Health department outlines county programs to address heart disease, diabetes and cancer

Calvert County Health Department staff on Oct. 28 presented data and prevention-program updates on cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, identifying these chronic illnesses as leading health concerns and outlining county efforts to prevent complications through screening and lifestyle programs.

Jennifer Moreland, director of community resources and acting health officer in the meeting, told the Board of Health that cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death in Calvert County. Health department numbers presented at the meeting showed 225 county deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease in 2023 (including heart disease, heart attacks and strokes). The department emphasized the role of modifiable risk factors such as high blood pressure, tobacco use, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes.

To address elevated blood pressure, the department described its Healthy Heart Ambassador program, a four-month intervention that issues blood-pressure monitors to participants, provides nurse case management and includes community outreach and school presentations. Moreland said the Healthy Heart program receives about $15,000 in annual grant funding from state chronic-disease and tobacco-control centers, supplemented by county resources.

On diabetes, the health staff described a CDC-based PreventT2 lifestyle program (12 months, aims for 5–7% weight loss and 150 minutes of physical activity per week) and a six-week "Living Well with Diabetes" workshop for people already diagnosed or at high risk. Moreland said county diabetes programs have shown participant-level impacts including an average weight loss of about 16.5 pounds for program participants and improved confidence in disease self-management.

Cancer prevention efforts focus on outreach, screening and referral for low-income or uninsured residents; the department provides screening navigation and access to the Maryland Cancer Fund when treatment assistance is needed. The staff noted lung, colon and breast cancers as the leading cancer causes locally and urged screening for early detection.

"These programs make a measurable difference for participants, but funding is limited," Moreland told commissioners, asking the board to continue support and to help identify additional funding partners. She recommended continued outreach and partnerships with libraries, schools and the Office on Aging to broaden program reach.