Note From The Commissioner:
Dear Community Partner,
This week, I
was incredibly honored to deliver the Convocation address for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health Class of 2018 on Tuesday. During Convocation, 916 graduates
from 61 countries were awarded their degrees—153 doctoral degrees and 74
master's. These are the public health leaders of today and tomorrow!
The Bloomberg
School’s mission is the cornerstone of public health – saving lives, millions
at a time. This is the dedication to being the society’s doctor, and it’s
exemplified through the leadership of Dean Ellen Mackenzie. This Convocation
was Dr. Mackenzie’s first as the Dean, and I was particularly touched to
receive the Dean’s Medal, the highest recognition conferred by the School for
public health leaders. Previous awardees included former Senator Barbara
Mikulski; Dr. Harold Varmus (Former Director, National Institutes of Health);
Carol Bellamy (Former Executive Director, UNICEF); and HRH Princess Maha Chakri
Sirindhorn of Thailand.
In my remarks (starting at 50:50), I told the
graduates to never let others tell them what public health can or cannot do.
There are those that told our predecessors that they shouldn’t take on the
tobacco industry, or that public health has no role in automobile safety or
environmental regulation. How many millions of lives are saved every day
because public health leaders took on those industries and refused to be
silenced?
It’s been said
that public health works best when we’re invisible – but if we are invisible,
nobody else will make the case for us. We must be the constant voice, to talk
about how cutting preparedness funding means uncontrolled disease outbreaks,
and how gutting Medicaid has devastating impacts for pregnant women, children,
and generations yet to come. As Former Senator Barbara Mikulski says, “Data
validate, they don’t motivate.” Public health leaders must be motivators who
make public health visible. Standing up for public health – for the public’s
health – means that we will always be on the right side of history.
It was an honor
to applaud, celebrate, and cheer on the Class of 2018 on their journey to save
lives – millions at a time.
Leana Wen,
M.D., M.Sc.
Dr. Wen Serves as Convocation Speaker at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Commencement Ceremony, Awarded Dean’s Medal
On Tuesday,
Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen was invited by Dean Ellen
MacKenzie of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to give the convocation
address to the 916 graduates receiving their degrees. Of this year’s graduates,
nearly 300 are international students representing more than 45 countries. At
the ceremony, Dean MacKenzie presented Dr. Wen with the Public Health Dean’s
Medal, the School’s highest honor conferred to outstanding leaders in public
health. Previous awardees include: Former Senator Barbara Mikulski; Dr. Harold
Varmus (Former Director, National Institutes of Health); Carol Bellamy (Former
Executive Director, UNICEF); and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of
Thailand.
“I am deeply
honored to be invited by Dean Ellen MacKenzie to give the Convocation address
at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, an institution that embodies
its mission of saving lives—millions at a time,” said Dr. Wen. “In my role as
Health Commissioner of Baltimore City, I have had the privilege of
collaborating with the faculty, staff, and students at the Bloomberg School,
and feel fortunate to count them as partners in our work to improve the health
and well-being of Baltimoreans. I look forward to celebrating these graduates
as they use their training in public health to address disparities and combat
injustice in Baltimore, across the country and around the world.”
To watch Dr.
Wen’s remarks (beginning at 50:50), click here.
Recording of Dr. Wen’s Panel at Women of the World Festival Available
Online
Earlier this
month, Dr. Wen met Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, and spoke on
the “Trailblazing Women of Baltimore” panel at the Women of the World (WOW)
Festival alongside Major General Linda Singh, Sheela Murthy, Deb Tillett, Jamie
McDonald, and Quinn Kelley. Dr. Wen discussed her personal and professional
trajectory, and how female leaders can create inclusive environments for their
female colleagues.
“Now that I am
in a position of authority myself, I feel a particular responsibility to
promote, support, and mentor other women,” said Dr. Wen. “At the Baltimore City
Health Department, I am proud that my Chief of Staff and all three of my
Deputies are women. Together, we set the tone that inappropriate,
discriminatory behavior can never be tolerated; allegations are immediately
investigated and action taken with the full force of the law. We must work hard
every day to foster a culture of equity, diversity, and respect.”
Listen to the
recording, part of Baltimore Sun’s
Female Trouble podcast, here.
WJZ-TV – Dr. Wen Speaks About Opioid Crisis on
“On Time”
Last Sunday,
Dr. Wen was interviewed for an edition of WJZ-TV’s “On Time” public affairs program.
She discussed the City’s efforts to battle the opioid crisis and the new "Levels of Care" initiative, focused
on recognizing and implementing best practices for the City’s hospitals responding
to the opioid epidemic.
"Addiction
is a chronic brain disease,” said Dr. Wen. “For far too long, we've seen it as
a choice or moral failing. It has to be treated like any other disease. We know
that treatment works and recovery is possible."
To watch the
full interview, click here.
Dr. Wen Gives Keynote
Address at 11th Annual National Health Disparities Conference in
Philadelphia
Last Friday,
Dr. Wen provided the keynote address at the 11th Annual National
Health Disparities Conference in Philadelphia. She joined a speaker list that included:
Rep. James Clyburn (Assistant Democratic Leader, SC-06); Rep. Cedric Richmond
(Chairman, Congressional Black Caucus, LA-02); Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02); Rep.
Dwight Evans (PA-02); Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE At-large District); and
former Delegate, Dr. Donna Christian-Christensen (U.S. Virgin Islands). Dr. Wen
discussed the Health Department’s B’More for Healthy Babies initiative, opioid
overdose prevention and treatment work, and efforts to end disparities in
health outcomes.
“I was honored
to serve as the keynote speaker for the 11th Annual National
Conference on Health Disparities,” said Dr. Wen. “I was grateful to discuss the
social determinants of health in Baltimore City with attendees who are driving
change on this issue at the local, state, regional, and national levels. I
commend the Medical University of South Carolina for organizing such an
important conference, with speakers and panelists addressing some of the most
pressing public health challenges of our time.”
Click here to read Healthy Baltimore 2020, which details the Health
Department’s plan to cut health disparities in half over the next 10 years.
Dr. Wen Speaks With
National Clinician Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania
Last Friday, Dr. Wen spoke with the National Clinician
Scholars Program (NCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania as part of their
Visiting Policy Speaker Series. The NCSP grew out of the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF)/VA Clinical Scholars Program, an independent consortium of
community, health system, policy, and academic partners that have joined
together to offer the NCSP. The RWJF provided financial support for the NCSP
for around 40 years.
The NCSP offers training and community-building for
clinicians to become “change agents” who will drive policy-relevant research
and partnerships to improve health and healthcare. The program aims to develop
leaders who will work to advance health equity, eliminate health disparities,
invent new models of care, and achieve higher quality healthcare at lower
costs. Dr. Wen met with an interdisciplinary group of scholars that included
doctors, nurses, and master’s students.
Health Department Hosts Annual Senior Nutrition
and Wellness Expo at Waxter Center for Senior Citizens
Last Wednesday,
in recognition of Older Americans Month, the Health Department’s Community
Services team hosted its annual Senior Nutrition and Wellness Expo at the
Waxter Center for Senior Citizens. This year’s theme was “Hit a Home Run with
Eating Right.” The event featured giveaways from two Baltimore Orioles’ Hall of
Famers, fitness trackers, healthy food baskets, vendors, and health screenings
provided by the University of Maryland and the Baltimore City Fire Department.
The event focused on providing healthy strategies for older adults in Baltimore
City, and showcased exercises that included chair yoga, line dancing, hula hoop
exercises, and aerobics. Additionally, the Health Department’s Division of Aging
and CARE Service’s registered dietitian, Rona Martiyan, presented “What’s in
your Fridge?” The Expo also included food demonstrations from Meals on Wheels
and Culinary Services Group Inc.
To learn more
about the Health Department’s health promotion programs for older adults, click
here.
Public Health Heroes: Health Department’s
Hearing and Vision Team
The Health Department’s Hearing and Vision Team has provided
20,000 state-mandated hearing and vision screening services to students at
first entry
into Baltimore City schools and during the 3rd
and 8th grades. Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, in
addition to screening students in the mandated grades, the Hearing and Vision
Team also began providing vision screenings through the Vision for Baltimore
Program.
Click here to
read more about the Hearing and Vision Team.
School Health Medical Director Speaks at Re-Imagining Black Girls' and Women's Health Symposium and
Workshop
Last week, School Health Medical Director Dr. Ihouma Emenuga spoke
at the 2018 Re-Imagining Black Girls' and Women's Health Symposium and Workshop,
hosted by Towson University’s Department of Women’s and Gender Studies. Dr. Emenuga
highlighted the Health Department’s efforts to improve the health and
well-being of Baltimore City residents while advocating for equity and justice.
She also spoke about the work of the Health Department’s School-Based
Health Centers in supporting young black women
through health care provision and as a venue for initiatives such as U-choose, the
home visiting programs the Health Department facilitates in partnership with Healthy
Families America, and the Nurse Family Partnership Program.
To learn more about the Health Department’s School-Based Health
Centers, click here.
Director of Opioid Overdose Prevention
Participates in Community Town Hall
Meeting on Opioid Abuse
Last Wednesday,
Director of Opioid Overdose Prevention José A. Rodriguez attended the Town
Hall Meeting on Opioid Abuse in the Community at Amazing Grace Lutheran
Church. The gathering, aired live on the Dr. Kaye Show (Morgan State Radio – WEAA
88.9 FM), was held in observance of the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s annual
National Prevention Week. The commemoration brings awareness to substance abuse
and mental health, and calls for action to address these issues.
Panelists
included: Clay Stamp (Executive Director, Maryland Opioid Operational Command
Center); Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Communication
and African and African-American Studies, Department of Communication, Loyola
University Maryland); and Rev. Kimberly Lagree (Trauma Program Coordinator,
Office of Youth Violence Prevention, Baltimore City Health Department).
To learn more
about the work of the Office of Youth Violence Prevention, click here.
Last Thursday, the
Health Department’s Deputy Commissioner of Aging and CARE Services Heang Tan
provided opening remarks at Baltimore County’s Annual Retired and Senior
Volunteer Program (RSVP) Luncheon on behalf of Dr. Wen.
The annual event,
hosted by Baltimore County’s Department of Aging at Martin’s West, is a
collaborative effort with the Baltimore City Health Department’s Division on
Aging and CARE Services, and provides an opportunity for local and state
officials to thank the thousands of volunteers serving in the Retired and
Senior Volunteer Programs. The theme of the event was “Volunteers Brighten
Lives,” and both Baltimore County and Baltimore City volunteers were recognized
for their service and dedication.
Click here to learn more about the Health Department’s RSVP
program.
Updated White Paper Now Available Online
The Health
Department recently released its updated White Paper: State of Health in
Baltimore, which describes the Health Department’s principles, policies,
and services. This year’s White Paper reflects upon the Health Department’s
goals and recent accomplishments in improving health outcomes in Baltimore
City.
To read the full
paper, click here.
Coming Up: National Senior Fitness Day
May is Older
American’s Month, and this year’s theme is “Engage at Every Age,” emphasizing
that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can
enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Older American’s Month also
celebrates the many ways in which older adults make a difference in our
communities.
The Division of
Aging and CARE Services is hosting a number of events to recognize Older
American’s Month:
May
30, 2018: National Senior Fitness Day, 10:00 am to 12:00pm at Patterson Park
(in partnership with the Dept. of Rec and Parks)
To attend or
participate as a vendor, please call contact Jose.Jimenez@baltimorecity.gov or
call the Community Services Office at (410) 396-1337. Click here to download the event flyer.
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.
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.
Coming Up: Baltimore
in Conversation
Join the Health
Department for the fifth edition of Baltimore
in Conversation on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at the Maryland Institute
College of Art’s BBox: The Gateway performance space, located at 1601 W. Mt.
Royal Ave.
The bi-annual
storytelling event’s theme this year is “resilience.” Speakers will share
stories about the social determinants of health and discuss the importance of empathy
between patients and providers.
The event is
free and open to the public. Please RSVP to: IMPACT.Campaign@baltimorecity.gov.
Health Department Closed Memorial Day
In observance
of the Memorial Day holiday, the Baltimore City Health Department will be
closed on Monday, May 28. Offices will reopen on Tuesday, May 29.
Coming Up: Healthy Baltimore: A Festival of
Wellness
Coming Up: Train-the-Trainer Trauma-Informed
Training
BCHD in the News:
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