CareFirst Hosts Western Maryland Community Health Forum
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) proudly hosted the first-ever Western Maryland Community Health Forum focused exclusively on health outcomes in Allegany, Washington and Garrett Counties. The event, hosted at Hagerstown Community College, fostered discussion on the challenges community members face when achieving good health, social drivers of health (SDOH) that create barriers to accessing care, and what they see as solutions or ways to partner toward a better future for all.
As one of the largest not-for-profit healthcare organizations in the country, CareFirst's mission is centered on advancing good health for all. And with headquarters in Maryland, our communities here are especially top-of-mind.
Through strategic initiatives, investments and advocacy, we strive to make quality healthcare affordable, accessible and equitable for all while removing barriers and creating opportunities for individuals to thrive. We believe health is in everything, and that’s why we brought together skilled minds from across Western Maryland—for their perspectives, knowledge and expertise, so health isn't addressed in silos.
The event featured a collaborative panel, "Whole Person Health: Access to Care," moderated by Kimberly Harris, Director of Community Health and Social Impact at CareFirst, where business leaders of Western Maryland discussed key issues their communities face when accessing healthcare.
Topics covered during the conversation included dental healthcare and its connection to overall health outcomes, community partnerships, lack of providers in rural areas, behavioral health as a growing challenge and social drivers of health impacting the community. Panelists included:
- Lynnae C. Messner, CPhT, Director, Outpatient Care Management, Meritus Health
- Courtney Thomas-Winterberg, Director, Allegany County Department of Social Services
- Corey Edmonds, Manager of Business Development & Community Relations, Mountain Laurel Medical Center
- Jeff Proulx, COO, Washington County Public Schools
- David Shuster, Ed.D., CE, President and CEO, Horizon Goodwill Industries
- Mike Rapach, President and CEO, CareFirst Community Health Plan Maryland (CHPMD)
"It's really about getting the right provider for your need at that time. [We’re] working with community partners to ensure that we're having open communication with our patients and being accessible."
Lyanne C. Messner. CPhT, Director, Outpatient Care Management, Meritus Health
"Western Maryland is surrounded by other states and often times people access services in other states, so even getting someone from Allegany County [for example] to a medical appointment in Garrett County or beyond that into West Virginia, it becomes a very challenging system to navigate. I think one of the opportunities we have, due to COVID, is that we had to reimagine how we provide services. How do we stop defaulting to no and figure out how we can do it?"
Courtney Thomas-Winterberg, Director, Allegany County Department of Social Services
"When you look at the social determinants of health, all of them come down to access in some definition and they all flow upwards to health outcomes or a thriving quality of life. There is a challenge with access, and access does look different to different folks, but there are two primary definitions. One is physical access – is it located someplace I can get to? And the next one is a lot more complicated and depends on the individual. Is my language spoken here? Do the providers look like me? It's not the person often times, it's not their fault, it's the place in which they live that dictates more than anything whether they can get the resources they need to thrive and be healthy."
David Shuster, Ed.D., CE, President and CEO, Horizon Goodwill Industries
CareFirst is proud to work alongside leaders in Maryland to find new, innovative ways to best support our shared communities. We're energized by the conversations we have in spaces like the Western Maryland Community Health Forum, and we're committed to creating more opportunities for community leaders to connect and have these essential conversations.
For more information on CareFirst's commitment to the community, visit carefirst.com/community
