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Calvert County health officials present largely positive rankings but flag provider gaps and rising behavioral risks
Summary
Health Department staff said Calvert County ranks among the healthier U.S. counties overall but noted shortages of primary care and mental‑health providers, higher-than-average adult marijuana use and obesity rates, and recommended follow-up data on Narcan usage and school-based mental‑health pilots.
Health Department staff told the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners on Monday that, while county health rankings place Calvert among the healthier jurisdictions in Maryland and the nation, several gaps and emerging behavioral trends merit attention.
Jennifer Morin, the county’s director of community resources, told commissioners the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps and state surveys show Calvert outperforming state and national averages on many measures but lagging in provider supply: fewer primary care physicians, dentists and mental‑health providers. "We have a lower number of primary care physicians, mental health providers, and dentists, and that indicates an area of need here," Morin said.
The briefing summarized cause‑of‑death trends for 2022 and noted cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death (about 29.3 percent of deaths) with an age‑adjusted mortality rate Morin described as roughly 166 per 100,000 residents. Cancer was the second leading cause at about 20.2 percent; the department also reported a decrease in drug‑overdose deaths and a county overdose rate cited at about 31 per 100,000 in 2023, below the state average.
Morin described behavioral and social‑determinant measures: 73 percent of residents reportedly have access to exercise opportunities, roughly 36.1 percent of adults reported obesity, and 28.8 percent of adults reported marijuana use — a rate commissioners described as noticeably higher than neighboring counties. A commissioner asked whether expanded access and legalization explain the increase; Morin said access and education are possible factors and offered to compile comparative data from surrounding counties.
Commissioners pressed the department on tracking Narcan use and other overdose‑response metrics. "But Doctor. Moore, in one of our other conversations, was there talk about trying to figure out a way to track Narcan usage?" one commissioner asked. Morin said statewide Narcan‑usage tracking does not yet exist and she would consult staff about feasibility: "I'll be happy to provide that information."
Morin also outlined a pilot program that places behavioral‑health services in three local schools and described evidence‑based approaches the county could consider. Commissioners asked for follow‑up briefings and more granular data on mental‑health trends, underdiagnosis concerns for cardiovascular disease, and cross‑county comparisons.
The Health Department did not request an immediate policy action; staff agreed to return with additional analysis and data for commissioners to review.
What's next: Health staff committed to provide the requested Narcan and comparative county data and to resume the remainder of the departmental briefing at a future meeting.
