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Calvert County health officer highlights strong population health but flags mental-health, provider shortages
Summary
At a May 13 meeting convened as the Board of Health, Calvert County health officials presented county health rankings and year-to-year data showing generally strong population health while identifying gaps in mental-health services, primary-care access and service-area recreational access.
Calvert County health officials told the Board of Health on May 13 that the county performs above state and national averages on many population-health measures but faces persistent gaps in behavioral-health capacity, primary care and access to nearby parks.
Dr. Toni Zamora, the county health officer, and Jennifer Mora, director of community resources, presented findings drawn from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, Maryland vital statistics and state behavioral surveys and outlined public-health measures and projected items for the health department’s FY budget.
The presentation showed Calvert County among the healthier Maryland counties on aggregate population-health and community-condition indices, with the county performing above state and national averages on overall life expectancy and several quality-of-life indicators. On causes of death, officials reported cardiovascular disease accounted for the largest share (reported at 29.3 percent), followed by malignant neoplasms (about 20.2 percent); officials said the county’s age‑adjusted mortality rates for these causes were in line with or below state averages in recent years.
Officials identified several areas of concern. The health department reported a shortage of primary-care physicians, mental‑health providers and dentists relative to need. Dr. Zamora said 18.6 percent of adults reported a diagnosed depressive disorder and that roughly 42 percent of adults reported at least one poor mental‑health day; she also noted that a quarter of residents report insufficient emotional support. The department reported that 73 percent of residents have access to exercise opportunities but that only 26 percent live within three miles of a park.
On substance use, Dr. Zamora said overdose deaths have fallen in recent years and that the county’s drug‑overdose rate for 2023 was 31 per 100,000 residents; she also said there were five overdose deaths in the most recent year reported. The health officer credited several factors including broader Narcan availability and behavioral‑health outreach and said the department can attempt to compile additional local analyses of Narcan use if the board requests it.
The presentation flagged a notable rise in adult-reported marijuana use: 28.8 percent of adults reported using marijuana, a rate the presenter said is higher than the state average. Commissioners asked whether access, neighboring-county use patterns, or other factors could explain the difference; Dr. Zamora said staff will examine comparative data for neighboring counties.
Commissioners asked whether the county has tracked COVID‑era effects on mental health. Dr. Zamora said COVID likely aggravated preexisting mental‑health trends and that the department will look for data tying current trends to the pandemic. On school-based services, she said the department runs a pilot that places mental‑health services in three schools and said staff would like to expand services to additional secondary schools.
The health officer and director asked the board for time to return with more detailed analytics and follow-up information; the board recessed the Board of Health and reconvened the Board of County Commissioners after the presentation.
The presentation’s data sources included County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute), Maryland vital statistics, and the Maryland Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which Dr. Zamora said informs many of the prevalence estimates. The health department noted some prevalence estimates are based on survey samples and may show variability across reporting cycles.
The health department said it will provide follow‑up materials on Narcan usage, comparative marijuana‑use data for neighboring counties, and additional details about school‑based mental‑health programming and capacity.
Next steps noted by staff included returning to the board with more detailed analytics and feasibility work on expanding school‑based behavioral‑health services and exploring ways to track Narcan distribution and use locally.
