USDA Awards Grant for Hospital Dental Van
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a $32,000 grant award for MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital. The funding will be used to retrofit a dental health van to help provide services for underserved residents in Lexington Park, an area that was designated as a Health Enterprise Zone by the state earlier this year, according to Congressman Steny H. Hoyer.
“I applaud the hospital and their community partners for their commitment to providing quality, accessible health care to St. Mary’s County residents and I will continue to work with all other stakeholders to ensure they have the necessary resources,” said Congressman Hoyer.
“I am delighted to learn of the Community Facility Grant Funding that will help underwrite the Lexington Park Dental Van,” said Christine R. Wray, president of MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital and senior vice president, MedStar Health. “Adult dental services will be provided to underserved residents within St. Mary’s County’s Health Enterprise Zone onboard the van. I am grateful to all of our community partners and elected officials who have worked closely with the hospital to make this project a reality.”
In January 2013, the O’Malley-Brown administration designated Lexington Park as one of the state’s first five “Health Enterprise Zones.” To receive the designation, MedStar St. Mary’s submitted a proposal to improve public health outcomes in the Lexington Park, Great Mills, and Park Hall communities and address barriers to accessing health care in this rural area of Maryland.
