Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen is reminding Baltimoreans to take the cold temperatures seriously in light of two recent cold-weather related deaths in the city. Baltimore’s first cold weather death was a homeless man in the 18-44 age group which occurred on January 6, 2015. The second death, of an elderly resident who was living in a home with no heat or electricity, occurred on January 24, 2015.
The Clinton Foundation on Monday announced that it had negotiated a lower price for an emergency treatment that can prevent overdoses with a company that makes it. The soaring cost of the treatment has constrained its widespread use by municipalities across the country.
Dr. Leana Wen is so new as Baltimore’s health commissioner that she hasn’t yet been confirmed by the City Council – that’s expected to take place this afternoon. She brings an impressive resume the public-health job: she started college at age 13, 5 years after she immigrated with her parents from Shanghai, China; she was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, has written a book, and taught and practice emergency-room medicine at George Washington University – all by age 31. We wanted to learn how she’ll bring that intimidating background to bear on improving Baltimore’s public health. She joins Sheilah in the studio.
With predicted low temperatures and wind chills for Tuesday and Wednesday in the teens, Leana Wen, M.D., Health Commissioner for Baltimore City, is declaring a Code Blue for January 27 & 28.
The Baltimore City Health Department is investigating a possible measles case in a 12-month-old Baltimore City resident. There has not been a documented case of measles in Baltimore City in the last decade; Baltimore has high vaccination rates, with nearly 99 percent of public school children being vaccinated.
The Baltimore Health Department is investigating a possible measles case in a 12-month-old child — which could be the first documented case in the city in the last decade. Health officials said they were acting "out of an abundance of caution," but noted that the child might have had a reaction to a vaccine given earlier in the month.
The Baltimore Health Department says it is investigating a possible case of measles in a baby girl. The health department said Saturday that, if confirmed, this would be Baltimore's first measles case in the last decade. Baltimore has a 99-percent vaccination rate with nearly all public school students being vaccinated.
Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen suggests the Measles situation in California is a "call to action" for Maryland parents to ensure their children have the proper vaccinations. View the WBAL-TV story.
Baltimore's new health commissioner wants the city to play a leading role in bringing together hospitals to tackle public health problems. Read more here.
