Baltimore City Health Department Joins With Maryland Hepatitis Coalition to Commemorate Hepatitis Awareness Month

The Baltimore City Health Department joined today with members of the Maryland Hepatitis Coalition (MHC) and state and local officials to recognize National Hepatitis Awareness Month.  Throughout the year, the Health Department is actively involved with the prevention of viral hepatitis through its Immunization Program, Needle Exchange Program, and Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Project.  Today we are happy to join with our partners to honor Hepatitis Heroes and to bring this issue to the forefront in an effort to fight this silent killer.

An estimated 4.4 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis; most do not know they are infected. About 80,000 new infections occur each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Maryland Hepatitis Coalition is an excellent example of the positive power of government and community collaboration. By honoring these Hepatitis Heroes, the Coalition is bringing more positive attention to the great work that is already being done to prevent the transmission of viral hepatitis, to care for and treat those infected with viral hepatitis, and to educate clients and the general public about viral hepatitis.

Healthcare for the Homeless clients are medically and socially complex, and often uninsured. As a local gastroenterologist, Dr. Jonathan B. Schreiber, HCH/Mercy Medical Center, has opened his practice, committing time and resources, to welcome HCH clients. Dr. Schreiber has never declined a request to care for HCH clients and has ensured HCH clients receive the highest quality care.

Please join me in applauding the MHC’s 2011 Hepatitis Heroes Honorees:

• Appolo Bama, LPN of Total Health Care, Men’s Health Center for significantly increasing the number of patients vaccinated and protected against hepatitis B.
• Frank Parish, RN, CIC of the Baltimore City Detention Center for implementing hepatitis B vaccination for individuals at high risk in the Detention Center.
• Kathleen L. Becker, DNP, CRNP of Healthcare for the Homeless and Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing for her longstanding commitment to providing high quality care to patients at Health Care for the Homeless.
• Jonathan B. Schreiber, MD of Mercy Medical Center for caring for patients with chronic viral hepatitis referred from Health Care for the Homeless.

In addition to these four individuals, we also wish to recognize Maryland Delegate Shirley Nathan-Pulliam. Del. Nathan-Pulliam has been a strong supporter of viral hepatitis prevention and care for many years. She has championed increasing funding for testing, vaccination and health services for individuals impacted by these diseases because she recognizes that a large number of people are impacted but they are not aware and they are not receiving the lifesaving services and support they need to prevent sickness and death.

For more information on hepatitis prevention activities in Baltimore City, visit the Health Department’s website. The CDC’s website also has additional information on viral hepatitis. 

Should Maryland ban the sale of crib bumper pads?

As reported this week in the Baltimore Sun, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Dr. Joshua Sharfstein is considering an expert panel’s recommendation that Maryland become the first state to ban the sale of bumper pads for baby cribs. Bumper pads, used to line the inside of a crib, can be health risk and have been involved in at least 2 dozen infant deaths across the nation.

An interesting finding from the panel was that research does not show any safety benefits of crib bumpers (that is to say they do not prevent serious head injuries as marketed) and that they can in fact be hazardous. Infants can get caught in the bumpers ties and can suffocate.

I commend the Secretary for addressing this issue and encourage him to accept the panel’s recommendation banning the sale of bumper pads in Maryland. Even one death due to an unsafe sleep environment is one too many, and in Baltimore City last year, 16 babies died in unsafe sleeping environments. Most of these deaths involved babies who were not in a crib (they were in an adult bed, with or without parents or siblings) and were not sleeping on their backs.

It is important for our citizens to understand how to put a baby to sleep safely. Babies need to be Alone, on their Back, in a safe Crib free of bumpers and other items. No Exceptions. More information on this important topic can be found on our B’more for Healthy Babies Website.

National Bike Month

Bike riding is good for people and communities.  It improves health and fitness, and it reduces our carbon footprint as well as traffic. However, there are significant health and safety risks associated with bicycle riding. Each year, more than 500,000 people in the U.S. are treated in emergency departments, and more than 700 people die as a result of bicycle-related injuries. 

Just recently we had a scare at the health department when one of our senior staff members had a tire blow out while going downhill.  As you can imagine she flew over her handle bars and suffered a number of injuries sending her to the ICU.  Thankfully she was ok.  Her helmet was destroyed, but her skull wasn’t.  The importance of helmets is that simple.

Bicycle helmets are the single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from a bicycle crash, so it’s important to wear a helmet every time you ride. To maximize protection, be sure the helmet fits properly. A helmet should sit on top of the head in a level position and should not rock forward, backward or side to side. The Johns Hopkins Children’s Safety Center, run by the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, offers free bike helmet fittings and also supplies reduced-cost helmets. For more information about their program, or call 410-614-5587 for more information.

Even with a well-fitting helmet, bicyclists need to exercise caution and good judgment to insure that every ride is a safe one. The League of American Bicyclists has some great safety tips for bicyclists including:

• Follow the Rules of the Road
• Be Visible
• Be Predicable
• Anticipate Conflicts
• Wear a Helmet

Bike safety is not just a concern for cyclists, but for motorists as well. You can check out AAA for a longer list of tips, but the bottom line is:

• Stay alert
• Yield to bicyclists when turning.
• Slow down and give at least 3 feet of clearance when passing.
• Always check for bicyclists before opening your car door.

I was glad to see when I moved to Baltimore that work is being done to increase the number of bike lanes we have.  While I haven’t yet gotten into the routine of riding to work, I have ventured out on my bike.  If you see me around on my hybrid, make sure to wave!

In recognition of National Bike Month, the Baltimore City Health Department will promote the safe use of bicycles throughout May by participating in BikeBaltimore, the Department of Transportation’s bike program. BikeBaltimore organizes a variety of events around Baltimore City to encourage safe bicycle riding, from bicycle maintenance to group rides.

How are you planning to celebrate Bike Month? Do you use biking as a way to stay fit? Can you offer any other safety tips for cyclists? Let me know in the comments.

Healthy Baltimore 2015

Last month, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation issued the second annual County Health Rankings. As it did last year, Baltimore City ranked last in the state. 

One statistic in particular stuck out: 14,887. That’s the number of years of potential life lost before the age of 75.  Put simply, far too many Baltimore City residents are dying before their time.

Statistics like these give great urgency to the work we do to improve the health of our city, our neighborhoods and our residents.  It also makes clear that traditional medical or public health approaches aren’t working and it’s time to try something different.

That conversation starts today with the release of Healthy Baltimore 2015.

This comprehensive health policy agenda highlights 10 priority areas that account for the greatest morbidity and mortality in Baltimore.  These areas were chosen because there are evidence-based interventions proven to make a difference.  The plan looks at the relevance of where we live, work and play on health outcomes, as oftentimes they play as significant a role in making us sick as they do in keeping us healthy.

The city has set ambitious, yet reachable, improvement goals for the following priority areas:

1. Promote access to quality health care for all. 

2. Be tobacco free. 

3. Redesign Communities to Prevent Obesity.

4. Promote Heart Health.

5. Stop the spread of HIV and other STIs. 

6. Recognize and Treat Mental Health Disorders. 

7. Reduce Drug Use and Alcohol Abuse.

8. Encourage early detection of cancer.

9. Promote Healthy Children and Adolescents.   

10. Create Health Promoting Neighborhoods. 

For more information on the specific indicators we will use to measure progress in these areas, please view the full Healthy Baltimore 2015 report.

As you can see, there is much work to be done. Healthy Baltimore 2015 makes clear that we all play a role in improving the health of our city.

Over the course of the next several weeks to months, we will work with partners throughout the city to flesh out a 3-pronged approach to moving the needle for each of the leading indicators, including policy development; prevention, quality, and access; and community engagement.  Later this spring, senior leaders within the department will visit communities around the city to share this plan and the updated neighborhood health profiles.  We hope communities will put this information to use in designing new strategies and interventions for tackling the top priorities they identify for creating health promoting environments.

Let me be clear: the health department alone cannot successfully execute Healthy Baltimore 2015.  We welcome all motivated neighborhood leaders, individual citizens, aca­demic institutions, community-based organizations, business owners and the media to join us in this effort as partners in health. 

Partners can contribute to the success of Healthy Baltimore 2015 in many ways. These varying levels of engagement include, but are not limited to:

• Communication – displaying or distributing health information materials within each of the ten priority areas.

• Facilitation – actively participating in interventions such as incorporating wellness at work programs into the business day.

• Integration – actively considering the potential health impacts of pending business or policy decisions.

To become a partner, please email me at health.commissioner@baltimorecity.gov. Together, we can reshape the landscape to make Baltimore City a place where all residents realize their full health potential. 

Virtual Supermarket Program Celebrates Successes

One of the reasons I started this blog was to use this space to mark the achievements of Baltimore City Health Department programs.  Last night, Laura Fox, Coordinator of BCHD’s Virtual Supermarket Program, joined Dr. Andres Alonso, the board of education, George Washington Elementary principal Amanda Rice, and students in celebrating the expansion of the VSP to George Washington Elementary School as another step towards eliminating Baltimore’s “food deserts.”

Food deserts are areas where residents have little or no options for buying healthy foods.  Oftentimes families in these areas have to travel over a mile to access healthy and affordable foods.  George Washington Elementary is located in a food desert.

It has been a wonderful partnership with George Washington Elementary and the Y of Central Maryland as the school community resource partner. We see schools as ideal centers to model healthy behaviors.  We hope that the success at George Washington Elementary will eventually lead us to expand to other Baltimore public schools located in food deserts throughout the city.

Last night was not the Virtual Supermarket’s only cause for celebration. Famed food author and New York Times columnist Mark Bittman mentioned the VSP in a recent post about ways cities can increase access to healthy foods. I am proud that Baltimore’s program is quickly becoming a national model for innovative ways to address the critical problem of food access.

Baltimore Celebrates National Public Health Week

This week, communities across the country are joining together for National Public Health Week, a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions of public health and highlighting issues of importance to improving health.  During the week, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene encourages Marylanders to learn how to prevent injuries in recognition of this year’s theme, “Safety is NO Accident: Live Injury-Free.” Injuries are one of the most serious and expensive public health problems in Maryland, and unlike other leading causes of death, injury is a risk for all age groups and often can be prevented. The Baltimore Sun points out that simple steps like “using seatbelts on every trip, not using cell phones while driving and wearing a bike helmet” can go a long way toward injury prevention.

You can also work toward a safer, healthier Baltimore by attending one of the following health fairs taking place across the city this year:

Loyola University - April 7, 2011 - 11:00AM - 2:00PM

4501 Charles Street

For additional information, contact Linda Januszkiewicz at 410-617-5055 or ljanus@loyola.edu

Morgan State University - April 8, 2011 - 12:00PM - 4:00PM

1700 E. Coldspring Lane (Hurt Gymnasium)

For additional information, contact Gillian Silver at 443-885-4146 or gillian.silver@morgan.edu

 

Elev8 Baltimore(EBDI) @ East Baltimore Community School - April 9th from 11:00AM - 3:00PM

110 N. Wolfe Street @ Chase Street

For additional information, contact Adriann Anderson at443-703-3671 or adrian.anderson@bmsi.org

Pushing the envelope

April is STI Awareness month and this year’s emphasis is on the importance of getting young people tested. Focusing efforts on youth and young adults is important because they are more likely to engage in high risk sexual behavior. Additionally, the consequences to them of untreated STI’s can have long lasting effects such as infertility. 

Testing and treating individuals for STI’s in the age of the internet has become a hybrid of good old-fashioned public health practice and digital sleuthing.

For some people, the internet has become a means for arranging shorter term, often anonymous and often unsafe sexual encounters. This practice has added a new and challenging obstacle to our work of intervening in the spread of sexually transmitted infections. Everyday, public health staff in Baltimore and throughout the country interview people diagnosed with HIV, syphilis, or other STIs to provide appropriate education about STIs and to ensure that the person has medical care. We also reach out to their sex partners so they can get appropriate and timely medical care.

Until recently, a typical scenario when public health staff asked the patient about his or her sex partner(s) would be “I met him/her on the internet. We agreed that we would meet at an agreed to location in 45 minutes.” When asked how that person can be contacted, the patient typically says “I only know his/her screen name: ‘#1hotbodi’”. Prior to this month, that was typically the end of the public health intervention.

Now, however, the Baltimore City Health Department and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Infectious Disease and Environmental Health Administration are implementing internet partner services (IPS) to intervene in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Working with a nationally recognized consultant and three of the most heavily utilized “hook-up” sites in Baltimore and Maryland, we’ve developed a program to maximize the number of sexual partners we treat. The joint effort is critical because oftentimes persons like those described above have no idea where the person they meet lives. Close coordination between the city, the state, the counties and even other states is essential to reducing our rates of STI’s and HIV.

The program has been in effect four weeks and already we’ve been able to reach people exposed to an STI or HIV from places as far away as New York and are enthusiastic about the new program’s potential to intervene in the spread of disease.