In their article, Dr. Wen and Special Assistant to the Commmissioner Narintohn Luangrath discuss health and racial equity and what the Health Department is doing to address health disparities. 

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Amid the activity and noise of Penn Station is a new oasis of sorts, an enclosed pod decorated with sky imagery, where women can nurse infants and pump milk. It’s equipped with benches, a fold-down table and electrical outlets to enable a practice that doctors promote as beneficial to the health of babies — but many moms find hard to do when in public.

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IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, A teenage boy who was undergoing treatment for substance use disorder was surprised a couple years ago to learn he'd been infected with hepatitis C. The boy, then 17, was attending private school – and sharing needles with classmates to use heroin, says Dr. Carlos Malvestutto, infectious diseases fellowship program director at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.

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What do you do when there’s no data to suggest potential solutions? Lena Wen, Baltimore City Commissioner of Health, says, “we throw the boat at it to save lives in our community.” Through a process of iteration, Wen and her team are learning how to more efficiently solve for social determinants of health...starting with a successful public/private collaboration to reduce Baltimore's infant mortality rates.

Watch the interview here.

In this podcast recorded live from the Women of the World Festival, hear from panelists including Dr. Wen.

Listen here.

Dr. Wen joined WJZ to discuss the opioid epidemic and how the Health Department is working to combat it in Baltimore City. 

Watch the video.

The impact of social determinants on health care was highlighted during the 11th Annual National Conference on Health Disparities.

Despite decades of being a relatively nonpartisan program, Title X -- the only federal grant program exclusively for family planning and reproductive health -- is gearing up to be front and center of a debate about abortion.

On Friday, the Trump administration will reportedly propose a rule that prohibits Title X funding from going to organizations that perform or support the procedure.

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Code Red Extreme Heat is a multi-agency effort to address the impact of extreme heat on residents of Baltimore City. Throughout the summer, City agencies provide public education to residents about the effects of sustained heat on health and perform community outreach regarding energy assistance programs for senior residents and other susceptible groups through Community Action Partnership Centers.

"Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities and many thousands of illnesses nationwide each year," said Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen. "Heat is a silent killer, and is particularly dangerous to those who are young and elderly, and with chronic medical conditions. Residents must take all precautions to ensure their own safety as well as the safety of family and neighbors."

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Almost like magic, the drug naloxone can bring victims of opioid overdoses back from the brink of death. With more than 115 people dying each day from opioid overdoses across the country, the drug could save thousands of lives each year.

Except for one problem.

The prices of naloxone set by drug makers have skyrocketed, putting it beyond the reach of some police, first responders, community groups, and families and friends of overdose victims.

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