Press Releases

Baltimore City Launches Safe Streets Expansion in Sandtown-Winchester

Mar 17th, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (March 17, 2016)– Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen, and executive director of Catholic Charities, Bill McCarthy today joined with members of the community to mark the official opening of the newest Safe Streets Baltimore location that is bringing the program credited with reducing gun violence to the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood. 

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen Commends New CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines, Calls for Additional Action Amid Epidemic

Mar 16th, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (March 16, 2016)– Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen today commended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recently announced 2016 Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and called on the agency to provide additional guidance:

Commissioner Wen Applauds Obama Administration for Awarding $94 Million in Federal Grants to Combat Opioid Abuse and Heroin Use Epidemic

Mar 11th, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (March 11, 2016)–Today, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen issued the following statement applauding the Obama Administration for awarding $94 million dollars in Affordable Care Act funding to 271 health centers in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to improve and expand the delivery of substance abuse services in health centers, with a specific focus on treatment of opioid use disorders in underserved populations. 

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen Issues Statement Commending U.S. Senate on Passage of Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016

Mar 10th, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (March 10, 2016)–Today, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen issued the following statement commending the U.S. Senate on passing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (S. 524), a bill to help tackle nation’s opioid & heroin epidemic:

Baltimore City Health Department Releases New Interactive Map Gallery

Mar 7th, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (March 7, 2016) – The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) today released a new interactive web map gallery on a number health and related topics.

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Wen Testifies before Maryland Senate on Bill to Strengthen State’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

Feb 24th, 2016

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 24, 2016) – Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen testified Wednesday before the Maryland Senate Finance Committee urging the General Assembly to support Senate Bill 382, legislation that revises Maryland’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), and offered amendments to the bill that would encourage physicians to co-prescribe naloxone with opioid medications and to caution against concurrent prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines.

Health Commissioner Wen Issues Statement in Support of State's Proposed Legislation to Ban Powdered Alcohol

Feb 22nd, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (February 22, 2016)–Today, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen issued the following statement in support of Maryland General Assembly House Bill 749 which would prohibit the sale of powdered alcohol: 

Public Health Officials Urge FDA to Issue Warnings for Dangerous Combination of Medications Amid Prescription Drug Overdose Crisis

Feb 22nd, 2016

(February 22, 2016)– City and state health directors from across the country today called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to adopt labels to explicitly warn about a dangerous combination of medications that is helping drive the nation’s prescription drug overdose epidemic.

Baltimore Health Officials Announce New Online Training for Lifesaving Medication Naloxone

Feb 17th, 2016

BALTIMORE, MD (February 17, 2016)– Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen today announces a new online platform that will train Baltimore City residents how to use naloxone, a medication that completely reverses the effect of an opioid overdose, and receive a “standing order” certification that will allow residents to receive naloxone without a separate prescription. 

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Wen Testifies Before Maryland House Of Delegates on Bill to Help Eliminate Prenatal HIV Infections

Feb 16th, 2016

ANNAPOLIS, MD (February 16, 2016)– Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen testified Tuesday before the Maryland House of Delegates Committee on Health & Government Operations Committee urging the General assembly to provide support for House Bill 180, Public Health- HIV Testing During Pregnancy, legislation that would require a second HIV test to be conducted in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Currently, HIV testing is required for all pregnant women only in the first trimester. Under this proposed legislation, if a woman tests positive during the third trimester, she can be given antiretroviral medications that would virtually eliminate any chance of spreading HIV to the child.

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