The Maryland Public Health Commission is out with about 30 recommendations to better care within the state, which include a chief nursing officer, youth health education programs and local resource hubs to inform people about medical options.

The commission released its recommendations this week; they range from emergency services to information technology.

Some of the most sweeping recommendations include the creation of a statewide chief nursing officer to provide technical assistance to nurses through leadership in continuing education, policy and revision of job classifications.

The document also supports placing “public health navigators” in the community.

“Public health navigators could help function as clinical extenders and public health educators that penetrate hard-to-reach segments of the community that may need additional support or resources to have their health needs met,” the panelists wrote. “These navigators would refer community members to programs and educate on evidence-based programs.”

The commission says the navigators should be placed in resource hubs in areas like shopping centers where they can teach people about health screening methods or point them to services that might be helpful to them.

The panel recommended the establishment of a public health workforce commission.

Maryland is falling behind on hiring enough medical staff. A 2024 report from the Maryland Health Care Commission found that the state will face a 33,000 shortfall of purely behavioral health staff in the next few years.

To battle that, the public health workforce commission would “standardized reporting framework to equip Maryland with the infrastructure, expertise, and data necessary to proactively address workforce challenges, build capacity, and drive equitable, evidence-based policymaking,” according to the document.

Other suggestions from the Public Health Commission include health literacy programs for K-12 students to teach about disease prevention and health equity, as well as a central community portal for public health data.

The Public Health Commission is made up of 16 medical professionals and government experts that make recommendations to the state, local jurisdictions and the General Assembly.