Recent News

Code Red Extreme Heat Alert Issued For Wednesday (WJZ)

Aug 7th, 2018

With continued heat in the Baltimore area and a heat index expected to be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen has issued a Code Red Extreme Heat Alert for Wednesday.

“Heat is a silent killer and a public health threat, particularly for the young, the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions,” Dr. Wen said. “All residents should protect against hyperthermia and dehydration. It’s important to stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay in touch with your neighbors, especially seniors and medically frail individuals who live alone or without air conditioning during times of extreme heat.” – Dr. Leana Wen

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Leana Wen

Baltimore City Councilwoman will introduce legislation to improve lactation accommodations (Baltimore Sun)

Aug 6th, 2018

A Baltimore City Councilwoman introduced legislation Monday designed to improve lactation accommodations and ease new mothers’ transitions back into the workplace.

Councilwoman Shannon Sneed — who often brings her young daughter to public hearings and council meetings — said all working mothers “deserve the ability to lactate if they return to work by choice or by necessity.” Mothers, she said, shouldn’t have to choose between their careers and their child’s wellness.

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Leana Wen

Mayor Pugh's annual back-to-school rally distributes around 3,200 free backpacks (Baltimore Sun)

Aug 4th, 2018

Parents and children lined up to get free backpacks decorated with smiley faces, baseball bats and sharks, and filled with school supplies at Mayor Catherine Pugh’s annual back-to-school rally.

The event, hosted at the War Memorial Plaza downtown Saturday, distributed around 3,200 backpacks ahead of the Sept. 4 start date for city schools. Fewer than 100 backpacks were left over, which will be distributed next week, Pugh spokesman James E. Bentley II wrote via text message.

The rally also featured an array of sponsors, including the Baltimore Fire Department, which taught hands-on CPR; the Enoch Pratt Library; and the Baltimore City Health Department, which delivered immunizations to children in the War Memorial Building.

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Baltimore ‘Back-To-School Rally’ Gets Kids Prepared (WJZ)

Aug 4th, 2018

Baltimore City students will head back to class one month from today.

Public Health Heroes: Office of Youth Violence Prevention Supporting Male Survivors of Violence Program

Aug 3rd, 2018

The Health Department’s Supporting Male Survivors of Violence Program (SMSV) is housed within the Office of Youth Violence Prevention, and is one of 12 pilot programs funded through the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice.

Office of Youth Violence Prevention

Baltimore Suing Trump Administration Over Healthcare (Patch)

Aug 3rd, 2018

The city of Baltimore is suing President Donald Trump and his administration over the Affordable Care Act. With a total of four cities listed as plaintiffs, the lawsuit was filed Thursday in Maryland district court.

"We are deeply concerned about the impact of the rising uninsured population on health and costs to our city," Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen said in a statement Thursday.

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Leana Wen

Health Department Raises Awareness about Benefits of Breastfeeding during World Breastfeeding Week – August 1 through August 7

Aug 2nd, 2018

Today, during World Breastfeeding Week, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen joined staff at the Health Department’s Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program to raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding for healthy mothers and babies.

Baltimore joins lawsuit against Trump Administration's Affordable Care Act actions (WMAR)

Aug 2nd, 2018

Baltimore City filed suit against the Trump Administration Thursday, joining other jurisdictions looking to stop potential changes to the Affordable Care Act that might result in higher premiums and underinsured rates, the Baltimore City Health Department said.

“Our Health Department’s clinics serve as a safety net for the uninsured and underinsured in Baltimore City, providing essential health services from reproductive health and dental care to HIV/AIDS and addiction treatment,” said Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen. “By intentionally sabotaging the ACA, the Trump Administration is directly increasing the number of uninsured and underinsured Baltimoreans. This will increase demand for our services, without additional resources."

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Leana Wen

Four cities sue Trump administration over ACA rollback (Modern Healthcare)

Aug 2nd, 2018

Four major U.S. cities sued the Trump administration Thursday over its regulatory dismantling of the Affordable Care Act, claiming that federal actions are already overtaxing their health departments.

Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, joined liberal advocacy groups in the suit, filed in a U.S. District Court in Maryland, alleging that President Donald Trump and his administration "are deliberately trying to make the (ACA) fail." They maintain that these efforts will drain city budgets and resources to manage public health as coverage rates are predicted to drop. 

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Leana Wen

Suing the Trump administration to protect the ACA, health and the economy (The Hill)

Aug 2nd, 2018

In her op-ed, Dr. Leana Wen discusses why Baltimore City filed a suit against the Trump Adminisration for intentionally and unlawfully sabotaging the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and how it will affect the residents of Baltimore.

"We in Baltimore join Columbus, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio, Chicago, Illinois, and citizens in Charlottesville, Virginia, to express our deep concern about the consequences of sabotaging the ACA. In Baltimore, more than 10,000 residents are enrolled in plans purchased through the health insurance marketplace. Destabilizing the ACA could mean that 10,000 people in our city alone could become uninsured."

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Leana Wen

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