Bmore Healthy Newsletter: June 8, 2018

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Note From The Commissioner:

Dear Community Partner,

As an emergency physician, I have seen the human cost of gun violence. As a public health official, I have no doubt that gun violence is a public health issue. Science shows us that violence is a contagious disease. Like the flu, it spreads from person to person. Like other contagions, violence can be prevented and stopped.

Violence prevention is a key function of public health. That’s why we so strongly believe in the power of Baltimore’s Safe Streets program. Safe Streets hires outreach professionals to deescalate disputes that would otherwise lead to violence. Last year, Safe Streets workers mediated more than 1,000 conflicts, 80% of which were deemed likely or very likely to result in gun violence. Three out of the program’s four sites have gone at least one year without a fatal shooting, preventing violence before it happens. Our outreach workers also change the cultural norms around violence. And they do all of this without weapons, but with words and the inspiration of their own incredible stories.

Despite the proven efficacy of Safe Streets, we have struggled with finding funding year after year. This year, we are so grateful that Mayor Catherine Pugh has committed to not only sustaining Safe Streets, but to expanding it from four sites to 10. Mayor Pugh understands how Safe Streets saves lives and offers employment opportunities to people who are from the communities they serve. Beginning in July, Safe Streets will move into the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. The Mayor and Director Vetter have our entire Health Department’s thanks and support, and we will continue to work closely with Safe Streets to ensure its adherence to the public health model and to breaking the cycle of poverty, trauma, and violence.

I would like to personally acknowledge the leaders of our Safe Streets program. Thank you to our Assistant Commissioner for Chronic Disease Prevention, Greg Sileo; Program Director, Dedra Layne; Deputy Program Director, Anisha Thomas; Outreach Coordinator, Dante Barksdale; and former Community Liaison Officer, James Timpson. I also thank our site leaders Gardnel Carter, Imohtep Faitu, Rashad Singletary, and Warren Williams; our community-based organizations Living Classrooms, Park Heights Renaissance, Associated Catholic Charities, and Family Health Centers of Baltimore; and all of the dedicated outreach workers who are on the streets saving lives every day. I am proud to know these men and women, and it has been an honor and privilege.

Leana Wen, M.D., M.Sc.

Dr. Wen Keynotes Doctors for America’s National Leadership Conference

Last Saturday, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen delivered the keynote address at Doctors for America’s National Leadership Conference, held at the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus. Dr. Wen shared advice on how attendees can be effective physician-advocates, and emphasized the importance of standing up for public health. Previous keynotes have included Dr. Vivek Murthy, former U.S. Surgeon General and Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader.

“I was honored to serve as the keynote speaker for Doctors for America’s National Leadership Conference,” said Dr. Wen. “I thank Executive Director Jim Duffett for the invitation to speak to the next generation of physician-advocates about the need to stand up for what’s right, and to speak up for public health. I commend Doctors for America for organizing this important conference, especially at a time when access to health insurance is under threat at the federal-level. It is the duty of physicians like ourselves to raise our voices and protect the well-being of our patients. I enjoyed discussing effective advocacy strategies with the conference attendees, and to be in conversation with physicians and aspiring physicians working to address some of the most pressing health challenges of our time.”

Click here to watch Dr. Wen’s remarks.

Division of Aging and CARE Services Honors Team Members During Older Americans Month

May was Older American’s Month. The Health Department’s Division of Aging and CARE services held a tea party last week to recognize older members of the Health Department. More than 20 percent of the Aging Team are aged 65 years or older, and the Division celebrated the many ways they make a difference in Baltimore City.

Honorees were provided certificates and gifts for their contribution and service.

Pictured back row (left to right): Verna Council, Tanera Jackson, Kallista Creel, Gloria Bolodeoku, Rochelle Purnell, Jewel Brown, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Teresa Jeter-Cutting.

Front Row (left to right) Charlene Fitch (Honoree), Deborah Hamilton, Candice Nichols, Janice Green, Pamela Massie, Annette Saunders (Honoree) and Hermaine Franklin (Honoree).

To learn more about Aging services at the Health Department, click here.

Dr. Wen and Health Department Leadership Testify Before City Council’s Budget and Taxation Committee

Last Friday, Dr. Wen testified before the Baltimore City Council’s Budget and Taxation Committee about the Health Department’s FY 19 budget and its accomplishments over the past year. Dr. Wen discussed the B’More for Healthy Babies initiative, which has helped reduce infant mortality in the City by 38% since 2009; the Vision for Baltimore program, which has provided eye care to more than 5,000 Baltimore City Public School Students, grades K-8; and the Health Department’s naloxone outreach efforts, which have resulted in 39,000 everyday residents trained to administer naloxone, the life-saving opioid overdose antidote.

Dr. Wen was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner for Aging and CARE Services Heang Tan, Deputy Commissioner Population Health and Disease Prevention Jennifer L. Martin, and Acting Deputy Commissioner for Deputy Commissioner for Youth Wellness and Community Health Mary Beth Haller to answer the Council’s questions about the City’s response to maternal and child health, tobacco sales to minors, and senior center operations, the overdose epidemic, among other topics. The Health Department appreciated the opportunity to brief the Council on its programs and initiatives.

Dr. Wen Speaks at Society for Prevention Research Conference

Dr. Wen spoke at the Society for Prevention Research’s 26th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. last Thursday. During her plenary session, “Promoting Equity and Decreasing Disparities Through Optimizing Prevention Science,” Dr. Wen discussed the Health Department’s efforts to eliminate health disparities in Baltimore City. She was joined by fellow panelists, Dr. Alison Barlow (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) and Dr. Marc Atkins (University of Illinois-Chicago). Other conference speakers included high-level staff from the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, and researchers and program evaluation experts working on the local, state, and national levels.

“Choice is predicated on privilege,” said Dr. Wen, “But public health can help level the playing field of inequality.”

Click here to read Healthy Baltimore 2020, the Health Department’s plan to cut health disparities in half over the next decade.

Environmental Inspection Services Team Member Teaches Zumba at City Hall

Environmental Inspection Services Environmental Sanitarian, Brian Rice, taught Zumba to Mayor Pugh and fellow City employees as part of Wellness Wednesdays at City Hall.

Mr. Rice started taking Zumba classes during his senior year of college at Slippery Rock University when his personal trainer recognized his boredom on the treadmill. From that experience in college, Brian has become a well-known Zumba instructor in the Greater Baltimore area. He teaches Zumba at charity events, and sports and dance team warm-ups; notably, he took the stage with Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker as part of Ravens Zumbathon4ALS, in support of the Brigance Brigade Foundation fighting ALS.

Pictured with Mr. Rice and Mayor Pugh are Pattie Sassano (left) and Peggy DeCrispino (right), of Fit2Order, a sponsor of Wellness Wednesdays.

Senior Medical Advisor Speaks at University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Primary Care Forum

Senior Medical Advisor Dr. Shelly Choo spoke on behalf of Dr. Wen at the Maryland Learning Collaborative: University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Primary Care Forum. During the forum, Dr. Choo discussed how the social determinants of health contribute to Baltimore City residents’ health outcomes. In doing so, she also shared the staggering 20-year difference in life expectancy between different neighborhoods in Baltimore. She also reviewed the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Project, which standardizes social needs screenings across clinical sites in the City, refers qualifying beneficiaries to a navigation hub, and develops a centralized resource directory. During the forum, Chad Perman, Director of Health Systems Transformation of the Maryland Department of Health, discussed the Maryland Primary Care program.

To learn more about the Health Department’s Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Project, click here.

Safe Streets Director Speaks at Doctors for America’s National Leadership Conference

Last Saturday, Safe Streets Director Dedra Layne spoke at the Doctors for America National Leadership Conference and addressed how doctors can address gun violence. She urged attendees to resist giving into fear or subscribing to the belief you are doing “all you can”; rebuild connections that have been strained; engage patients as people and see them as family, friends, neighbors, and partners; and reclaim the connective tissue that binds us together, and embrace the core value and belief that our humanity is inextricable intertwined. She encouraged attendees to act on this advice by moving courageously and working closely with members of their communities.

Ms. Layne encouraged the attendees to “leave their white coats on a hanger and wear authenticity as their outer garment.” She emphasized not telling people what they need to do, but rather, asking, “How can I serve you well?”

To learn more about Safe Streets, click here.

Health Department Hosts Baltimore in

Conversation 5

Last Saturday, the Health Department hosted more than 120 guests for Baltimore in Conversation (BIC) 5 at the Maryland Institute College of Art. The event focused on trauma-informed care including: how to identify trauma, how to respond to trauma, and how to build empathy between providers and clients. The theme, “resilience,” stressed prioritizing the mental well-being of the Health Department’s most vulnerable populations. Over half of the attendees were healthcare professionals who connect providers and people. Other important components of the evening included storytelling and an artist showcase of Project Presence portraits; guests experienced visual storytelling around the social stigma faced by Baltimore's LGBTQ+ communities.

The event was also attended by New York Health Department representatives, who plan to adopt the BIC storytelling model in the city of New York.

Pictured above: William Kellibrew, a member of the Health Department’s Trauma Team, shares a gripping story of how he recovered from trauma after witnessing the killing of his family as a child.

Senior Medical Advisor Speaks at NAMIWalks 2018

Last Saturday, Senior Medical Advisor Dr. Shelly Choo provided remarks on Dr. Wen’s behalf at NAMIWalks (National Alliance of Mental Illness). Dr. Choo thanked Senator Ben Cardin and his wife, Myrna Cardin, for their support of NAMI Maryland and efforts to de-stigmatize mental illness. She also thanked Mayor Pugh for issuing a proclamation declaring June 2, 2018 “NAMIWalks Day,” and for her continued efforts to improve the health and well-being of all Baltimore residents. Dr. Choo was joined by Denise Koch (Anchor, WJZ-TV, Channel 13); Renee Cohen (Field Representative, Health and Senior Citizen Issues, Office of U.S. Senator Ben Cardin), who brought greetings on behalf of Senator Cardin; and William Frank (Deputy Secretary of Disabilities), who brought greetings on behalf of Governor Larry Hogan.

“We have to end the stigma around discussing mental health,” said Dr. Choo. “Thank you NAMI Maryland for all the work you do supporting individuals and families impacted by mental illness.”

To learn more about the Health Department’s collaboration with Behavioral Health System Baltimore and our 24/7 Crisis Information and Referral Line, click here.

Special Assistant to the Commissioner Participates in Roundtable at Society for Prevention Research Conference

Last Thursday, Special Assistant to the Commissioner Narintohn Luangrath represented Dr. Wen at a roundtable, “Reducing Health Disparities through Interventions that Invest in the Community,” at the Society for Prevention Research Conference. The roundtable discussion – which included Dr. Alison Barlow (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) and Dr. Marc Atkins (University of Illinois-Chicago) – revolved around research ethics and the inclusion of community members in research design and program development. Ms. Luangrath expanded upon Dr. Wen’s remarks during her plenary session, providing additional information about the Health Department’s initiatives to combat stigma around addiction and efforts to engage a wide range of stakeholders to address the opioid epidemic in Baltimore City.

Click here to read the Health Department’s recently updated White Paper.

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.

Health Department 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.