Recent News

Square Off Panelists Share Resources about Opioid Epidemic

Apr 28th, 2017

Dr Wen speaking on ABC2 Square Off Opioid Epidemic Baltimore

Dr. Wen joined Maryland Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford, Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, and Drug Court Prosecutor Kendel Ehrlich to discuss the opioid epidemic in Baltimore City and across the state of Maryland. 

Dr. Wen spoke about the importance of decreasing the stigma around opioid addiction and encouraging treatment as well as learning how to use naloxone in order to revive a person who is overdosing on opioids. Anyone can be certified online at dontdie.org and get a prescription for naloxone. 

Watch entire segment.

Commissioner's Corner: Mayor's Spring Clean Up-- Zika & Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Apr 28th, 2017

This weekend is Mayor Catherine E. Pugh’s Spring Clean Up, which is a perfect reminder to take important steps to ensure that your home and community are healthy and safe. Zika season is right around the corner. Mosquitos can transmit Zika, West Nile, and other diseases, and the best way to prevent them is to stop them from breeding in the first place by removing any standing water from your property. Do a survey of your yard and make sure there are no empty flower pots, trash lids, or other containers that can harbor standing water. If you need assistance to eliminate standing water in your neighborhood, call 311 to report it.

Spring cleaning is also a good time to clean out your medicine cabinet. This Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, and today, I joined Baltimore City Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Don Hibbert, and other leaders across the city to encourage residents to safely dispose of unused medications at one of the 10 permanent take-back boxes located at police stations across the city. Residents can drop off unused and unwanted medications year-round, no questions asked.

Baltimore City Officials Urge Residents to Safely Dispose of Unused Prescription Drugs

Apr 28th, 2017

During National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, residents can deposit medications at ten permanent return boxes across the city

BALTIMORE, MD (April 28, 2017) –  On Saturday, April 29th, Baltimore City officials will recognize National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, a nationwide initiative to highlight safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs in communities, while raising awareness about prescription drug addiction.

Public Health Heroes: Field Health Services Reflecting on Baltimore in the Post-Unrest Era

Apr 28th, 2017

Baltimore City Health Department Field Health Services Michelle Haynes

Two years ago, Michelle Haynes, a phone operator with the Baltimore City Health Department’s Field Health Services Non-Emergency Medicaid Transportation (NEMT) program, was on the phone with a woman trying to arrange her normal non-emergency medical transport to a doctor’s appointment. At the time, Baltimore City was in the midst of unrest following Freddie Gray’s death. A number of pharmacies were closed and many residents were unable to access their necessary prescriptions.

Through labored breaths, the woman on the phone tried to tell Ms. Haynes that she had a shortage of her blood clot medication and could not ta

Skillfully serving seniors (The Daily Record)

Apr 26th, 2017

I had the pleasure of volunteering Saturday at the 26th annual Law Day for Seniors, organized by Senior Legal Services. The free event was held at a Baltimore City District Court and was attended by more than 300 Baltimore city seniors.

The conference-style programming included seminars on issues such as financial scams targeting seniors, combating nursing home abuse, Baltimore city tax sales and water bill issues and estate administration. Attendees were provided with breakfast and lunch at no charge. 

The courthouse corridors were packed with various vendors and city agencies, like the Department of Public Works, the Health Department’s Division of Aging and the sheriff’s office. Other pro bono groups, such as Maryland Legal Aid and Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, also were involved.

 Volunteer attorneys and judges made up the panels in the numerous substantive law sessions. I was amazed at how patiently they discussed current challenges facing the elderly in Baltimore and educated the underserved population at risk of losing very basic resources. I was unaware of some of the issues faced by low-income city residents such as tax sales and inaccurate water bills and the predatory liens that go along with non-payment.

 Read the entire story. 

Three Courts Have Now Blocked The Trump Administration From Cutting Funding For Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs (Buzzfeed)

Apr 25th, 2017

A federal judge in Baltimore ordered the Trump administration to resume funding two entities receiving grants through the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP) on Wednesday afternoon, days after two similar rulings were issued in federal courts in Washington state and Washington, DC.

Read the entire story.

Baltimore City Health Department Recognizes National Infant Immunization Week

Apr 24th, 2017

BALTIMORE, MD (April 24, 2017)This week, the Baltimore City Health Department recognizes National Infant Immunization Week (April 22-29, 2017) in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of vaccinating infants and young children to protect them from harmful and contagious diseases.

Commissioners Corner: Public Health Lessons from Baltimore

Apr 21st, 2017

This past week, I had the opportunity to travel to the Midwest to share lessons from Baltimore and to learn from my public health counterparts around the country. We often speak about the stark health disparities in Baltimore City as manifested by the 20-year difference in life expectancy between zip codes. The challenges we face are not unique, nor are our efforts to combat disparities. 

Read the entire note.

Violence Seen as Public Health Issue at Conference (The Daily Iowan)

Apr 20th, 2017

A panel of experts discussed their views on violence as a public-health issue.

Violence and health were brought together in a conversation Tuesday night.

Dozens of people piled inside Callahan Auditorium in the University of Iowa College of Public Health Building to hold a discussion on solutions related to violence. Iowa Public Radio host Ben Kieffer moderated the event.

Special guest Leana Wen, the Baltimore health commissioner and the UI College of Public Health’s Hansen Award recipient, spoke about her study and experiences. The panel also consisted of three others who study violence in relation to public health.

Kieffer started the conversation by highlighting the increase in gun violence in Iowa in the past few years. According to the Center for American Progress, 1,976 people were killed by guns in Iowa from 2001 to 2010.

Wen then shared her experiences with violence as a health professional in Baltimore.

“As an emergency physician, I have to say unequivocally that violence is a health issue,” she said.

She said it is scientifically proven that violence is a contagious disease. It spreads from person to person, and there are ways to prevent and cure it.

To address the issue of violence, she said, we also have to address the issue of trauma, which brings in the ideas of both mental health and systemic hierarchy seen in Baltimore.

Wen also stated that many people believe violence is primarily a law enforcement and public safety issue. While she said that in some ways this is true, people can also see the way violence takes over one’s mental state, specifically referencing the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death. Gray was an unarmed black man who died in police custody in 2015, she noted.

“Public safety, though, has to work hand in hand with public health,” she said.

...

Read the entire story.

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Honored by University of Iowa College of Public Health with Hansen Award

Apr 19th, 2017

BALTIMORE, MD (April 19, 2017) — Today, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen was named the recipient of the Richard and Barbara Hansen Leadership Award and Distinguished Lectureship by the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Dr. Wen was selected as this year’s awardee in recognition of her leadership in improving well-being and reducing health disparities.

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