Ascension St. Agnes cut the ribbon on a new primary care practice at the Edmondson Village Shopping Center on Friday, bringing a facility designed to serve more than 4,300 people a year to a corner of West Baltimore where access to a regular doctor has long been scarce. The practice is supported by funding from the Maryland Department of Health and is expected to officially begin accepting patients later this month.
According to WBAL-TV, officials hope that putting health resources directly in the community will help lower the risk of chronic disease and increase life expectancy for residents nearby. Khalil Hassan of the Maryland Department of Health said people who lack a strong connection to primary care tend to seek treatment wherever they happen to be, rather than from a consistent provider. Marylanders without a primary care provider, Hassan said, are less likely to get the right care, at the right time, at the right place.
A 5,000-Square-Foot Answer to a Documented Gap
Ascension’s own announcement of the project, made back in the spring, described the practice as a 5,000-square-foot space designed to conveniently serve more than 4,300 patients and accommodate more than 9,300 annual visits, according to Ascension. The health system has said the practice will offer chronic disease management, behavioral health support, and connections to social services, built around the specific pressures facing this stretch of West Baltimore.
Ascension has pointed to a clear local shortage behind the investment: Baltimore City’s primary care ratio sits at just 30 percent, far below surrounding counties, and the system says the city has struggled with a shortage of providers willing to treat low-income patients and accept Medicaid. The same announcement noted that community members in West Baltimore have higher rates of diabetes and hypertension than other Marylanders.
What the New Practice Plans to Offer
Ascension’s listing for the location describes it as a practice meant to offer high-quality, personalized care for people of all ages, including preventive care, health screenings, vaccinations, and ongoing management of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, and heart disease. The planned multidisciplinary care team is expected to include physicians, nurse practitioners, nurse case managers, social workers, care coordinators, behavioral health providers, and diabetes educators, the system says. Lab, imaging, and pharmacy services are also planned to be available in the neighborhood…