The West Baltimore RICH Collaborative addresses racial cardiovascular disparities by focusing on hypertension, social determinants of health, and social isolation. The collaborative employs principles of innovation in partnerships to build a sustainable, replicable infrastructure to serve as the foundation for clinical and community-based interventions. The West Baltimore RICH Collaborative’s shared agenda of reducing isolation and cardiovascular health disparities is pursued through a learning collaborative approach headquartered at the University of Maryland School of Nursing as the home organization for the project.

The RICH Collaborative is a multisector partnership across multiple community- and faith-based organizations, academia, and hospitals and hospital-related entities in Baltimore. Partner organizations working together to achieve the collaborative’s goals include:

• A Better Tomorrow Starts Today
• The American Heart Association
• Ascension St. Agnes Hospital
• Coppin State University Helene Fuld School of Nursing
• Druid Heights Community Development Corp.
• LIGHT Health & Wellness
• Lori's Hands
• Ministers’ Conference Empowerment Center
• University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) Downtown and Midtown Campuses
• University of Maryland School of Medicine Department of Cardiology
• University of Maryland School of Nursing
• University of Maryland, Baltimore Community Engagement Center
• Total Health Care
• Chase Brexton
• Roberta's House

In addition to the learning collaborative, additional interventions include a mobile health program (mobile health sites and remote blood pressure monitoring), nurse-led clinics located within under-resourced communities, and a robust community outreach model that allows outreach workers to connect directly with clients to address the social barriers to health. Achieving racial and health equity in Maryland requires multiple systems working together to reduce disparities and improve the social and economic conditions in which people live (the social determinants of health). 

Mission

To reduce health inequities for residents in Baltimore through robust and innovative partnerships and to increase social connections in West Baltimore.

Goals

1. Reduce Health Disparities
2. Improve Health Outcomes
3. Increase Access to Primary Care
4. Promote Primary and Secondary Preventive Services
5. Reduce Costs, Admissions, and Readmissions