WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 19, 2015)– Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen today spoke before over 300 policy makers, thought leaders, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and community advocates at the Aspen Institute Summit on Inequality & Opportunity, a one-day gathering in Washington, DC, dedicated to nonpartisan dialogue about the widening opportunity gap in the United States.

The Summit began with a half-day public program, capped off by remarks from Vice President Joe Biden, followed by an afternoon of policy roundtable discussions.

“Public health is a powerful social justice tool through which we can develop a framework to level the playing field of inequality,” said Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen. “By changing the conversation around how we view public health, by directly engaging people in their communities, and by recruiting the most credible messengers, we can find innovative ways to move the needle over the short term, while catalyzing social change that will advance outcomes for generations of Americans.”

Joining the dialogue will be a host of experts, pioneering practitioners, and big thinkers including Cecelia Munoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, Arthur Brooks, President of The American Enterprise Institute, and Samuel Hoi, President of Maryland Institute College of Art. A panel of local youth will also join the program.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners.

To listen to Dr. Wen’s conversation, or any of the day’s other speakers, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sjTugNWd24&feature=youtu.be&t=2368