The Sickle Cell Community Consortium powers the VitaminSC3 Podcast. Today's show is brought to you by the Caring is Giving segment with Elle Cole. Today's conversation introduces our audience to a new hospital in the PG County Maryland area. The University of Maryland Capital Region Health held a Town Hall Meeting about we had in Prince George's County Maryland.

About University of Maryland Capital Region (UMCR)

University of Maryland Capital Region Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system serving the citizens of Prince George's County and the surrounding area.

The mission  of the new hospital is to provide high-quality, accessible healthcare services in partnership with the community.

Learn more about UM Capital Regional Health's history.

From the Organizer , the University of Maryland Capital Region
"There are myriad of disparities systemically ingrained in health institutions across the United States that have led to inexcusable and poor health outcomes for people living with sickle cell disease (SCD). The structural disparities in medicine experienced by people with SCD are most apparent when patients seek pain relief when they are in excruciating pain from vaso-occlusive episodes— patients are often labeled as drug-seeking and left to suffer. Other issues faced by the SCD community include the lack of resources for the transition from pediatric hematology to adult SCD care and social determinants of health that play a crucial role in disease management and health equity.

The PATHS (Prioritizing Access To High-Quality Sickle Cell Care in Prince George's County) project, funded by Maryland's Community Health Resources Commission, is working towards addressing these problems by increasing adult SCD expert providers at the University of Maryland, Capital Region Health's (UM Capital) new infusion clinic to meet the needs of people with SCD in Prince George’s (PG) County. By increasing resources at Children's National (CN), the project also aims to help children ages 13 and older receive transition services. This meeting will be an opportunity for the community to hear updates on the progress of the project."

Today's Topic: We discussed the Town Hall Meeting Held at University of Maryland Capital Region Health
Here are the questions we chatted about during our discussion:

Intro (Timestamp 02:05) 

1. Why is sickle cell disease an important conversation in PG County? (Timestamp 3:21) 

2. What do you think is unique about our area and the new hospital? (Timestamp 6:43) 

3. As a caregiver, what excites you most about the hospital, grant, and that sickle cell is a focus regarding this new project. (Timestamp 21:23)

4. What are your expectations regarding transition and sickle cell treatment in PG county? (Timestamp 26:00) 

5. There were various speakers, were there any speakers or messages that really resonated with you? (Timestamp 32:00) 

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University of Maryland Capital Region of Health

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