UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE WASHINGTON MEDICAL CENTER

Prevention With Intention

University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center earns recognition for Prevention With Intention, a faith-based chronic disease prevention and management program developed by its Community Health Outreach team. Committed to addressing pervasive health challenges affecting their community, the team partners with trusted local organizations to bring health education and resources directly to residents, working to strengthen the bond between local Black communities and their area hospital.

The need is pressing. The 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment found that seven of the top 10 leading causes of death in Maryland relate directly to a chronic health condition, accounting for at least two-thirds of all annual deaths. Access to preventive care that could help mitigate these conditions remains limited, with transportation, cost, health literacy, system navigation and inconsistent primary care particularly affecting Black residents in Anne Arundel County. Predominantly Black communities such as Brooklyn Park and Pumphrey face disproportionate economic and environmental barriers, leading to higher inpatient admissions and emergency department visits. Black residents are also several times more likely than white residents to receive emergency care for diabetes and hypertension, and assessment findings show Black respondents report higher rates of diabetes at 36.8%, as well as heart disease and high blood pressure at 34.5%.

In response, the Community Outreach Team partnered with church leaders at Community Baptist Church and St. John United Methodist Church to develop the program. Community health nurses and specialists collaborated closely with congregations on a course of action that would best serve residents. The initiative provides free preventive health education, resources and screenings focused on hypertension, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. For its first cohort, guest speakers came from the medical center’s Community Health and Population Health teams and from the Kidney Care team at University of Maryland Medical Center’s downtown campus. By integrating health messaging into Sunday sermons, the program bridges spiritual well-being and physical health. It also gives residents a safe space to learn how to voice concerns with primary care physicians.

The results affirm the approach. In August 2025, 75% of participants were diagnosed with high blood pressure at the first screening, 90% of whom reported taking medication for the condition beforehand. Nearly half of participants were prediabetic at their initial screening. By the end of the program, those numbers had significantly improved:

• 51% of participants saw a reduction in their blood pressure
• 35% had reduced their A1C levels
• 67% had lost weight, and
• 63% had decreased their body mass index (BMI)