Recent News

Leana Wen: How paid sick leave can save lives

Mar 16th, 2017

Full story originally published in the Baltimore Business Journal.

Testimony in favor of SB 868 Prescribing and Dispensing Naloxone to Non-certificate Holders

Mar 16th, 2017

Following is testimony given by Mark O’Brien, Director of Opioid Overdose Prevention and Treatment. The statement was presented to the Finance Committee on behalf of Dr. Wen on March 16, 2017.

Baltimore City Health Services Affected by Winter Storm Stella

Mar 14th, 2017

Baltimore, MD (March 14, 2017) – The following Baltimore City Health Department Services have been impacted by Winter Storm Stella:

Health Commissioner Dr. Wen Declares Code Blue Alert in Baltimore Overnight Tonight Through Thursday Morning

Mar 14th, 2017

BALTIMORE, MD (March 14, 2017) – With temperatures predicted to fall into the single digits with wind chill, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen today issued a Code Blue declaration for Baltimore City beginning tonight, Tuesday, March 14th through the morning of Thursday, March 16th.

Testimony in favor for HB 909 Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Act

Mar 11th, 2017

Following is testimony given by Legislative Director Jeff Amoros. The statement was presented to the Health and Government Operations Committee on behalf of Dr. Wen on March 10, 2017.

Health Commissioner Dr. Wen Declares Code Blue Alert in Baltimore Overnight Tonight Through Saturday Morning

Mar 10th, 2017

BALTIMORE, MD (March 10, 2017) – With temperatures predicted to fall into the teens with wind chill, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr.

Commissioner's Corner: We Cannot Repeal the ACA

Mar 10th, 2017

On Monday night, members of the U.S. House of Representatives proposed a bill that aims to replace the Affordable Care Act. I am gravely concerned about the implications for Baltimore. As I mentioned in an opinion piece in The Baltimore Sun, the proposal threatens to dismantle Medicaid, which is the safety net that provides insurance for women, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. It would cut reproductive health services and gut programs that focus on disease prevention. It takes away protections to low-income individuals to help them get insurance, and will take us back to a time when people are forced to choose between paying for food and medications.

Testimony in favor for SB 669 Tobacco Products - Minimum Age and Civil Fines

Mar 9th, 2017

Following is testimony given by Emilie Gilde, Director of Tobacco Use and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. The statement was presented to the Finance Committee on behalf of Dr. Wen on March 9, 2017.

Testimony in favor of SB 988 Maryland Community Health Worker Act

Mar 9th, 2017

Following is testimony given by Margret Schnitzer, Director of the Community Asthma Program. The statement was presented to the Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs on behalf of Dr. Wen on March 9, 2017.

Baltimore tech firm tapped to make sure Flint water crisis doesn't happen here (BBJ)

Mar 9th, 2017

The health department is working with seven private sector teams of experts, designers and engineers to confront public health issues impacting the city with technology solutions. The project is backed by city-sponsored microgrants.

Delali Dzirasa said his software company is working on a tool to make sure Baltimore doesn't become the next Flint, Mich.

Fearless Solutions LLC was tapped by the to develop a data dashboard that maps public health information for the city. The health department collects a lot of data each year — on disease tracking, restaurant inspections, lead levels, etc. — but it is fragmented and there was no way to consolidate it and map trends or anomalies across the city.

That is the problem that Fearless took on, developing a dashboard that could bring all of that data together and give clear, concise picture of health trends in Baltimore. Residents and health officials will be able to look at certain health indicators to see which neighborhoods they most affect and how they interact with other health issues in the city, Dzirasa said. The dashboard will also be able to create predictive models based on past health trends, so the department can start planning how to confront new health problems before they come up.

Read the entire story.

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