WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmembers John Sarbanes, Anthony G. Brown, Kweisi Mfume, and David Trone (all D-Md.) announced $7,586,334 in federal funding to train new community health workers in Maryland. The funding is provided through the Community Health Worker Training program, a new initiative created by the lawmakers through the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act. This program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, provides education and on-the-job training to strengthen the public health workforce and delivers greater access to medical resources, COVID care, mental health services, chronic disease care, and other important health services to our communities. Nationwide, it will train over 13,000 Community Health Workers.

“Strengthening our public health workforce ensures more Marylanders can access critical health care services. This new funding through the American Rescue Plan will reduce disparities in care and ultimately improve overall community health and wellbeing, all while providing Marylanders with highly in-demand skills – it’s a win-win. We will keep working to deliver investments like these to bolster our health care workforce and provide quality care to all,” said the lawmakers.

The federal grants have been awarded as follows:

• $2,867,385 for Access to Wholistic and Productive Living Incorporated in Brentwood
• $2,373,217 for the Asian American Center of Frederick
• $2,345,732 for The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore City

The Community Health Worker Training program provides federal funding to advance public health, strengthen the public health workforce, reduce health disparities, and help underserved populations achieve health equity by growing the healthcare workforce and equipping providers with the skills they need to provide effective community outreach, care, and health services – particularly for those recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other public health emergencies.