The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is pleased to present this first Maryland Plan to Eliminate Minority Health Disparities. Maryland is the sixth most diverse state in the nation and is approaching an ethnic majority. Our minority populations carry a disproportionately heavy burden of illness, disease and untimely death, much of which is preventable. The Maryland Health and Health Disparities Initiative, begun in 2004, uses the attached Plan to heighten awareness and increase focus on measures to reduce health disparities among ethnic/racial and other vulnerable groups in the state. The department has gathered over 1,000 comments and recommendations from stakeholders throughout Maryland, including remote and distant corners of the state. These individuals have commented on how health disparities are impacting their lives and have suggested a variety of steps to bring quality care to their families and communities. This first Plan covers health professional education, health disparities data, resources for reducing disparities, and access to quality healthcare, but is not exhaustive in its present form. While it sets the stage for the documentation of health disparities and points to best practices, it is a work in progress. We pledge continued efforts to improve and broaden its scope, making it a framework for action that will serve our entire health delivery system. We ask that you use this Plan to chart a course in Maryland, where health services are designed to ensure that quality services are delivered to every person in every jurisdiction.