FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2021
Jewish Community Services Awarded Grant from Maryland Community Health Resources Commission to Address the Needs of Older Adults, People with Disabilities, and Caregivers
BALTIMORE (September 2021) – Jewish Community Services (JCS) was recently named as one of 35 grant recipients by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC), receiving a grant of $153,000 to expand Patient Care Connection (PCC). This innovative program partners JCS social workers with local primary care physicians’ practices to address the unmet health-related social needs of lower income patients in the greater Baltimore area who are elderly or have disabilities.
Patients are referred to the program when concerns arise that psychosocial, economic, or functional issues may be impeding their health, medical care, or treatment compliance. The PCC social worker conducts a comprehensive human services assessment and works closely with the patient and their caregivers, connecting them to community services and resources, such as home health care, meal delivery, transportation, medical and prescription insurance, caregiver education and support, emergency response and medication management devices, and more.
Now in its sixth year, Baltimore’s PCC began in 2014 with support from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc. Since that time, the program has grown from serving three physician practices to serving 12 (bringing the number of referring medical professionals to 40) and has assisted over 1,500 vulnerable individuals. Since transitioning to mostly virtual access over the past year, PCC has not only continued its services on scale but increased them to support those who especially value in-home and on-demand programming.
Joan Grayson Cohen, Executive Director of JCS, says, “Patient Care Connection ensures that older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers are thoughtfully guided by experts in overcoming challenges that may affect health, well-being, and the ability to age safely at home. The positive impact of this program is evident in the strengthened physical, social, and emotional well-being of participating individuals across the greater Baltimore area.”
Thanks to CHRC grant funding, Patient Care Connection will be able to serve approximately 400 vulnerable individuals over the next year, helping them overcome barriers to achieving their optimal health and increasing their ability to manage their care and follow physicians’ recommendations. Connecting patients and their caregivers with support and vital community resources will improve their quality of life, reduce their distress and isolation, and decrease the need for emergency department visits and hospital readmissions.
“The Community Health Resources Commission is pleased to support Jewish Community Services as it expands its Patient Care Connection program,” said CHRC Executive Director, Mark Luckner. “This program will facilitate access to much needed health care services.”
Benjamin Levey, Senior Manager of Access Services for JCS, shared “Jewish Community Services looks forward to working with the Community Health Resources Commission in increasing and improving the ability of Patient Care Connection to provide services to vulnerable populations across Baltimore.”
ABOUT PATIENT CARE CONNECTION
Patient Care Connection is a free service that provides older adults, people with disabilities, and their caregivers resources to overcome challenges that may affect health, well-being, and the ability to age safely at home. Patient Care Connection is supported by The Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee and the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission.
ABOUT JEWISH COMMUNITY SERVICES
Jewish Community Services, a comprehensive human services agency of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, provides a broad range of services that meet the diverse, multi-dimensional needs of individuals and families throughout Central Maryland. jcsbalt.org / 410-466-9200.
ABOUT MARYLAND COMMUNITY HEALTH RESOURCES COMMISSION
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/non-profit resources.
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