 | | Annice Cody's Commitment to Community A highlight of Annice Cody’s daily routine is walking her aging rescue dog through the local community park, where people of all ages, races, religions, and cultures gather on the playground, basketball and tennis courts, and park benches. “It’s a microcosm of the diversity of Montgomery County,” she says, “and it reinforces my goal of helping to build a stronger, healthier, and connected community.” Annice became PCC's third President and Chief Executive Officer on April 30, 2025, succeeding Leslie Graham, who held the role for ten years. Annice will lead the organization in its mission to improve the health of vulnerable individuals and families by leveraging her extensive knowledge of the local, regional, and national health care environments, as well as her experience as a health care executive focused on improving community health and well-being. Annice is well known in Montgomery County for her efforts to support, define, and drive community health improvement. She spent the past 25 years at Holy Cross Health — 14 years in strategic planning and the past 11 as president of Holy Cross Health Network, the community-based operational division of Holy Cross Health that manages safety-net health centers, primary care, community health education and engagement, population health, and advocacy. Annice says, "This portfolio allowed me to think about the health of the community comprehensively, supported by the organization’s commitment to its mission of meeting the needs of our community.” |
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| | Meet Wenjing Zhang Wenjing Zhang is the Primary Care Coalition's Lead Service Designer, responsible for developing system improvements to serve patients and providers better. Some of the organization's programs and systems, such as Project Access, were built many years ago when PCC was first founded. "I have a creative and design background with technology skills," said Zhang. "My job is to meet with and listen to all stakeholders, including providers and patients, and research the technology systems. Then I design and propose solutions for system and program improvements with a business mindset." Zhang earned her master's degree in service design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. While at school, she lived in Savannah, Georgia, then Atlanta for about six months, before settling in Charlotte, North Carolina. The position at PCC drew Zhang to this area in September 2024, so she is still relatively new to the organization and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. |
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| |  | County to Make Key Safety Net Investments for FY26 The Montgomery County budget process was a nail-biter this year, coming as it did in the midst of sweeping federal funding changes and worsening economic outlooks. We're happy to report that the Council approved these key additions to local safety net funding with passage of the FY26 Operating Budget: - $963,631 for higher Montgomery Cares (MCares) provider reimbursements, or an additional ~$10 reimbursement per primary care visit - $821,805 to expand the number of MCares visits funded and include a new health center partner at the Islamic Center of Maryland - $333,785 to annualize the higher number of visits for a growing Care for Kids (CFK) population - $180,000 to design reproductive health services through CFK - $6,750 to eliminate behavioral health visit co-pays for CFK participants Thank you to the County Executive for including safety net investments in his recommended budget and to the County Council for approving them! |
|  |  | Did You See Our FY24 Annual Report? If not, don’t worry, it is still available here. Built around excerpts from our annual Storytelling event, we have created this FY24 annual report to include a comprehensive year-end analysis complemented by snapshots from (and links to) online pieces. While this year's report is designed to be digital-first, we're happy to mail you a paper copy–just email Stephanie Narayanan (stephanie_narayanan@primarycarecoalition.org) and let her know. |
| | AAPI Heritage Month- Investing in Equity for Montgomery County's AAPI Communities May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month—a time to celebrate the cultures, histories, and contributions of AAPI communities across the United States. From the arrival of Chinese laborers in the 1800s to today’s vibrant and diverse communities, AAPI Americans have played a vital role in shaping our country, despite a long history of exclusion and marginalization (Washington Post). |
| | | New Report Emphasizes Transformative Potential of Collaborative Care Model Shatterproof and the Bowman Family Foundation have released a new call to action to adopt the Collaborative Care Model as an effective tool for suicide prevention: "A large majority of patients who die by suicide have visited a primary care provider in the prior year, with almost half having done so in the prior month. Clearly, primary care providers have access to people at risk for suicide and have an opportunity to play a role in suicide prevention – but they must be properly supported to identify and address suicide risk. A new report highlights recently-released studies showing the use of the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) or key elements of it in primary care effectively reduced suicidal thoughts and attempts." PCC is proud of our work pioneering collaborative care in Maryland through the Montgomery Cares Behavioral Health Program and advocating for Medicaid reimbursement of services across the state. |
|  | Meet May's Pet of the Month: Chiquito! He is the sweet companion of Nilsa Benavides, PCC's MedBank Supervisor. He joined Nilsa’s family in 2016 during a challenging time, and has been a quiet, comforting presence ever since. Smart, intuitive, and oh-so-gentle, Chiquito brings peace and love to everyone around him! |
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 | Saturday, May 31, 12 pm- 2 pm, Master Gardener's Plant Clinic, take advantage of the experts and bring your questions, plant materials and mysterious insects to the master gardeners, Gaithersburg Library, 18330 Montgomery Village Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20879. Tuesday, June 3, 6:30 pm- 8:00 pm, Summer Twilight Concert Series, featuring Zydeco Hot Peppers. Free concert every Tuesday in June, sponsored by Friends of Brookside Gardens at Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton, MD 20902. Wednesday, June 4, 1 pm- 4 pm, Domestic Abuse Legal Clinic, free walk-in legal services for low-income survivors of domestic abuse who live in Montgomery County and need help attaining protection orders, divorce, custody, and child support. Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850. Saturday, June 7, 11 am- 3 pm, Party in the Park, a fun-filled Father's Day Celebration co-sponsored by Montgomery Parks. Enjoy a day of wellness activities and train rides for fathers, children, and families. Information and resources from community programs such as WorkSource Montgomery, Manna Food, MCPS Child Find and various HHS Programs will also be available. Wheaton Regional Park, 2000 Shorefield Rd., Wheaton, MD 20902. Register here. Friday, June 13, 6 pm- 7:30 pm, Rubber Ducky Derby, Martin Luther King, Jr. Outdoor Pool, 1201 Jackson Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20904. Appropriate for all ages. First three ducks to cross the finish line win prizes. Must arrive no later than 6:30 p.m. to claim a duck for $5. The race starts promptly at 7. No open swimming during this event. |
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