Note From The Commissioner:
Dear Community Partner,
This week, the Baltimore City Health
Department bid a fond farewell to Olivia Farrow, Deputy Commissioner for Youth
Wellness and Community Health, after 33 years of service to the City. Even
among other great public servants at the Health Department, Olivia stands out—for
the depth of her commitment to the residents of Baltimore, but also for the
grace and good humor in which she works.
Olivia worked her way up at the Health
Department, beginning as a Sanitarian in our Bureau of Environmental Health. She
subsequently became the first lawyer for the Health Department to prosecute a
lead poisoning case in Baltimore City, helping reduce the number of
lead-poisoned children by over 90 percent citywide. More than two decades of
service later, she became the Interim Health Commissioner, then the Director of
the Mayor’s Office of Human Services.
I am so grateful to have worked with Olivia
for the past three years. She has overseen some of our City’s most significant
programs, including B’More for Healthy Babies and Safe Streets. Olivia has been
instrumental to our starting the Baltimore City Stabilization Center—the
beginning of our 24/7 “ER” for addiction and behavioral health needs.
But to solely focus on Olivia’s
accomplishments but would be a disservice, because she has been an invaluable
resource for the entire Health Department—and to me. Olivia has been part of my
transition to the Health Department and to Baltimore from the very beginning, and has every step
of the way, has been exceptionally generous with her wisdom, support, and
friendship. Olivia’s exemplary service to the City spans over three decades,
and many hundreds of others have similarly benefited from her guidance.
All of us at the Baltimore City Health
Department wish her well in her next journey. Congratulations and thank you for
33 exceptional years! Olivia and so many others at the Health Department
inspire me every day with their dedication, commitment, and integrity. Our
Department – and our City – are better for it. I thank Olivia and I thank all of
our public servants for the work they do every single day.
Leana Wen,
M.D., M.Sc.
Hundreds of Seniors
Join Mayor Pugh, the Health Department, and Rec & Parks for National Senior
Health and Fitness Day in Patterson Park
On Wednesday, hundreds
of Baltimore’s older adults joined Mayor Catherine E. Pugh, the Health
Department, and the Department of Recreation & Parks in Patterson Park for the
25th Annual National Senior Health and Fitness Day.
Natasha
Ramberg, Chief of Community Services for the Health Department’s Division of Aging
and CARE Services, brought greetings on behalf of Dr. Wen and encouraged residents
to register for the Health Department’s citywide initiative – The Billion Step
Challenge.
“We are all
seniors in training,” said Mayor Pugh. “It is important that you take care of your
health and exercise to stay productive.”
Occurring
annually every last Wednesday in May, National Senior Health & Fitness Day
is the nation's largest annual health and wellness event for older adults. Participants
were treated to lunch and invited to visit health vendors in the Park.
To sign up for
the Billion Step Challenge, click here.
Clinical Director Named
President-Elect of Maryland Assembly on School-Based Health Centers
On May 17,
several of the Health Department’s School-Based Health Center staff attended the
Maryland Assembly on School-Based Health Centers (MASBHC) Conference. The
conference featured presentations on sexual health, opioid addiction, embracing
LGBTQ students, understanding the impact of trauma, transitioning adolescent patients
to adult care, and using Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services
(RAAPS) to identify adolescent risk and support positive change.
The Health
Department’s Clinical Director Joy Twesigye, currently serving as
President-Elect, will serve as the President of MASBHC beginning in 2020.
Pictured: Back Row (Left
to Right): Joy Twesigye, Francine Childs, Vonita Vaughan, and Dr. Ihuoma
Emenuga Front Row (Left
to Right): Christine Rutkowski,
Drue Hodgetts, Monique Nkere, Susan Borinsky, Tammy Petrides, and Maggie Singleton
To learn more
about the Health Department’s School-Based Health Centers, click here.
Dr. Wen Speaks at
City Arts & Lectures in San Francisco
On Tuesday,
Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen was interviewed by Mina Kim,
KQED News anchor and Friday host of Forum,
as part of City Arts & Lectures’ “Conversations on Science” series. Previous
guests included: Sally Yates (Former Acting Attorney General and Deputy
Attorney General); Cecile Richards (Former President, Planned Parenthood
Federation of America); Robert Reich (Former Secretary of Labor); Misty
Copeland (Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre); Annie Leibovitz
(Photographer); Van Jones (CNN Correspondent); and Mohsin Hamid (Writer).
“Addiction is a
disease, treatment works, and recovery is possible,” said Dr. Wen. “But when
people are dying from overdose, we have to save their lives with naloxone today
in order to get them into treatment tomorrow.”
Pictured left
to right: Dr. Wen, Ms. Kim, and Dr. Carl Hart, fellow panelist.
To learn more
about the Health Department’s opioid overdose prevention and treatment work,
click here.
Division of Aging and CARE Services Hosts Annual
Family Caregiver’s Conference
Last Wednesday, the
Health Department’s Division of Aging and CARE Services held its annual Family
Caregiver’s Conference, “You Have the Power,” at Morgan State University. The
conference focused on empowering caregivers to take control of their health and
stay proactive and informed. Deputy Commissioner Heang Tan gave opening
remarks to more than 300 attendees and 40 vendors on behalf of Dr.
Wen. During her remarks, she emphasized the importance of caregivers’
contributions to local and national economies, and reminded caregivers to stay
healthy and engaged.
This year's keynote speaker was award-winning author Marita Golden, who spoke about
her new novel "The WIDE Circumference of
LOVE," a moving African-American story of love, devotion, and
caregiving.
The conference
also celebrated its partnership with Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and
its Called to Care Program. Dr. Dan Hale, Baltimore City Commission on Aging
member and Special Advisor to the President of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical
Center, spoke on the importance of the partnership.
To learn more
about the Health Department’s resources for older adults, click here.
Assistant Commissioner Attends Baltimore Healthy
Start Fundraiser
Assistant
Commissioner of the Bureau of School Health Francine Childs and her family
attended a fundraiser at R. House on May 17 to benefit Baltimore
Healthy Start. Ms. Childs is an ex-officio member of the Baltimore Healthy
Start Board serving as the Health Commissioner’s designee.
The Fundraiser
was sponsored by the Women's Advocacy Coalition: Baltimore.
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.
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.
Coming Up: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day:
Stopping Elder Fraud in Baltimore
Coming Up: Healthy Baltimore: A Festival of
Wellness
Coming Up: Train-the-Trainer Trauma-Informed
Training
BCHD in the News:
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