What we do

Animal Services

The mission of the Office of Animal Control is to enforce city and state codes, rules, and regulations and to investigate animal neglect and cruelty cases for the purpose of protecting the health and safety of Baltimore’s human and animal residents.

Chronic Disease Prevention

The Mission of the Office of Chronic Disease Prevention (OCDP) is to improve the health status of all Baltimoreans by reducing the incidence of chronic disease-related morbidity and mortality.

Emergency Preparedness & Response

The Baltimore City Health Department Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) is committed to preparing Baltimore City for public health emergencies such as large-scale disease outbreaks, bioterror events and other emergencies with an impact on the health of the community.

Environmental Health

 

The Bureau of Environmental Health is comprised of two programs: Environmental Inspection Services and Animal Services.  The Bureau uses regulatory and educational tools to minimize environmental health hazards and to ensure that the health standards set forth in city statutes, regulations, and ordinances are met. Environmental Inspection Services performs inspections of retail food establishments, school cafeterias, swimming pools, and other facilities and conducts investigations into environmental complaints. 

In order to protect the health and well-being of Baltimore City residents, the Baltimore City Health Department works closely with many health systems and providers in the City to improve access and quality of care. Learn about some of our partnerships, programs, and resources for providers below.

Baltimore Accountable Health Community 

The Baltimore City Health Department has been awarded a $4.3M grant from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Innovation (CMMI) over five years to design, implement, and evaluate a city-wide Accountable Health Communities (AHC) model that will both address beneficiaries’ health-related social needs as well as drive stakeholder alignment with social needs resources. Click here to learn more.

Emergency Department Convenings

The Baltimore City Health Department convenes the Emergency Chairs and Directors quarterly. Previous areas of discussion include discharge policies and opioid intervention programs in the Emergency Departments. To learn more about Emergency Department Convenings. 

High Utilizer Task Force

The High Utilizer Task Force (HUTF) is a workgroup comprised of social service and health care providers. The group is focused on strategies to support the most vulnerable patients, whose unmet social, complex medical, behavioral health, or environmental needs contribute to repetitive, avoidable use of acute health services. To learn more about the High Utilizer Task Force (HUTF).

Provider/Health Systems Resource Library

The Baltimore City Health Department has a number of resources for health care systems and providers. Here is a full list of resources.

Health Clinics & Services

The Baltimore City Health Department offers and oversees services for: sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, family planning, maternal and infant health, immunizations, asthma, senior care, cancer screening, and lead poisoning prevention services, among others.

 

Neighborhoods

Where we live, work and play are significant factors that impact our health.  The Baltimore City Health Department is committed to working with communities, health care professionals, and other organizations and stakeholders to improve Baltimore’s neighborhoods through a Health in All Policies approach.

Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs) occur when there is a blockage or break in the sanitary sewer line causing wastewater to flow out of the collection system.

HIV/STD Services

The HIV/STD program strives to be as exhaustive, flexible, and comprehensive as possible in its efforts to intervene in the spread of sexually transmitted infection.

 

Infectious Disease

The ACD Program’s mission is to reduce the incidence of acute communicable disease (other than TB, STDs, and HIV/AIDs) in Baltimore City through prevention, surveillance, investigation, and control of disease and outbreaks occurrences.

Maternal and Child Health

The Bureau of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) supports the health and wellbeing of pregnant women, children, and their caregivers in Baltimore City.

Substance Use Disorder

Links have been provided on this page to resources and data related to substance abuse, addiction-related harm reduction, drug treatment, and other associated issues.

Office of Youth and Trauma Services

To combat the epidemic of violence among Baltimore’s youth and support traditional public safety strategies using a combination of public health and human service models to reduce violence.

Care Coordination

BCHD has partnered with Healthcare Access Maryland (HCAM) since 1997 to serve as the designated Medicaid care coordination entity for Baltimore City and the Administrati