our patient-focused, collaborative approach focuses on whole health and empowers patients to establish healthy lifestyles. As a nonprofit, community-driven organization, we offer a sliding fee discount to ensure affordable care for all residents in Cecil, Harford and nearby counties in Maryland and Pennsylvania.    

The Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) was created by the Maryland General Assembly in 2005 to expand access to health care services in underserved communities in Maryland. The CHRC is an independent commission operating within the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), whose 11 members are appointed by the Governor. Since its inception, the CHRC has awarded 347 grants totaling $85.9 million, supporting programs in every jurisdiction of the state. These programs have collectively served more than 504,000 Marylanders, and grants awarded by the CHRC have enabled grantees to leverage $31.8 million in additional federal and private/nonprofit resources.​