Community Health: MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center

The savings MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center receives from eligibility for 340B specifically supports our mission and allows us to advance programs and services that directly benefit the community. Although savings from the program are only a small fraction of our total community benefit, they are very meaningful. The savings MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center receives through the 340B Program totaled $2.68 million in 2025, which is significantly less than the organization’s overall Community Benefit investment of $34.6 million during the same period. MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center’s has consistently allocated resources to programs and community support initiatives that far exceed the savings realized through the 340B Program.

At MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, 340B savings make a real difference and directly impact our ability to provide services in our community. The 340B program allows us to support access to health care services, improve health and wellness and impact social determinants of health to patients in the communities we serve.

They help us provide:

• Medication management clinics and patient assistance programs
• Primary and cancer care
• Behavioral health services
• Preventive care initiatives

Access to Care and Coordination of Care for Vulnerable Populations

MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center is committed to ensuring our patients are able to safely and seamlessly return to care in the community upon leaving the hospital. MSMHC has programs available to help those who may be more vulnerable due to their medical complexity, social situation, or lack of means to access needed services or medicines.

• The Transitional Care (TC) Program is a no-cost safety net service designed to support patients transitioning from hospital to home. Its primary goals are to improve patient outcomes, enhance communication and coordination among healthcare providers, and reduce the risk of patients declining after leaving the hospital. Trained nurses in the program proactively outreach patients at highest risk due to their medical and social complexity, providing structured telephonic- and in person support to ensure continuity of care between the hospital team and the patient’s doctors in the community. The clinical teams are assisted by Care Navigators, who provide real-time assistance scheduling all necessary follow-up appointments with existing providers or new specialists. Outreach occurs within 2 business days of discharge, and patients are followed for up to 30 days, receiving regular check-ins tailored to their needs.
• Caregiver Support Workshops & Resources
  Educational tools, workshops, and support services are provided out of our hospital designed to equip caregivers with practical knowledge, coping strategies, and connections to resources that improve patient outcomes and caregiver well-being.
• Behavioral Health Care Coordination
  Patients discharged from our Behavioral Health Unit are offered a free 24/7 tech enabled care coordination and support program for the first 30 days post discharge provided by our partner, Mindoula. This program is designed to reduce utilization of the acute care system by assisting patients with long term support and resources in their home community.

Addressing Social Needs of Our Patients and Communities

MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center provides screening to all our admitted patients for social needs impacting their health using our Social Needs Tool, and those who are identified as having needs for assistance are connected to numerous programs and partnerships to address the social needs of patients and community members. This includes access to our online directory of community social needs and resources, free or low-cost services encompassing assistance with medical care, healthy food, transportation, legal, utilities, and more.

• The Community Health Advocate (CHA) Program is a no-cost program to help patients with a particularly significant burden of social determinants impacting their health. This team, comprised of certified advocates recruited and trained from our community, provides direct patient assistance services, application assistance and referrals to community resources such as transportation, housing, health literacy, workforce development, and financial education. Advocates partner with patients as long as they need assistance, providing personal, relationship-based advocacy as they navigate a complex health environment.
• Transportation Assistance
  In addition to taxi and bus fare assistance, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center provides a convenient rideshare program in partnership with Uber, giving a reliable means of transportation for vulnerable patients to medical appointments and health education activities. This service is coordinated by hospital staff and provided at no cost to the patient.

Health & Wellness

MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center delivers evidence-based, outcome-focused chronic disease management and prevention programs and services in its Community Benefit Service Area (CBSA).

• The Peer Recovery Coach (PRC) Program addresses the serious harm of opioid use disorder in our communities. Our emergency department offers universal patient screening and resources to patients via the nationally recognized best-practice Screening, Brief Interventions and Referrals to Treatment (SBIRT) approach. Those who are identified at highest risk for harm are connected with an onsite Peer Recovery Coach, a trained coach with personal experience in recovery from opioid addiction. Coach teams assist patients with accessing recovery services and engage throughout their journey to recovery in order to reduce the risk of relapse. They provide education and supplies to mitigate the risk of death from overdose.
• Fitness, Health & Wellness Programs
  Community-based activities that promote physical activity, nutrition, stress management, and chronic disease prevention are available to our community members on a regular basis free of charge. These programs focus on improving overall health outcomes and reducing long-term health issues. MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center has designed a 6-week lifestyle management program called Healthy Next Steps to assist community members and their support persons with basic lifestyle management techniques to prevent and manage chronic conditions such as pre-diabetes, diabetes and high blood pressure. We also provide a monthly support group for diabetes. 
• Community-Wide Health & Wellness Events
  Hospital-led community events such as health fairs, screening days, or awareness campaigns are part of a year-round calendar of offerings that increase access to health information, preventive services, and trusted clinical resources in community settings. MedStar Southern hosts a community baby shower and regular health fairs in partnership with our faith-based community and area senior centers.
• Maternal Wellness, Childbirth & Parenting Education Classes
  Classes are available at our hospital to support expectant and new parents with evidence-based education on pregnancy, childbirth, infant care, and parenting, contributing to improved maternal and child health outcomes. Some parts of the program are free of charge and others are offered at a cost based on ability to pay. We also provide additional services to new families in our community through our Healthy Start program funded through a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Without the 340B program, sustaining these vital services would be a challenge—and many patients in our communities would lose access to the care they need.

Our commitment is simple: use every dollar saved through the 340B Program to improve health, expand access, and strengthen the communities we serve.