Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
Since 2012, Mary’s Center has operated in Prince George’s County when we opened the site at 8908 Riggs Road, Adelphi, MD. Prince George’s County Public Schools owns the physical space, which also includes Cool Spring Elementary School, the Judy Hoyer Center, and other community partners. Serving over 10,000 area residents annually, the Adelphi site has worked closely with the school system, County, local partners, and the surrounding community to address community health needs and offer services in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. Toward the end of 2022, Prince George’s County Public Schools notified Mary’s Center that the physical space needed either a significant renovation or a full rebuild. Prince George’s County Public Schools has been a great partner in doing everything they can to keep us posted on a finite date, and the current estimate is roughly 36 months. Closure of the health center would yield a significant impact on the community. Mary’s Center staff would no longer have a site and over 10,000 residents would lose a vital resource for health, education, and social services. Mary’s Center has determined that moving to a new facility, as soon as possible, will best facilitate the capacity to continue serving our community. The added value of moving to a new and larger space is the opportunity to provide a broader array of services to more residents. Federally Qualified Health Centers have an immediate positive impact for communities and taxpayers – they reduce healthcare costs by providing comprehensive primary care which, in turn, leads to fewer emergency room visits. Health Centers improve access to care and overall public health by providing vaccinations, health education, and prohibiting the spread of communicable diseases. Prince George’s County has a higher rate of uninsured residents than either Montgomery or Howard County, a higher prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obes ity, and a higher percentage of adults reporting unmet medical needs due to cost. In short, Prince George’s County has the capacity and need for expanded health resources. Mary’s Center estimates that $5,000,000 in Community Project Funding, along with supplemental funding from other sources, would allow us to renovate roughly 20,000 square feet which would be sufficient to fully implement the social change model. Once the new facility has been renovated, Mary’s Center will be able to operate without the need for additional Community Project Funding. Sustainability will be achieved through the provision of care with the core services: medical, dental, and behavioral health. Future renovation phases will be funded through additional capital grant opportunities. Mary's Center has not yet selected a final site for our new facility. We continue to investigate and tour prospective sites across the County, but have yet to locate an available facility that will fit our needs, our timeline, and sits in a community with significant unmet health needs. Once a site is selected, Mary's Center estimates that the planning, renovation, and transition of services will take roughly 24 months.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).