The start of a new year is the time for resolutions to improve health and wellbeing. Like the many who will focus on creating a healthier lifestyles—whether it is trying to eat better, adding some steps to your pedometer, or finally getting back to the gym—we at BCHD resolve to continue working every day to make Baltimore a healthier city for all residents.

Through Healthy Baltimore 2020 (HB2020), our strategic blueprint to improve wellbeing and combat injustice in Baltimore, we aim to cut health disparities in half over the next ten years. In 2017, we will continue our efforts to improve our communities by focusing on issues of behavioral health, violence prevention, chronic disease, youth health, senior wellness, and our core public health services – ranging from restaurant inspections to animal control. As always, we will work with diverse partners and community members to address the major health challenges that people face every day.

We know what works – many of our initiatives, such as B'More for Healthy Babies (BHB) and Safe Streets, have proven successful year after year. Thanks to the work of BHB to educate and support families, Baltimore experienced its lowest recorded infant mortality rate on record in 2015.

Similarly, Safe Streets violence interrupters mediated over 700 conflicts in 2015, the vast majority of which were deemed “likely” or “very likely” to result in gun violence. We have seen that these collective impact approaches make a tremendous difference, and we will continue to work together to improve outcomes for everyone, especially our most vulnerable.

Meanwhile, we are doubling-down on our commitment to eliminate disparities by addressing trauma and mental health in our communities. Our children will grow up stronger and healthier by preventing lead poisoning and by helping them have access to proper vision care. And we will continue to combat the opioid epidemic in Baltimore through acute treatments and expanding access to long-term care. Since issuing a blanket prescription for the opioid overdose reversal medication, naloxone, every day citizens have saved more than 531 lives. However, as recent statistics have shown, our work is far from over and we have much more to do.

While there are challenges ahead of us, we know that through collaboration and innovation we will continue to improve the health and wellness of our residents.

It’s a resolution we commit to keeping.

Sincerely, 

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