This week the Maryland Commission on Public Health published its final report, sharing recommendations to improve public health statewide. An undertaking two years in the making, the commission's teams included more than 20 experts from the UMD SPH, together with colleagues from around the state.
The Commission was created by state leadership in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and other health crises to assess and make recommendations to improve public health infrastructure and services across the state.
“This plan took a village – and I am so grateful to the team that worked so hard and so generously on behalf of all Marylanders. Together we created a path to meaningful improvement in the health of our communities and our great state,” said University of Maryland School of Public Health (UMD SPH) Dean Boris Lushniak, one of three commission co-chairs appointed by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
The report recommends actions to strengthen five areas crucial to improved public health services for Marylanders: health infrastructure, communications and IT, partnerships, bridging the gap between public health and direct services and future public health leadership.
Recommendations from the report include actions to strengthen and diversify the state’s public health work force, including appointing a chief nursing officer for technical assistance to nursing across the state, as well as upgrading the state’s current human resource system.
The report also focuses on improved governance systems, for example calling for enactment of an equity impact assessment policy to ensure health equity is central to public Maryland’s health legislation. Recommendations to improve IT and data systems include digitizing public health records and ensuring a universal electronic health records system in operation across the state.
The report also highlights the need for stronger systems to respond to public health emergencies and natural disasters. Beyond the state’s existing emergency management, for example, the report recommends expanding the Medical Reserve Corps, boosting numbers and deepening training of local volunteers for a new “Maryland Responds Health Reserve Corps.”
UMD School of Public Health students also played a role in the Commission, bringing them to the heart of real-world health policy and planning.
"My favorite part of this work has been the ability to observe everything related to health policy and to see how strong the Commission’s team is in sticking to its initiatives,” said Yonathan Mesfun, ‘26, a UMD public health practice and policy graduate student who interned on the Commission support team.
“From commission meetings to draft report reviews, I gained a valuable perspective on how impactful this commission is in improving public health outcomes for Maryland."
Selma Osman ‘26, another intern and UMD health administration student was inspired by what she saw as the dedicated collaboration of a diverse team.
"Each person brought unique perspectives that strengthened the final product. I enjoyed this work knowing our efforts directly influence public health policy in Maryland and help support better health for Maryland residents,” said Osman.
We have ignited new partnerships across the state that will continue to deepen, including helping counties with workforce training, supporting people in rural areas to access healthcare and lending expertise to apply best practices throughout Maryland.
The 16-member Commission, including state health officials, academic partners and legislators, worked closely to ascertain the crucial issues facing Maryland’s public health system, and were supported by a host of committee members. Listening to Marylanders was a major – and essential – part of the process: Commissioners gathered experiences and perspectives through numerous listening sessions, from Washington County in the west to Talbot County on the Eastern Shore, as well as via online platforms.
The Commission also engaged academic partners, including UMD’s School of Public Health, Morgan State University’s School of Community Health and Policy and Coppin State University, to gather and synthesize information from a wide variety of sources on public health topics affecting people in Maryland, such as chronic disease, environmental health and emergency responses.
The “time has never been more urgent for a call to action to recognize public health as a fundamental driver of social and economic productivity,” the report states.
For the SPH faculty, staff and students who took part in supporting the Commission's work, the call to service was clear. They brought a wealth of expertise on health literacy, strategic planning, organizational management, public health practice, community engagement and health equity, among other topics.
SPH Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Dr. Amelia Arria, a professor in SPH’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health, led the Commission’s Assessment Team and has already seen signs of progress since the Commission’s formation.
“We have ignited new partnerships across the state that we will continue to deepen, including helping counties with workforce training, supporting people in rural areas to access healthcare and lending expertise to apply best practices throughout Maryland,” Arria said. “It is truly a joy and an honor to be an integral connector for such an important statewide project.”
With the report now final, Commission members hope it will be used widely to improve Maryland’s health across systems and partnerships.
“Now, with this completed public health roadmap, we arrive at the crucial beginning: Serving the people of our state to propel public health in Maryland fearlessly forward!” Lushniak said.