Baltimore is betting on data mapping to curb the leading cause of fatal injuries among older adults.

The mere act of falling down leads to tens of thousands of deaths among adults 65 and over every year in the U.S., and even more hospitalizations. In Baltimore, where there are many older homes and row houses with steep staircases, falls leading to an emergency room visit occur more frequently than in the rest of Maryland on average, and the city's recently launched fall-reduction strategy aims to utilize hospital data to quickly identify neighborhoods – and even exact locations – where falls are most frequent.

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As quickly as the opioid epidemic claims lives in Baltimore, treatment programs are fighting back. That was the topic of WJZ’s Town Hall Tuesday: Searching for Solutions to the Opioid Epidemic.

“Here in Baltimore City, we focus first and foremost on saving lives. If someone is dying right now, we have to save their life in order for there to be a better tomorrow,” Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said.

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Dr. Leana Wen served on a panel of experts for WJZ's town hall: "Baltimore Standing Together: Opioid Epedemic. 

In their guest commentary, Evan Behrle, Dr. Shelly Choo and Dr. Leana Wen discuss the Health Department's Levels of Care initiative. 

In many doctor's offices and hospitals across the country, the response to someone seeking addiction treatment is simple: "We don't do that here."We are living through the deadliest drug epidemic in American history. Overdose is now the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50. "We don't do that here"

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