"There is no question that health care has been on the minds of Marylanders and Americans during this national election," said Lt. Governor Brown. "Governor O'Malley and I are committed to improving the health of all Marylanders and the Maryland Health Quality and Cost Council aims to do just that. I look forward to the hard work ahead of us and am excited to further lead the efforts that will expand affordable and accessible coverage to more Marylanders."

Forty-seven million Americans live without health insurance, nearly 800,000 of them in Maryland. Since taking office, the O'Malley/Brown administration has supported initiatives and passed legislation aimed at reducing that number. During the November 2007 session, Maryland invested an additional $110 million in health care services that will connect as many as 100,000 uninsured Marylanders with quality health care. One component of the comprehensive health expansion was the

Medical Assistance for Families which went into effect in July and increased Medicaid eligibility for single Marylanders earning under $20,000 a year. In addition, the Health Insurance Partnership provides small businesses with tax incentives to provide employees with health insurance.

"Maryland has many health care assets, yet by most measures the quality of care is average. We can and must do better," said Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary John M. Colmers. "The Council brings together health leaders from the public and private sector to develop and implement a strategic plan to improve health care quality and contain costs."

The Council is comprised of 14 members, including Lt. Governor Brown. As directed by the Executive Order, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary John Colmers serves as the Council's vice-chair. Other members of the Council were appointed to represent the various partners in the state's efforts to improve public health, including health insurance carriers, employers, health care providers and consumers and experts in health care quality. 

Today's meeting included a discussion of the various public sector health initiatives currently enacted in Maryland and included testimony from experts from several agencies within the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, including the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities. In addition, the Council examined and discussed best practices employed by other states.

The Council meeting today marks the end of a week in which Brown has participated in several health-related events. Earlier this week, Brown toured the School-Based Health Centers at Lansdowne Middle School in Baltimore County and Bladensburg High School in Prince George's County.  During his visits, Brown spoke with students in health classes about the importance of living healthy and working hard in school. There are 61 School-Based Health Centers in 10 counties across Maryland. The Centers are run by county health departments and provide students with basic health care services, including primary care, substance abuse counseling, mental health services and, in some cases, dental and oral hygiene care.