The RICH Collaborative University of Maryland School of Nursing
West Baltimore RICH Collaborative

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There is an African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

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Undoubtedly, long-term collaboration across sectors for substantial time periods is essential to reducing health inequities. Health disparities occur through complex mechanisms that include socioeconomic, environmental, and system-level factors, requiring complex teams to work together to accelerate reductions in long-standing disparities.

The West Baltimore RICH Collaborative began as a multi-sectoral collaboration that partnered with community members to begin to address cardiovascular and psychosocial disparities through a Pathways for Health Equity grant. The RICH Collaborative has demonstrated the value of partnership and made positive impacts on West Baltimore for five years, from the original Health Enterprise Zone initiative to the Pathways for Health Equity grant and now to the Health Equity Resource Communities (HERC) grant.

The two-year funding period for the Pathways grant allowed us to begin to make significant short-term impacts, but it was too short to achieve long-term impact on health outcomes; however, the investment from the state allowed us to make great strides, including building the infrastructure and systems that are needed for long-term impact.

The West Baltimore RICH partners collectively achieved significant milestones, expanded capacity, and obtained technical expertise.

The additional funding through HERC grant will enhance the existing infrastructure, capacity, and investments made by the state of Maryland. This support provides our collaborative with the necessary time and resources to demonstrate substantial long-term impact on cardiovascular and mental health outcomes as we expand to become the West Baltimore RICH 2.0 (Reducing Inequities in Cardiovascular and Mental Health) Collaborative – Stronger Together.

While our continued focus is on reducing inequities in cardiovascular health, with the addition of new partners we are able to address mental health disparities. The West Baltimore RICH 2.0 Collaborative continues to be a multisector partnership across multiple community- and faith-based organizations, academia, and hospitals and hospital-related entities in Baltimore. Partner organizations working together to achieve the collaborative’s goals include:


In addition to the learning collaborative, interventions include a mobile health program (mobile health sites and remote self-monitoring blood pressure program), nurse-led clinics located in underresourced communities, and a robust community outreach model that allows outreach workers to connect directly with clients to address the social barriers to health. Achieving racial and health equity in Maryland requires multiple systems working together to reduce disparities and improve the social and economic conditions in which people live (the social determinants of health).

Mission ▾

To reduce health inequities for residents in Baltimore through robust and innovative partnerships and to increase social connections in West Baltimore.

Vision ▾

The holistic vision of RICH 2.0 values bidirectional learning and collaborative action across, between, and within health organizations, communities, academia, community and faith-based organizations, and individuals. RICH 2.0 will synergize health equity strategies and resources across multisectoral organizations to improve mental (social isolation, stress, and anxiety) and cardiovascular (hypertension) outcomes and social determinants of health (food, transportation, and economic security) for West Baltimore residents. 

Goals ▾

  • Reduce cardiovascular and mental health disparities.
  • Improve health outcomes.
  • Improve access to primary care.
  • Promote primary and secondary prevention services.
  • Reduce health care costs.
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