Delivering Results

Leadership in Skills:

Create, Save or Place Maryland Residents into 250,000 Jobs in Maryland by the end of 2012

Improve Student Achievement, and School, College and Career Readiness in Maryland 25% by the end of 2015

Increase the Number of Marylanders Who Receive Skills Training 20% by 2012

Leadership in Public Safety and Security

Reduce Violent Crime in Maryland 20% by the end of 2012

Reduce Violent Crimes Committed Against Women and Children 25% by the end of 2012

Make Maryland the National Leader in Homeland Security Preparedness by the end of 2012

Leadership in Science and Sustainability

Accelerate Bay Restoration Efforts to Reach the Healthier Bay Tipping Point by the end of 2020

Double Transit Ridership in Maryland by the end of 2020

Reduce Per Capita Electricity Consumption in Maryland by 15% by 2015

Increase Maryland's Renewable Energy Portfolio to 20% RPS by 2022

Reduce Maryland's Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 25% by 2020

Leadership in Health

End Childhood Hunger in Maryland by 2015

Establish Best in the Nation Statewide Health Information Exchange and Electronic Health Records Adoption by End 2012

Reduce Infant Mortality in Maryland by 10% by End 2012

Expand Access to Substance Abuse Services in Maryland by 25% by End 2012

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Leadership and Innovation

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A Message from Governor O'Malley:

Over the last four years Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and I have been working to deliver results and make our state government work again.

We know that there is no government program that's as important to a family as a job, which is why we've been fighting to expand opportunity, create and save jobs and improve the conditions that allow our businesses in Maryland to create jobs for Maryland families.

But we're not done yet. We know that there's a lot of work to do, which is why we've established 15 strategic goals to move Maryland forward.

I believe that our progress as a state, especially in these challenging times, is about leadership…. leadership and new ideas to improve the skills, security, sustainability, and health of our families to continue expanding opportunities for our families.

Skills

I. Create, Save or Place Maryland Residents into 250,000 Jobs in Maryland by 2012

During times of economic crisis, no task is more important for the government than that of supporting jobs and jobs growth. To that end, Governor O'Malley has set a goal of creating, saving, or placing residents into 250,000 growth sector jobs in Maryland by the end of 2012. To meet this goal, Maryland’s Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) has drafted an interagency jobs plan that includes the following core strategies:

1. Effectively coordinating the relocation and expansion of jobs associated with the Federal Government's recent Base Closure and Re-alignment Commission (BRAC) decisions
2. Aggressively seeking additional federal facilities
3. Maximizing federal recovery funding
4. Creating and retaining jobs through DBED's business development and services efforts
5. Facilitating the generation of “green industries and green jobs”
6. Marketing Maryland as the ideal location for tourism, film, the arts, and major cultural and sporting events
7. Increasing the number of teachers and nurses graduating from Maryland institutions
8. Increasing the number of job-seekers trained and placed into jobs in Maryland through the State’s workforce development programs
9. Expanding the Port of Baltimore through a public-private partnership
10. Promoting smart growth and sustainable development through the support of transit oriented development and other Smart Site projects, and the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit.

UM BioPark - biotech jobs from UMB news on Vimeo.

II. Improve Student Achievement, and School, College and Career Readiness in Maryland 25% by the end of 2015

Building on Maryland’s “Number 1-in-the-Nation” public school system, the Governor has set a goal of improving student achievement and readiness in Maryland by providing students with the skills needed to compete and succeed in the emerging global economy. To accomplish this, the Administration is working with State educators and private sector representatives, particularly those whose workforce needs require specialized education initiatives and programs, to:

1. Maximize ARRA and other federal funding opportunities
2. Raise standards and adopt internationally benchmarked assessments
3. Develop a comprehensive statewide longitudinal data system
4. Close the “readiness gap” for school, college, and the workforce
5. Enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education
6. Expand career and technology education (CTE)
7. Provide added teacher and principal support

III. Increase the Number of Marylanders Who Receive Skills Training 20% by 2012

Reinforcing its efforts to support jobs growth and to better position the State to compete in the emerging global economy, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has set a goal of improving the skill levels of Maryland’s adult workforce by 20%. Led by the State’s Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR), the State is pursuing policies and programs to ensure that all adult workers who want to enroll in an apprenticeship program, or earn a professional credential or certification, have the opportunity to do so. The Administration’s work should result in a refocused workforce system in Maryland that provides the State’s unemployed, newly dislocated workers, and low wage incumbent workers with the skills to compete for and succeed in the middle and high skill jobs of the new economy.

Public Safety and Security Integration

IV. Reduce Violent Crime in Maryland 20% by the end of 2012

Violent crime in Maryland is at its lowest level since 1975. But to reduce violent crime 20% by 2012, Maryland will have to achieve a reduction of 6,998 violent incidents in 2012 than in 2008, comprising crimes in the categories of murder, rape, robbery or aggravated assault, as defined by federal Uniform Crime Reports guidelines. The Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention has led an inter-agency effort to establish the following five (5) component strategies of the State’s comprehensive violent crime reduction plan:

1. Identify high risk offenders, hold them accountable, and improve outcomes for offenders through effective re-entry services
2. Enhance warrant service to swiftly remove violent offenders from the streets
3. Maximize the use of DNA samples and findings to convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent
4. Expand efforts to reduce illegal gun use and possession
5. Modernize crime fighting and information sharing by maximizing the use of the best available technology

V. Reduce Violent Crimes Committed Against Women and Children 25% by the end of 2012

In addition to the goal of reducing the overall incidence of violent crime in Maryland, Governor O'Malley is committed to reducing violent crime against women and children. Working with stakeholders, Governor O'Malley signed legislation into law to take firearms out of the hands of domestic abusers.  Maryland will need to achieve sustained reductions by 25% or more in the violent crime categories defined by the federal government in its Uniform Crime Reports guidelines: rape, murders against women, and murders against children. In addition, the State is developing for the first time a uniform system of tracking domestic-related incidents of violence which will lead to an accurate baseline for domestic-related crimes in Maryland through new tracking technology. Finally, State agencies, in conjunction with advocate groups throughout Maryland, have developed specific outcome targets to measure progress in the following four (4) strategies to reduce violent crime against women and children:

1. Identify offenders at high risk for violence against women and children and improve outcomes through enhanced monitoring and law enforcement strategies
2. Maximize the use of best practices for placement and provision of services to youth under supervision by the juvenile system
3. Achieve child safety-related “Place Matters” goals and implement additional victims support and prevention programming to improve outcomes for youth and women in the State human resources system (DHR)
4. Leverage technology and tracking resources to improve information sharing among child-serving agencies, law enforcement agencies, and victims

VI. Make Maryland the National Leader in Homeland Security Preparedness by the end of 2012

Under the leadership of Governor O'Malley, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security (GOHS) has defined the following twelve (12) Core Sub-Goals for Homeland Security Preparedness, the achievement of which will position Maryland as the Nation’s preparedness leader, with robust capabilities to respond to the various categories of a homeland security threat:

1. Develop an interoperable communications and information technology infrastructure to allow first responders to talk to one another and share information across jurisdictions and vertically with the State
2. Develop an information sharing structure that addresses local and regional issues and that feeds data and product into Regional Information Centers and MCAC for connection, analysis, and redistribution
3. Every metropolitan region should have Type 1 HAZMAT and Explosive Device Response Teams
4. Develop a system of coordination to facilitate the acquisition of universally compatible personal protective equipment and breathing protection for first responders appropriate to local hazards
5. Maximize participation from hospitals, pharmacies, and include key sources of biological, medical, and public health related information into Maryland’s bio-surveillance systems
6. Develop and implement a system for site visits and use a unified statewide database for storing regularly updated critical infrastructure information
7. Develop a single statewide exercise and training strategy which coordinates all state agency and local exercises and trainings
8. Develop a robust CCTV system that monitors key public resources and critical facilities and interconnects various currently individual systems creating a blanket of video security
9. Develop Maryland's medical technology infrastructure to provide information sharing, resource tracking, and patient tracking
10. Update and draft necessary plans according to Maryland’s Hazards
11. Inventory all publicly owned back-up power resources which could be distributed during an emergency event and pre-plan for their distribution
12. Implement systems to full-harden Maryland’s maritime facilities, rail, bridges, roads, and tunnels

Sustainability

VII. Accelerate Bay Restoration Efforts to Reach the Healthier Bay Tipping Point by the end of 2020

The Healthier Chesapeake Bay tipping point will be reached when the Chesapeake Bay is able to cleanse and maintain itself via its own natural processes. The O’Malley-Brown Administration and Maryland’s Bay restoration partners have developed an innovative new approach for restoring the Bay, centering on specific actions with near term (2 year) milestones. The first set of milestones will result in an additional reduction of 3.75 million pounds of nitrogen and 193,000 pounds of phosphorus from reaching the Bay by the end of 2011. The milestones contain 27 actions that span four major sectors: Agriculture – Implementing Best Farming Practices, Reducing Pollution from Developed Lands, Restoring Natural Filters on Private Lands, and Restoring Natural Filters on Public Lands. The actions will be accelerated every two years until 2020.

VIII. Double Transit Ridership in Maryland by the end of 2020

Easily accessible, high quality public transportation fosters more livable communities, provides greater mobility, expands economic activity, contributes to the recovery of the Chesapeake Bay, and reduces the production of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Recognizing these benefits, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has set a goal of doubling transit ridership in Maryland by 2020. Maryland’s Department of Transportation (MDOT) is working to achieve this goal by ensuring quality service, improving safety and security, expanding transit service, and supporting the advancement of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). MDOT has drafted a Delivery Plan, comprised of relevant actions and implementation benchmarks, which lays out a path for meeting this goal.

IX. Reduce Per Capita Electricity Consumption in Maryland 15 % by 2015

Governor O’Malley launched the EmPOWER Maryland program in July 2007 to provide affordable, reliable, clean energy for Maryland consumers. The goal is comprised of two principle components:

1. A 15% reduction in projected peak demand by 2015
2. A 15% reduction in per capita electricity consumption based on 2007 levels by 2015

EmPOWER Maryland relies on both electric utility and State programs. The utilities have begun implementing a series of programs for the State’s residential, commercial, governmental, and industrial sectors to reduce the overall electricity consumption in Maryland. These efforts are being augmented by State programs that are designed to improve energy efficiency across all sectors via various grant, loan and incentive programs. The State’s programs are being administered by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA).

X. Increase Maryland’s Renewable Energy Portfolio to 20% RPS by 2022

Leading by example, Maryland was one of the first states to adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in 2004. An RPS is a requirement that the State’s electric power providers generate or purchase a specified percentage of the power from renewable energy resources - thereby guaranteeing a market for electricity generated from renewable energy resources. Maryland’s RPS, as amended in 2007 and 2008, requires electricity suppliers to provide electricity by 2022 that is 20% from renewable resources. The O’Malley-Brown Administration’s Plan for achieving this goal centers on supporting and exploiting renewable energy generation and utilization opportunities through various grant, loan and incentive programs.

XI. Reduce Maryland’s Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions 25% by 2020

In April of 2007, Governor O’Malley established, by Executive Order, the Maryland Climate Change Commission and charged it with developing a plan to address the drivers of climate change; prepare for its likely impacts; and establish goals and timetables for implementation. Subsequent to the establishment of the Commission, the Maryland legislature enacted and the Governor signed legislation in 2009 that requires Maryland to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 2006 levels by 2020. To achieve this goal, the O’Malley-Brown Administration is working with the Climate Change Commission to expedite the implementation of its plans.

Health

XII. End Childhood Hunger in Maryland by 2015

Last year 206,853 children in Maryland were determined to be food insecure by Feeding America, a national non-profit. Food insecurity is defined by the USDA as children with disrupted eating patterns or reduced food intake (i.e. children who are hungry). To address this unconscionable problem, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has set a goal of ending childhood hunger in Maryland by 2015. Spearheaded by the Governor’s Office for Children and Share Our Strength (a national non-profit organization), a partnership involving various public and private sector partners is working to end childhood hunger in Maryland by ensuring:

1. All eligible families with children have access to the Food Supplement Program in Maryland, known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formally Food Stamps)
2. All Maryland children have access to a healthy breakfast
3. Summer meals are within reach of all children in need
4. Support for nutritious meals for pregnant women and young children is expanded through the Women, Infants, and Children program, the Child and Adult Care Food programs, and the At-Risk Afterschool Supper Program
5. Economic security for working families is enhanced through expanded utilization of the Earned Income Tax Credit and other programs

The most immediate and effective way to reduce childhood in Maryland will be through expanding the number of children participating in the above referenced programs

XIII. Establish Best in the Nation Statewide Health Information Exchange and Electronic Health Records Adoption by the end of 2012

The adoption of electronic health information systems (Health IT) greatly reduces the high administrative costs associated with health care, and provides more-comprehensive treatment capacity for hospitals and physicians by facilitating real-time access to patient medical information. Achieving “best in the nation” Health Information Technology (Health IT) in Maryland will require the construction of robust, multi-stakeholder backed health information exchange and widespread adoption of electronic health records by healthcare providers in the State. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), through its Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC), has developed a comprehensive plan to achieve these two core components of Health Information Technology implementation.

Beginning in September 2009, a State-designated non-profit group began construction of the statewide health information exchange. DHMH and MHCC have developed implementation benchmarks for adding “use cases” to the health information exchange to span the necessities of the diverse stakeholder participants who will participate in the electronic exchange of health information. To promote adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by medical providers, the State has enacted legislation taking effect on October 1, 2009 to make Maryland the first state in the nation to provide incentives for EHR adoption in line with recently-released federal guidelines. DHMH has set benchmarks for increasing EHR adoption in line with the completion of the statewide health information exchange.

XIV. Reduce Infant Mortality in Maryland 10% by the end of 2012

Though Maryland has made important strides in reducing infant mortality in the last 20 years, to reduce infant mortality in Maryland by 10% by 2012, there must be 60 fewer infant deaths in 2012 than in 2009. The achievement of this goal would give Maryland an infant mortality rate of 7.2 (deaths/1,000 births), which would be the lowest rate in Maryland’s history. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, through its Family Health Administration, has defined the following three (3) strategies as part of its plan to reduce infant mortality in the State; the strategies represent a comprehensive approach to infant mortality reduction, with target interventions aimed at women before, during, and after pregnancy :

1. Before Pregnancy - Expanded Access to Women’s Comprehensive Health and Wellness Services
2. During Pregnancy - Earlier Entry into Prenatal Care
3. After Pregnancy - More Comprehensive Follow Up Care

The strategic approach defined by DHMH focuses on: assessing data on infant mortality in Maryland and targeting disparities, building on current strengths and partnerships, and taking a comprehensive systems approach.

XV. Expand Access to Substance Abuse Services in Maryland 25% by the end of 2012

To achieve the goal of a 25% increase in substance abuse services by 2012, the State must increase the unduplicated count of individuals admitted to substance abuse treatment by 8,705 patients, from 34,823 in Fiscal Year 2008 to 43,528 in FY 2012. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH), though its Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration (ADAA), has highlighted the following four (4) strategies in its plan to increase substance abuse services, and has established goals for increases in number of patients treated as a result of each strategy:

1. Expand Buprenorphine service to 2000 individuals by the end of FY 2011
2. Redirect payment for substance abuse outpatient care from State-funded grants to Medicaid to maximize the use of federal funding
3. Re-engineer the existing system of care to mandate expanded access
4. Develop a Recovery Oriented Systems of Care Model in Maryland to expand the treatment delivery system

Further, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, which provides extensive treatment opportunities for offenders in Maryland, will work to supplement efforts by DHMH by targeting the full utilization of available treatment slots in correctional facilities