Nation's top two health officials at 421 Fallsway

Friday, January 12, was not the usual Friday at our downtown Health Care for the Homeless clinic at 421 Fallsway. Amidst the daily work of providing health care and supportive services to some 300 neighbors without homes, we hosted the nation’s two top health officials, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Eric Hargan and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams.

The visit was part of a larger effort by Secretary Hargan to understand how Baltimore is working to reduce health disparities. And between his team, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Leana Wen’s team and ours, we talked whole-person care, ways we integrate multiple funding sources to make our work possible, Medicaid expansion and the essential role of housing in improving health. Health Care for the Homeless client and Board member Grady Butler was particularly compelling in making the case for housing. Without it, he said, you can’t get healthy. Period. He knows first-hand.

Both Secretary Hargan and Dr. Adams were open, curious and asserted they’d be back. And before he left, Dr. Adams even spent a little quality time in one of our dental chairs. We look forward to making that return visit happen, and to continuing the conversation.

Meantime, the HHS team produced a video of its visit to Baltimore. Watch here.