Note From The Commissioner:
Dear Community Partner,
On Wednesday night, Judge Catherine Blake
of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled in Baltimore City’s favor in our Teen Pregnancy Prevention suit against the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Judge Blake granted the City’s
motion for summary judgment, ruling that the federal government’s
decision-making was arbitrary and capricious.
This victory is a victory for the youth of
Baltimore City, and for the use
of science and evidence in education and health. It means that students in our
City will continue to receive evidence-based, science-based teen pregnancy
prevention education. It means that we will continue to be able to build
capacity for teachers who are specifically trained to teach physiology, STD and
HIV prevention, and holistic curricula to empower teens to make the best
choices for themselves. It means that we will be able to continue our work in
reducing teen birth rates, which fell 61% in Baltimore between 2000 and 2016—and that we will not roll back the gains that we have made.
We in Baltimore City have never been shy
about overcoming barriers to do what is right. We are in the midst of the worst
opioid epidemic this country has ever seen—but we in Baltimore have convened
partners and implemented interventions that are nationally recognized as being
innovative and life-saving. On Wednesday, I joined Mayor Catherine Pugh to
deliver Modern Healthcare’s pre-conference keynote. I then had the opportunity
to bring together a “dream panel” of some incredible partners in the City who
are addressing the opioid crisis, from leaders in public safety to the business
community. On Thursday, I was honored to speak to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Community leaders like the men of Omega Psi Phi are critical in dispelling myths about
addiction, and collectively advocating for evidence-based best practices.
The Health Department and our partners are
working hard every day, but we are out of resources. At this rate, we will
continue to watch our fellow Baltimoreans die. What we need, urgently, is sustained funding,
an amount commensurate with the scope of the disease, directly to areas hardest
hit by addiction and overdose. Last week, Representative Elijah Cummings and
Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill that would create what we so
desperately need: a Ryan White program for the opioid epidemic. 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. We celebrate Senator Warren and Congressman
Cummings’ leadership, and we call on their colleagues to support their bill. Local
governments can do a lot, but we need the support of our state and federal
partners—using evidence and science—to protect the health and well-being of all
of our residents.
Leana Wen,
M.D., M.Sc.
Judge Rules in Favor of Baltimore City in Lawsuit Against Trump Administration for Funding Cut to Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs
This week, Judge Catherine Blake of the US District Court for
the District of Maryland ruled in Baltimore City’s favor in its Teen Pregnancy
Prevention suit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Judge Blake granted the City’s motion for summary judgment, ruling that HHS’s
decision-making was arbitrary and capricious. By issuing this ruling, Judge Blake
vacated HHS’s decision to prematurely terminate Baltimore’s five-year Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Grant, and ordered HHS to process Baltimore’s application
for continued funding under the grant.
“This ruling means that Baltimore City students will continue
to receive evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention education delivered by
teachers specially trained to teach these important curricula. This means that
we will be able to continue our work in reducing teen birth rates, which fell
61% in Baltimore City from 2000 to 2016,” said Dr. Wen.
Read Dr. Wen’s statement here.
See coverage in AP, Baltimore Business Journal, Baltimore Sun, Buzzfeed, The Daily Record, Modern Healthcare, The Hill, Reuters, WEAA, and WYPR.
Dr. Wen Gives Pre-Conference Keynote Address
at Modern Healthcare’s Opioid Crisis Symposium
On Wednesday, Dr.
Wen followed Mayor Catherine E. Pugh to give the pre-conference keynote address
at Modern Healthcare’s Opioid Crisis Symposium. After her remarks, she
moderated a panel discussion with Deputy Police Commissioner Gary Tuggle;
Health Care for the Homeless President/CEO Kevin Lindamood; Greater Baltimore
Committee President and CEO Don Fry; Behavioral Health System Baltimore
President and CEO Crista Taylor; and Institutes for Behavior Resources/REACH
Health Services Medical Director Dr. Yngvild Olsen. The discussion covered the
importance of community-based treatment, the intersection of public health and
public safety, and the need for wraparound services like housing in addressing
addiction, among other topics.
“In combating the
opioid epidemic, the Baltimore City Health Department is fortunate to count law
enforcement, community-based treatment providers, business leaders, and social
service organizations among our many wonderful partners,” said Dr. Wen.
Read more about the
Symposium here.
Dr. Wen Participates in Panel at Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc.'s 70th Annual Second District Conference
At Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity Inc.’s 70th Annual Second District Conference, Dr. Wen
spoke on a panel about the opioid crisis with Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive
Director of the American Public Health Association; Dr. Mohan Suntha, President
and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System; and Dr. Aliya Jones,
Chair of the Behavioral Health Department at Bon Secours Hospital. The Second
District Conference is an annual business meeting that includes the election of
the fraternity’s executive officers, and an opportunity for members to discuss
issues affecting the fraternity and the community.
“Congressman Elijah
Cummings frequently reminds us that the decisions we make will not only affect
us, but also affect generations yet unborn,” said Dr. Wen. “How will history
judge us?”
Special Advisor for Opioid Policy
Participates in Multi-Agency Meeting with Business Leaders
On Wednesday, Special Advisor for Opioid
Policy Evan Behrle joined partners from the Drug Enforcement Administration,
Opioid Operational Command Center, and Baltimore Police Department to address
business leaders interested in how they can help respond to the opioid
epidemic. Mr. Behrle suggested that employers ensure that company insurance
plans address overprescribing and cover addiction treatment. He also made the
larger point that, though the epidemic continues to worsen in Baltimore City,
we know what works—we just need the resources to pay for it.
Click here to read more about
the Health Department’s opioid overdose prevention and treatment work.
Dr. Wen Speaks at University of Pennsylvania
Fels Institute of Government
Last week, former
Transportation Security Administrator Peter Neffenger invited Dr. Wen to speak
to his class at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government.
Dr. Wen highlighted the programs of the Health Department and discussed the importance
of public service leadership.
Click here to read the Health
Department’s White Paper on the state of health in the City.
Special Advisor for Opioid Policy Participates
in Philadelphia Opioid Crisis Panel
Last Friday,
Special Advisor for Opioid Policy Evan Behrle participated in The State of the
City 2018: Philadelphia’s Opioid Crisis, hosted by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Speaking on a panel alongside Dr. Thomas Farley, Commissioner of Health for
Philadelphia; Michael McMahan, District Attorney of Richmond County (Staten
Island); and Cynthia Reilly, Director of Pew’s Substance Use Prevention and
Treatment Initiative, Evan spoke about strategies for responding to the opioid
epidemic in a metropolitan setting. He emphasized the importance of
distributing naloxone—the antidote medication that reverses an
overdose—directly to those who might need it and ensuring that
medication-assisted treatment is available on-demand, where residents actually
are, with no barriers to entry.
To learn more
about the panel, click here.
Deputy Commissioner of Population Health and
Disease Prevention Welcomes Guests at the 3rd Annual Maryland
Statewide Outreach Conference and Training
On Wednesday,
Jennifer Martin, Deputy Commissioner of Population Health and Disease
Prevention, provided welcoming remarks at the 3rd Annual Maryland
Statewide Outreach Conference and Training on behalf of Dr. Wen.
The conference,
hosted by the Health Department, Sisters Together and Reaching (STAR), and the
STD/HIV Prevention Training Center at Johns Hopkins, provided an opportunity
for outreach workers and community health educators from around the state to
come together and network and learn from one another. This year’s two-day
conference included sessions on PrEP, Hepatitis C, Overdose Prevention, Human
Trafficking, Trauma Informed Care, Stigma, and many other topics relevant to
public health outreach.
The conference
also recognized outreach staff for their service with the Phyllis Burnett
Outreach Award, an award created to honor the legacy of Phyllis Burnett, who
passed away last November.
Click here to learn more about the work of the Division of Population
Health and Disease Prevention.
Senior Medical Advisor and Baltimore Corps
Fellow Participate in Panel on Opioids at Minority Communities Forum
On Wednesday,
Senior Medical Advisor Dr. Shelly Choo and Baltimore Corps Fellow Leah Hill participated in a panel at the Strategies and Solutions for Opioid Use in
Minority Communities Forum in Washington, D.C. They spoke alongside Dr.
Ben Cook, Director of the Health Equity Research Lab at Cambridge Health
Alliance and Dr. Karen Smith, Family Practitioner and CMS Clinician Champion. Dr.
Choo discussed the opioid epidemic in Baltimore City and the Health
Department’s three-pillar strategy for addressing the crisis. Ms. Hill shared
her family’s story of addiction, resilience, and strength.
Baltimarket Food
Access and Nutrition Manager Speaks at FoodLab@LightCity
Last Saturday,
the Health Department’s Baltimarket Food Access and Nutrition
Manager Jasina Wise spoke at the FoodLab@LightCity, on the last day
of Baltimore’s Light City Festival. Ms. Wise shared Baltimarket’s mission
to improve the health and wellness of Baltimore City residents by promoting
nutrition education, increasing food security, and addressing systemic
inequities that affect the diet and health of residents in Healthy Food
Priority Areas.
“Baltimarket’s
Virtual Supermarket and Healthy Stores programs are changing the trajectory of
lives in Baltimore City and is committed to community driven solutions to
address food access,” said Ms. Wise.
To learn more about Baltimore’s Food Access Initiatives, click here.
STD/HIV Outreach Team Provides Free Testing at
Mayor Pugh’s Community Resources Fair
Last Saturday, the
Health Department’s outreach team conducted STD/HIV testing and education as
part of Mayor Catherine E. Pugh’s Community Resources Fair at Steuart Hill
Academy in Southwest Baltimore.
Pictured
from left to right: Luis Laboy, Community Health Educator; Brian Smith, Community
Health Educator; Mayor Pugh; Duane Jones, public health investigator; Melissa
Cuesta, community outreach worker; and Nathan Fields, Community Health
Educator.
Click here to learn more about the Health Department’s HIV/STD
Services.
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.
BCHD in the News
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