How Do I Apply for HEZ designation?
HEZ Call for Proposal – APPLICATION PROCESS NOW CLOSED.
Health Enterprise Zone proposals were due to the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) on Thursday, November 15, 2012. The CHRC received 19 proposals and a list of applicants can be downloaded here. Proposals will be reviewed over the next few weeks by an independent panel comprised of experts in the fields of public health, health disparities, and health care delivery, and evaluated on the thirteen review principles listed in the Call for Proposals.
A select number of the highest-ranked proposals will be invited to present to the Board of the CHRC on Tuesday, December 11 at 2:00 pm in Annapolis (Room 230, Maryland House of Delegates). The CHRC will issue its designation recommendations to the DHMH Secretary, and final designations decisions will be made by the Secretary in late December.
HEZ Proposal Deadline Extended
In response to hurricane Sandy, the submission deadline for the proposals seeking Health Enterprise Zone (HEZ) designation has been extended by two days, from Tuesday, November 13, 12 noon to Thursday, November 15, 12 noon.
Letters of Interest Process Now Closed
Letters of Interest (LOI) were due to the CHRC by October 19, 2012, and the LOI process is now closed. The CHRC has reviewed each LOI received based on the following criteria:
- The area proposed is contiguous geographically;
- The population in the proposed area is at least 5,000;
- The zip code(s) meet the criteria for demonstrating economic disadvantage and poor health outcomes; and
- The proposed Coordinating Organization is either a non-profit or a public entity.
Applicants and LOIs meeting these criteria were certified by the CHRC to be eligible to submit a full HEZ proposal. Click here to download a chart of each eligible applicant, contact information, and the proposed HEZ area. Only these organizations certified in the LOI process are eligible to submit the HEZ proposal, which is due on November 13. However, organizations and individuals who are interested in participating or being included in an HEZ application as coalition members, participating partners, or sub-grantees are encouraged to contact these entities directly and express their interest.
Lt. Governor Brown Announces Next Step Towards Establishing
Maryland’s Health Enterprise Zones
Lt. Governor Brown announced that the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC) has issued the Health Enterprise Zones (HEZ) Call for Proposals, an initiative championed by the Lt. Governor and jointly administered by the CHRC and Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DHMH). The HEZ Initiative is a four-year pilot program that provides $4 million per year to address health disparities by enabling underserved and isolated communities to draw on a range of incentives, benefits, and grant funding to expand health care access and address health disparities. HEZs are contiguous geographic areas that demonstrate measurable and documented health disparities, economic disadvantage, and poor health outcomes.
Click here to download Lt. Governor Brown's press release announcing the HEZ Call for Proposals
Key Dates - Call for Proposals
October 11, 2:30 p.m. Proposal Question & Answer Conference Call -- completed.
Please see the Frequently Asked Questions guide below for the
questions and responses from this call.
October 19, 5:00 p.m. Initial Letters of Interest are due to the CHRC -- completed
November 15, 12:00 p.m. HEZ Proposals due to the CHRC -- completed
December 11 Select applicants invited to present at CHRC meeting, Maryland House of Delegates, Room
230, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD.
Call for Proposals
The Health Enterprise Zone Call for Proposals and Appendix Items can be downloaded from the links below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here to download the Frequently Asked Questions on the HEZ Initiative and Call for Proposals process
Questions
Applicants may submit written questions to dhmh.hez@maryland.gov.