HB 178

Did not advance

Public Health - Sickle Cell Disease - Specialized Clinics and Scholarship Program for Medical Residents

Sponsor: Edith J. Patterson (District 28)Committee: HealthSubject: Public HealthStatus: Hearing 2/10 at 2:30 p.m. (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to establish certain specialized clinics for the management and treatment of sickle cell disease and establish a scholarship program for medical residents who specialize in classical hematology with a focus on sickle cell disease; and requiring the Governor for fiscal year 2028 to include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $6,138,000 to support clinic operations, staffing, training, and social support services.

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Testimony (17)

MGA witness list

FAV 7FavorableFWA 7Favorable with amendmentsUNF 3Unfavorable

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Clunies-Ross, Mary Kay	Chronic Disease Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Agarin, Ufuoma	Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Benn, Sarahia	President/CEO of Association For the Prevention Sickle Cell Anemia of (apscainc)	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Patterson, Delegate Pattersonlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Johnson, Betty	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	White, Cassandra	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Williams, Rudolph	Individual	Oral
UNF	Lynch, Meghan	Maryland Department of Health	Written (PDF)
UNF	Leseman, Kimberly	Individual	Oral
UNF	Rosa, Richard	Individual	Position only
FWA	Hamosh, Ada	Johns Hopkins University	Written (PDF)
FWA	Murphy, JD	MD Chesapeake Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)	Written (PDF)
FWA	Frey, Leslie	Montgomery County	Written (PDF)
FWA	Hoffman, Teanika	Sickle Cell Patient	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Tilburg, Will	University of Maryland Medical System	Written (PDF)
FWA	Patterson, Edith	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Washington, Kareem	Individual	Oral

Organizations on record

Chronic Disease CoalitionFAV 1

Johns Hopkins UniversityFWA 1

Legislative Black Caucus of MarylandFAV 1

Maryland Department of HealthUNF 1

MD Chesapeake Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)FWA 1

Montgomery CountyFWA 1

President/CEO of Association For the Prevention Sickle Cell Anemia of (apscainc)FAV 1

Sickle Cell PatientFWA 1

University of Maryland Medical SystemFWA 1