I was delighted to celebrate our accomplishments and review our priorities at the Baltimore City Health Department’s annual All-Staff Meeting. I am so proud to work with the incredible women and men of our Health Department and our partners. It is your work that made us the 2018 National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Local Health Department of the Year. I want to commend you, congratulate you, and thank you for working so hard to promote health and wellbeing in Baltimore City. As Mayor Catherine Pugh said in her thanks to our team, in every way, we are working at the frontlines to bring core services to our fellow residents.

One of the core principles in public health is go upstream to intervene as early as possible. Through programs such as Vision for Baltimore, B’more for Healthy Babies, and the lead prevention program, our work goes beyond healthcare to improve the health of generations yet to come. At the same time, we are serving the elderly and aging population in our City – a group that is often overlooked. Our falls prevention strategy and telemedicine for older adults looks out for these valuable members of our community and shows that we are not afraid to push the boundaries of innovation as a national leader. Finally, I do not believe it is enough to improve health outcomes if there are still disparities based on a person’s zip code. To reduce these disparities, we at the Health Department are preventing and treating diseases that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable residents of our City.

I am proud to lead an agency with dedicated public servants that help save lives every day through our programs and initiatives. I want to especially thank all of our employees that do the “behind the scenes” work that makes everything go smoothly for the rest of us. These individuals provide the crucial foundation that enables us to deliver core services for all of our residents.

As we mark Overdose Awareness Day today, I am especially conscious of the significance of our work. In these challenging times, it’s important to remember that we are the ones we have been waiting for to make lives better for our fellow Baltimoreans. Thank you for your work, and I look forward to continuing to serve together to advance health efforts in the City.

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

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