Each uninsured Howard resident enrolled in the county’s health care access plan will be paired with a coach who will guide the patient on how to get healthy.

“We hope by keeping people healthy, we can keep them [out of] the hospital,” said Dr. Peter Beilenson, Howard’s health officer.

The health coaches — hired health care professionals — will help the participants create an action plan for healthy living.

The health coach is one piece of the county’s Healthy Howard Plan, which aims to expand health care access to about 10,000 uninsured residents.

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County officials also plan to rely on existing discount programs and community partnerships to provide greatly reduced health care.

The Healthy Howard Plan will cost about $2.8 million for the first year, during which officials aim to enroll 2,000 residents, Beilenson said.

smichael@baltimoreexaminer.com