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Montgomery County health staff update council on three longstanding community initiatives
Summary
Department of Health and Human Services staff briefed the County Council on three long-running programs serving African American, Latino and Asian American residents, reviewed FY26 appropriations and flagged a push for stronger, disaggregated performance metrics ahead of the FY27 recommended budget.
Department of Health and Human Services staff gave the County Council an update on the African American Health Program, the Latino Health Initiative and the Asian American Health Initiative, emphasizing each program’s role in outreach, prevention and culturally responsive services.
"Montgomery County is 1 of the most diverse counties in the nation," the county chief health officer said while framing the initiatives as essential bridges between the department and communities that continue to face persistent barriers to health and well‑being. The briefing noted the initiatives have been in place more than 20 years and helped the county implement vaccine equity efforts during COVID.
Speakers reviewed FY26 appropriations for the initiatives: AAHP $4,300,000; AAHI $3,700,000; LHI $6,200,000; and the Black Physicians' Health Network (BPHN) $3,600,000. Staff repeatedly requested clearer, program‑level performance metrics to show how grant dollars and services map to measurable outcomes.
Council members pressed for a transparent approach to metrics and for data that can distinguish countywide trends from initiative‑specific impacts, a change staff said they are pursuing through a combined data strategy and deeper coordination across programs.
