Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Johns Hopkins Neighborhood Nursing team outlines three-year, home-visiting pilot for Crisfield area
Summary
A Johns Hopkins School of Nursing team told the council it will launch a three-year, grant-funded neighborhood nursing pilot in Somerset County that deploys registered nurses and certified community health workers to provide home-based clinical and social‑needs services; organizers said they already have local partners and seek to hire staff immediately.
Roger Clark, a liaison with the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing’s Neighborhood Nursing program, told the Crisfield mayor and council that the initiative will bring registered nurses and certified community health workers into homes and community hubs across Somerset County to connect clinical care with social‑services supports. "Neighborhood nursing really provides a universal access to health and social services to all people in a selected geography through the interdisciplinary team of nurses and community health workers," Clark said.
The program is grant‑funded for three years, Clark said, and is intended to be more than a short demonstration: teams will make referrals to local healthcare providers and social services, addressing barriers that affect outcomes outside of clinic settings. Clark emphasized the program’s focus on ‘what matters to you,’ noting that “80% of your outcome is dictated outside the doctor's office.” He said Johns Hopkins will work with local partners including the Somerset County Health Department, TidalHealth and Chesapeake Health Care Services.
Clark described staffing and training expectations: registered nurses must be licensed RNs; community health workers must hold a certification consisting of roughly 100 service hours plus 40 hours of practical training before being hired. He said staffing will include two nurses and two community health worker positions for the initial deployment and that the group will consider a hybrid model with community ambassadors when candidates cannot immediately meet certification requirements. Clark estimated a salary of about $52,000 for the community health worker role in the local market.
Council members asked about hiring timelines and program sustainability. Clark said the grant covers three years and that Johns Hopkins hopes to scale the model nationally if the pilot succeeds: “We're gonna be here at least 3 years,” he said. He also said Johns Hopkins and partner agencies will help prospective community health workers obtain required certifications. The council and local staff agreed to circulate application materials and help publicize the openings locally.
The city did not take formal action on the presentation; Clark left informational materials for the council and encouraged interested residents to contact him directly.
