Saint Mary's Caring hosts new county social‑services office; MedStar to offer on‑site classes, explore transport

Saint Mary's Caring confirmed that the St. Mary's County Department of Social Services has moved its office into the nonprofit's Great Mills facility, and MedStar will open a small on‑site office there to provide health classes and help coordinate transportation to primary‑care appointments, organizers and a MedStar representative said.

The relocation puts county social‑service staff and nonprofit assistance in a single location intended to make it easier for residents to access services and referrals. Dr. Mimi Novello of MedStar announced the health partnership, saying MedStar will hold classes — including one‑burner cooking demonstrations and other health education — aimed at helping people manage chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes and link them to primary‑care providers.

Organizers said the new arrangement will also explore providing transportation from the Saint Mary's Caring location to medical appointments for clients who need rides to primary‑care visits. The Department of Social Services office moved from its previous Great Mills Road site into the Saint Mary's Caring building; the exact start date for the full suite of MedStar services and any transportation assistance was not specified.

During remarks, the speaker asked that MedStar and Saint Mary's Caring consider offering financial literacy classes as part of their programming. Organizers said they would look into adding such coursework to help residents with budgeting, credit and emergency savings, but no concrete schedule or funding source was provided during the remarks.

Saint Mary's Caring officials did not present a formal timeline or budget at the meeting for the new services. The announcements were presented as community partnerships under development rather than formal county actions; no motions or votes were taken at the session regarding the move or the MedStar partnership.

Local attendees and organizers described the consolidation as intended to reduce barriers for residents seeking both social‑services support and health interventions. Officials and partners will need to finalize staffing, schedules, and transportation logistics before classes or rides are routinely available.