Last week, the National Association of County and City Health Officials named the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) the 2018 Local Health Department of the Year. BCHD stood out among the nearly 3,000 local health departments across the country for this prestigious award.

We were recognized for our work to reduce disparities and deliver vital health services to our residents, which has led to notable accomplishments. Our B’More for Healthy Babies initiative has cut infant mortality by nearly 40 percent since 2009, and contributed to a 70 percent reduction in sleep-related infant deaths in seven years. Through Vision for Baltimore, we’ve provided more than 2,000 students with the glasses they need to excel in school. We continue to aggressively battle the opioid epidemic, and our work to increase access to naloxone, as well as training residents how to use it, has resulted in everyday residents saving the lives of more than 2,500 individuals since 2015.

On Tuesday, Mayor Catherine Pugh held a press conference to recognize my colleagues at BCHD. I was so happy to see them receive this much-deserved acknowledgment of their incredible dedication to the residents of Baltimore. These public health professionals work every day to reduce health disparities and deliver critical services to our residents. It is my honor and privilege to serve with them, as we continue fighting to ensure that health is a fundamental human right.

Leana Wen, M.D., M.Sc.

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