Note From The Commissioner:
Dear Community Partner,
It’s been a busy week at the Baltimore City
Health Department! We announced the opening of a new school-based health
center; joined the Mayor to sign two public health bills into law; participated
in Light City and the March for Science; worked with Congressman Cummings and
Senator Warren to support new legislation to establish a “Ryan White” for the
opioid epidemic; hosted Law Day to support seniors and Precious Purple Sunday
to support maternal and child health; issued a citywide warning for synthetic
marijuana; and sued the Trump Administration. Please read on for these and
other updates—and hear more on WYPR’s HealthWatch episode.
In this letter, I want to focus on the
official launch of the citywide Falls Reduction Public Campaign and Strategy. Falls among older adults are a growing public
health concern. Over three million older Americans visit the ER each year for
falls; in Baltimore City, that’s nearly 5,000 seniors who fall. Each fall leads
to an average hospitalization cost of $39,000. If we extrapolate, that means the cost of falls
to Baltimore City – for medical costs alone – is $60 million.
But it’s not just about cost – it’s about
health. Twenty-five percent of seniors who fall and break their hips will die
within a year. Many of those who survive may no longer be able to care for
themselves. They may have previously been caregivers to spouses, grandchildren,
and parents – now, they need others to care for them. Falls can lead to
physical health issues, mental health concerns, and social isolation.
That’s why, under Mayor Pugh’s leadership,
and with the partnership of many across the City, we are taking an innovative,
science-based, three-pillar approach to reducing falls.
First, we map out where falls are
occurring. Last year, the Health Department initiated the Baltimore Falls
Reduction Initiative Engaging Neighborhoods and Data – B’FRIEND. Through
B’FRIEND, we obtain data from hospitals about where our older adults are
falling. That means we receive near real-time information on falls at all ERs
in Baltimore. We can then identify “hotspots,” investigate reasons for falls,
and immediately use the information to advise community partners on where to
locate interventions.
Second, we target interventions at these
hotspots. There are multiple reasons for falls including medication
interactions, vision problems, and structural barriers such as clutter or
unstable railings. There are hazards in everyday things like area rugs and
unsafe footwear. Simple solutions, such as glasses, or moving down a light
fixture, or using an assisted device to stand up and walk can make the difference
and prevent people from suffering from brain bleeds or broken bones.
Third, we will be launching a public education campaign. We are working with our partners to identify
messaging and test them with older adults in Baltimore. The campaign will
include posters in over 100 senior buildings, door hangers placed in senior
residences, and flyers given out where older adults are.
Our goal is to reduce the rate of falls in
Baltimore City by 20 percent over the next 10 years. That’s a reduction in nearly 1,000 falls annually.
Our estimate for a reduction in medical costs is up to $14 million per year,
not to mention the lives saved and the human impact on seniors and their
families.
Together, under Mayor Pugh’s leadership, we
can accomplish our goal and continue to make Baltimore City the best place to
age.
Leana Wen,
M.D., M.Sc.
Dr.
Wen joined Mayor Pugh for the Signing of Two Key Pieces of Public Health Law
On Thursday, (pictured from left) Dr. Wen,
Councilman John Bullock, Councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton, Councilman
Brandon Scott, and Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young, joined Mayor Catherine
E. Pugh as the she signed two key pieces of health legislation into law. The first,
17-0152 – Healthy Beverage for Children’s Meals, requires restaurants to make
milk, 100% juice, or water the default beverage option for all kid’s menu
items. The second, 17-0117 – Food Service Facilities – Polystyrene Foam
Products, bans the use of polystyrene foam in packaging, utensils, and other
products at restaurants, carryouts, and other food service facilities
throughout the City.
To read more about 17-0152, click here.
To read more about 17-0117, click here.
Dr. Wen Joins Health
Department’s Bureau of School Health at Opening of New School-Based Health
Center at Mervo
Joining the
Health Department’s Bureau of School Health (pictured here from left to right
are Medical Director for Youth Wellness and Community Health Dr. Ihouma
Emenuga, Deputy Commissioner for Youth Wellness and Community Health Olivia
Farrow, Clinical Health Nurse Supervisor Vonita Vaughan, Community Health Nurse
Supervisor Michal Thornton, Assistant Commissioner Francine Childs, and Clinical
Director Joy Twesigye), Dr. Wen announced the opening of a new school-based health
center (SBHC) at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School (Mervo) on
Tuesday. Dr. Wen joined Mayor Pugh and City Council President Young for a tour
of the new health suite and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mervo is the site of the
Health Department’s 16th SBHC. It will provide vaccinations, perform
screenings for depression and substance use, help students manage chronic
diseases like diabetes and asthma, and offer a full range of reproductive
health services.
“By having
health services in our schools, parents don’t have to miss work to pick up
their kids and take them to doctors’ offices or to pick up medications, and
kids don’t have to miss school,” said Dr. Wen.
Click
here for more information about the event.
Dr. Wen Joins the
2018 March for Science
Last Saturday, Dr. Wen spoke at the 2018 March for Science, which took
place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. She was joined by other
scientists, advocates, and public servants – including Mari Copeny (“Little
Miss Flint”), Dr. Vincent Cerf (VP and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google),
and Evelyn Valdez-Ward (UC Irvine Graduate Student and Dreamer) – who spoke
about the importance of science- and evidence-based policymaking.
“I march today because health must be a fundamental human right,” said
Dr. Wen.
To read more about the event, click here. Please click here to watch Dr.
Wen’s speech.
Dr. Wen Joins Mayor, City
Solicitor, and Partners to Discuss Lawsuit Against Trump Administration
This week, Dr. Wen joined Mayor Pugh, City Solicitor Andre Davis, and
Healthy Teen Network to discuss the lawsuit Baltimore City has joined,
challenging a decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) to cut funding from evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention education.
The decision amounts to an overall $3.5 million funding cut for Health
Department programs.
“This cut will slash educational attainment and economic opportunities
for our young people, increase costs for our City and for our country, and
adversely affect health outcomes for our most vulnerable mothers and children,”
said Dr. Wen. “We have made significant progress in reducing teen birth rates,
and the last thing that should happen is to roll back the gains that have been
made.”
For more information, click
here.
Dr. Wen Issues
Statement Warning of Synthetic Cannabinoids Use
This week, Dr. Wen, issued a statement about life-threatening bleeding
after using synthetic cannabinoids.
“Around the country, within the last month,
there have been reports of individuals who suffered from excessive,
life-threatening bleeding after using synthetic cannabinoids. We want to warn
all of our residents of the warning signs of someone who may have taken
synthetic cannabinoids, and urge anyone who witnesses these symptoms to call
911 or take the individual to the ER immediately,” she said.
Read the full statement here.
The Hill: Dr. Wen and Special Advisor for Opioid
Policy Pen Op-ed on Opioid Epidemic
This week, Dr. Wen and Evan
Behrle, the Health Department’s Special Advisor for Opioid Policy, co-authored
an op-ed in The Hill, discussing what Baltimore really needs to solve
the opioid epidemic and celebrating new opioid legislation introduced by Sen.
Warren and Rep. Cummings.
“The bill — the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act (CARE
Act) — would direct $100 billion to the opioid epidemic over ten years, including
funding for local jurisdictions that the epidemic has hit hardest. There are no
silver bullets here. But this is, finally, a proposal that stands a chance of
making difference.”
Read the full article here. Read more
about the CARE Act here.
WYPR 88.1FM – Dr. Wen Participates in Midday’s
“Healthwatch” Segment
On Tuesday, Dr.
Wen participated in a live edition of Midday’s “Healthwatch” with Tom Hall. She
discussed the City’s lawsuit against the Trump Administration regarding funding
for the Health Department’s teen pregnancy prevention efforts, the City’s falls
prevention strategy for seniors, Congressman Elijah Cummings and Senator
Elizabeth Warren’s proposed legislation for sustained funding to fight the
opioid crisis, and the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory about naloxone
availability and its effect on Baltimore residents.
“In Baltimore
City, we have never taken a backseat to public health,” said Dr. Wen.
To
listen to the full interview, click here.
Dr. Wen Joins
Partners to Announce Citywide Falls Prevention Strategy for Older Adults
On Monday, Dr. Leana Wen announced a
new citywide falls prevention strategy aimed at reducing falls-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations for older
adults in Baltimore City. The strategy will provide leaders, partners, and the
general public information on where falls are occurring in Baltimore and where
to locate interventions and resources to prevent future falls for all of the
City’s older adults. The announcement was made at St. Mary’s Roland View Towers
in Keswick, an area of the City that has among the highest number of falls in
seniors.
"Our citywide strategy uses innovative, evidence-based methods to
go to where people are, by using science to map out where falls are occurring,
providing holistic services such as help with medications and housing
interventions, and educating residents on how to prevent falls,” said Dr. Wen.
“The Baltimore City Health Department is glad to convene partners across all
sectors and lead this collective impact strategy to improve health. I thank
Mayor Pugh for her steadfast leadership and for being such a tremendous
advocate for our seniors.”
Read coverage of the strategy here.
Dr. Wen Speaks at HealthLab@LightCity
On Thursday,
Dr. Wen addressed the audience at HealthLab@LightCity, part of the larger Light
City Festival. Dr. Wen discussed the Health Department’s programs and aims to
achieve health equity in the City.
“At the Health
Department, we believe in evidence- and science-based initiatives to reduce
inequity and produce better health outcomes for our City,” said Dr. Wen.
Aging and CARE Services Hosts Planning Retreat
for City’s Commission on Aging
Last Friday,
the Health Department’s Division of Aging and CARE Services hosted a planning
retreat at the Zeta Center for Healthy Aging for Baltimore City’s Commission on
Aging, a group of public and private individuals appointed and sworn in by
Mayor Pugh. During the planning meeting, members discussed their core mission
to advocate on behalf of older adults and shared promising best
practices.
Click here to learn more about the Commission on Aging.
Division of Aging and CARE Services Celebrates 27th
Annual Law Day for Seniors
On Saturday, the
Health Department’s Division of Aging and CARE Services celebrated its 27th
Annual Law Day for Seniors. Deputy Commissioner Heang Tan provided opening
remarks on behalf of Dr. Wen and was joined by partners from the Baltimore City
Bar Association and the Baltimore Bar Foundation. Organized by the Senior Legal
Services Program, the event was held at the New Psalmist Baptist Church’s
Conference Center, and brought together more than 20 agency partners and 300
older adults to learn and share resources about advance care planning, tax
liens, and various other legal issues pertinent to their lives.
Click here to learn more about the Division of Aging and CARE
Services.
Health Department
Celebrates Precious Purple Sunday 2018
On Sunday, Mayor Pugh, Dr. Wen, Health Department staff, churches and
residents across Baltimore City participated in the Health Department’s second annual
Precious Purple Sunday, an initiative focused on keeping babies safe and
celebrating the lives of the City’s youngest residents.
Click here to learn about the Health Department’s B’More for
Healthy Babies initiative.
Special Advisor for Opioid Policy Speaks in
Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Baltimore About the Health
Department’s Strategy to Battle the Opioid Epidemic
Over the last
two weeks, Evan Behrle, Special Advisor for Opioid Policy, has spoken about the
Health Department’s three-pronged strategy for responding to the opioid
epidemic at the Tom Tom Festival in Charlottesville, Virginia; the NCRC Just
Economy Conference in Washington, D.C.; the Pew Charitable Trusts’ State of the
City event in Philadelphia; and at the City’s branch of the Federal Reserve
Branch of Richmond. Mr. Behrle detailed Baltimore’s work to save lives with
naloxone; to expand the agency’s capacity for addiction treatment while
improving linkages into that treatment; and to change the way the public talks
and thinks about addiction through public health campaigns. He also highlighted
Dr. Wen’s call for Congress to create a national initiative for treating opioid
addiction modeled on the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, as proposed in a bill
recently introduced by Rep. Cummings and Sen. Warren.
To learn more
about the Health Department’s Opioid Overdose Prevention and Treatment work,
click here.
Health Department Offers
Naloxone Trainings at Enoch Pratt Free Libraries
Learn how to save a life from an opioid
overdose. Health Department staff will conduct naloxone trainings at various
Enoch Pratt Free Libraries. Registration is not required.
Wednesday, May 2 at 4:00 p.m
Clifton Branch, 2001 N. Wolfe Street, 21213
Monday, May 21 at 2:00 p.m.
Light Street Branch, 1251 Light Street, 21230
Monday, June 18 at 6:00 p.m.
Patterson Park Branch, 158 N. Linwood Avenue,
21224
Wednesday, June 20 at 2:00 p.m.
Orleans Street, 1303 Orleans Street, 21231
Tuesday, July 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Reisterstown Branch, 6310 Reisterstown Road,
21215
Thursday, July 19 at 1:00 p.m.
Forest Park Branch, 3023 Garrison Blvd., 21216
Thursday, August 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Northwood Branch, 4420 Loch Raven Blvd.,
21218
Friday, August 3 at 10 a.m.
Hamilton Branch, 5910 Harford Rd., 21214
To learn more, visit www.dontdie.org.
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.
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