Nurturing Healthy Communities

At University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), each of our member organizations (our hospitals and their medical practices and facilities) is an anchor institution within the community it serves. 

They are dedicated to removing barriers to quality health care inside the walls of the hospital and in the community. 

While on the surface, good health might seem like a series of choices a person makes about what to eat or how much to exercise, it is far more complex than that. When we look at it from a public health point of view, we understand that "social drivers of health" also have a very big impact on overall health.

Social drivers of health are conditions in communities or among groups of people that affect health, functioning and quality of life. We are addressing issues both at System-level and through each of our member organizations.

At the most basic level, we help people find the resources they need to live a healthy life within their own communities with our Community Resource Finder.

Member Organizations Making a Difference

But there is much more to it. Our member organizations' Community Health teams are often the providers of those resources.

These include fresh produce markets, exercise and wellness classes at our hospitals, vaccine clinics during flu season, blood drives, health outreach teams that travel to rural areas and so much more. See the work our teams are doing at each member organization.

The Power of a System

Economic stability and growth are associated with healthy communities, and as anchor institutions, we must find ways — beyond the delivery of health care — to make change in our own neighborhoods.

UMMS Community Impact Grants fund initiatives that improve the health and wellness of Marylanders and dismantle barriers to health, safety and wellness. Since 2021 UMMS has awarded $8 million in grants to organizations that improve the health and wellness of our communities.