The Howard County Health Department (HCHD) has snagged a grant from the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) that promises to boost sexual and reproductive health services at Howard Community College (HCC). The grant is part of the IWPR's Connect for Success Initiative, aiming to substantially enhance access to comprehensive care in community colleges, a much-needed resource according to Howard County Government.
This cash infusion is not the first financial commitment aimed at expanding HCC's healthcare scope. Just two years prior, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced a staunch $1 million investment to ramp up preventative reproductive healthcare services at HCC. "I want to thank Dr. Rossman, her staff and IWPR for further supporting the needs of our students and ensuring women have the right to make their own choices for their reproductive healthcare and family planning needs," Ball said, per the county's press release. The grant seems to be the next logical step in upholding this commitment to student health.
With this grant, specific plans are already set in motion. HCHD is gearing up to administer a survey during the fall 2024 semester to get a read on student and staff awareness and accessibility to health services. The move is geared to further intimate understanding of how to better serve the campus community. HCHD's thorough engagement strategy also includes fortifying partnerships with campus programs, conducting student focus groups, bringing on board student clinic champions, and escalating clinic branding efforts.
For additional information on the Connect for Success initiative, IWPR encourages you to visit its website or contact the project director, Dr. Martinique Free, at [email protected].