Note From The Commissioner:
Dear Community Partner,
The Baltimore City Health Department is active in Annapolis testifying
in support of bills that will advance public health in Baltimore City and
across Maryland. Members of our team testified in favor of a House bill that will
establish a Drug Cost Review Commission, which would be responsible for setting
fair rates for high cost prescription drugs in Maryland and increasing
transparency in drug pricing. We also voiced our support for a Senate bill that will
require state and local correctional facilities to have written policies in
place concerning medical care for pregnant inmates.
In recent weeks, our team testified in favor of bills to modify funding
for local health
services; to increase the
minimum age for purchasing tobacco and prohibit the
sale of electronic cigarettes to minors; to establish a fund for local municipalities seeking to improve
health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women and children; and to
develop more rigorous lead-level
blood testing methods. We also voiced our opposition to bills that would
undermine public health, including a
bill that would impose civil penalties on victims of overdose revived with naloxone by
first responders.
I am proud to serve the City of Baltimore under the leadership of Mayor
Catherine Pugh, and I am proud of the work our team is doing to advocate for
health. I am grateful that Mayor Pugh, in her State of the
City address earlier this week, discussed her plans to expand and
strengthen Safe Streets, and emphasized the importance of addressing the trauma
experienced by children in our city. Mayor Pugh also highlighted our Vision for
Baltimore program and commended other innovative Health Department initiatives.
It is a privilege to work under a Mayor who understands the importance of
investing in upstream initiatives when working to improve health in the City.
Last week, I spoke with The Baltimore Times about our work to address health
disparities in Baltimore. Often, we think about health as health care, but what
determines how long and how well we live is less about what happens in the
doctor’s office and more about where we live, the air we breathe, and the
availability of other resources in our communities.
I am proud to work towards a more equitable Baltimore every day with a
team that is dedicated to this goal.
Leana Wen, M.D., M.Sc.
Dr. Wen Gives Keynote Speech at Baltimore Hebrew
Congregation Interfaith Institute
Dr. Wen
provided keynote remarks at the 58th Annual Interfaith Institute
organized by the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. Dr. Wen discussed the Health
Department’s three-pillar strategy for combatting the opioid epidemic: saving
lives with naloxone, expanding access to treatment, and fighting stigma with
science. She also discussed the Health Department’s upcoming plans to open the City’s
first stabilization center, a 24/7 “ER” for addiction and behavioral health
services, as well as efforts to refer people with the disease of addiction to
treatment, rather than incarceration, through the Law Enforcement Assisted
Diversion (LEAD) Program. Additionally, Dr. Wen was joined by two other
speakers, Rev. David Ware (Church of the Redeemer) and Mr. Howard Reznick
(Jewish Community Services). They provided the faith response to the opioid
epidemic and how the faith communities can be engaged.
To learn more
about the Health Department’s opioid overdose prevention and treatment work,
click here.
WBFF-TV FOX 45: Dr.
Wen Discusses Lawsuit Against the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services
On Monday, Dr. Wen participated in an interview on WBFF-TV FOX 45 to
discuss the City’s lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services for abruptly cutting funding for the City’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Program.
"The termination of our grant is shocking and unprecedented. It
creates a huge gap in our ability to provide services to our residents,"
said Dr. Wen. "We should be doing everything we can to empower youth to
succeed and to thrive. We have made significant progress to reduce teen birth
rates, and the last thing that should happen is to roll back the gains that
have been made."
Read more about the suit here.
Deputy Commissioner of Population Health and
Disease Prevention Speaks on Panel at the National League of Cities Conference
On Tuesday,
Deputy Commissioner of Population Health and Disease Prevention Jennifer Martin
spoke on a panel at the National League of Cities Conference entitled
“Resilience in the Face of Increased Threat from Natural Disasters.” The
session examined the business case for investing in flood and natural disaster
mitigation actions to lessen the risks faced by communities. Ms. Martin
spoke about the public health threats posed by disasters; how city leaders can
think about resilience planning and include public health at the table; and
Baltimore’s experiences planning for and recovering from disasters.
Assistant
Commissioner of Aging and CARE Services Recognized as “Woman of the Year in
Government” by the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority
Last
Saturday, Elouise Mayne, Assistant Commissioner of Aging and CARE Services, was
recognized as “Woman of the Year in Government,” by the Alpha Zeta Chapter of
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Each year, civic leaders are selected at the sorority’s
hallmark celebration for their significant contributions to Baltimore City in
the following categories: Government, Education, or Community
Services. Ms. Mayne has provided over 30 years of service to Baltimore
City, and we congratulate her on this distinguished honor.
Director of Maternal and Infant Care Systems
Operations Testifies on Maternal Mortality Review Committee Legislation
On Tuesday,
Director of Maternal and Infant Care Systems Operations Stacey Tuck (pictured in the middle) testified
in front of the House Health and Government Operations Committee in support of
legislation that would change the composition of the Maternal Mortality Review
Committee (HB1518). House Bill 1518 would help Maryland confront the alarming racial
disparities in deaths of pregnant and postpartum women, and require the Committee
to develop action plans for prevention.
Click here to
read HB1518.
Director of Legislative Affairs Testifies in
Favor of Changes to Local Health Department Funding Formula
On Wednesday, Director
of Legislative Affairs D’Paul Nibber testified in front of the Senate Budget
and Taxation Committee to support a bill that would increase state spending for
core public health services (SB976). Senate Bill 976 would adjust the calculation made in
a funding formula for local health services beginning in FY2020, and continuing
for each subsequent fiscal year. Two weeks ago, Deputy Commissioner of
Population Health and Disease Prevention Jennifer Martin testified in support
of the House version of this legislation.
Click here to
read SB976.
Deputy Chief of Staff Discusses Violence, Public Health at Fells Point Community Meeting
On Tuesday
night, Deputy Chief of Staff Jeff Amoros discussed addressing violence from a
public health perspective at a community safety forum organized by Fells Point
residents. He shared information on Health Department initiatives that address
trauma and violence through upstream intervention and answered questions from
residents about the department’s work throughout the city.
Health Department Recruiting for Baltimore Corps
Fellows
 Applications
for the Baltimore Corps Fellowship are now available. The Health Department is
looking for new Fellows to join us starting in September, 2018. Baltimore Corps
places participants in city government agencies, foundations, and non-profit
and community organizations throughout Baltimore for a yearlong Fellowship.
Baltimore Corps also supports each Fellow through professional development
trainings, individual mentorship, and periodic retreats and seminars. If you
know a recent graduate or young professional interested in joining us at the
Health Department, please send them the application link below.
If you have
any questions about the Baltimore Corps Fellowship, please contact Chief Policy
and Engagement Officer Gabe Auteri at gabriel.auteri@baltimorecity.gov.
Click here for a link to the application.
BCHD in the News
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