Maryland Department of Health

Newsroom

June 17, 2022

Media Contacts:

Deidre McCabe, Director of Communications, 410-767-3536

Chase Cook, Deputy Director for Media Relations, 410-767-8649

PHOTO RELEASE: White House visits State Center Site to recognize Maryland’s success in Test to Treat and vaccination efforts against COVID

Baltimore, MD—Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Secretary Dennis R. Schrader and representatives from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and Johns Hopkins Medicine today visited the State Center Vaccination, Testing, and Treatment Site (300 W. Preston Street) to highlight Maryland’s expansion of COVID-19 Test To Treat provider infrastructure and successful vaccination efforts. The State Center site offers one-stop COVID-19 services, including vaccinations, testing, and therapeutics, at no charge to visitors. 

The State Center is operated jointly by MDH, UMMC, and Johns Hopkins Medicine and is a critical component of Governor Larry Hogan’s COVIDReady Maryland initiative to keep Maryland families safe. 

Representatives from the Maryland Department of Health, The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for Pandemic Preparedness, University of Maryland Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins Medicine toured the State Center Vaccination, Testing, and Treatment Site on Friday.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, Governor Hogan, the Maryland Department of Health, and our partners throughout the state worked, and continue to work, day-in and day-out in a coordinated manner to proactively stay in the fight against this still deadly virus,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “State Center is an excellent example of our adapting to meet the current needs of the pandemic and is helping Marylanders stay COVID Ready.”

State Center began offering on-site Test to Treat services in May to enhance and expand existing testing and vaccination efforts. Pictured here (left to right) are Lisa Hoemeke, P.A., Bnita Bhusal, Glorimar Rivera, Ruth Woldesenbet, MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader, Dr. Matthew Hepburn, Dr. Charles Callahan, Dr. Mindy Kantsiper, and Dr. David Marcozzi. 

Through the Test to Treat program, which launched nationally in March, people can get tested and – if they are positive and treatments are appropriate for them – receive a prescription from a health care provider (either on-site or through telehealth) and have their prescription filled all at one location. Maryland now has more than 85 Test to Treat locations that can be found by visiting the testing locator at covidTEST.maryland.gov. 

People can also be tested and treated by their own health care providers, healthcare clinics in their community, and telehealth providers who can appropriately prescribe the oral antivirals to locations where the medicines are distributed.

Dr. Matthew Hepburn speaks after a tour of the State Center Vaccination, Testing, and Treatment Site on Friday. Accompanying him are (left to right) Dr. David Marcozzi, Dr. Charles Callahan, Secretary Dennis R. Schrader, and Dr. Melinda Kantsiper.

“We are here today with a team from the White House to say thank you,” said Dr. Matthew Hepburn, Senior Advisor, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “This operation is extraordinarily impressive and unique. We can take lessons from visits like this, and that can inform our national response.”

For more information on COVID-19 resources, visit covidLINK.maryland.gov. 

To schedule a COVID -19 vaccination appointment, visit covidvax.maryland.gov or call the GoVAX Call Center at 1-855-MD-GOVAX. 

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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement.