Commentary

When I was diagnosed with stage three triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) that became metastatic within a year, I was given just two years to live. That was 11 years ago. Thanks to a second opinion, treatment with experimental drugs, and the support of my family and the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, I am now a survivor and a thriver. I have since dedicated my life to ensuring Black women in Maryland and across the country who receive a similar diagnosis are given the best chance to do the same.

The latest Census Bureau data show Baltimore and Baltimore County shrinking modestly last year, while much of the rest of Maryland grew slightly. By itself, the figures are not especially surprising nor alarming, particularly given how the COVID-19 pandemic caused many urban areas to lose population as some people chose to flee the heightened transmission risk of city living and to work virtually. Already, many cities are seeing a reversal of this trend, including the District of Columbia, but not Baltimore.

Four Baltimore ministers representing Baltimoreans United In Leadership Development (BUILD) have made a persuasive case in calling for dramatic action to remove the blight of vacant properties in Baltimore’s neighborhoods. The presence of these vacant structures results from years of redlining Black neighborhoods. The vacants are a cancer for the people living near them: They are dangerous to both physical and mental health. People get killed in and around them. cAnother basis for finally ending this chronic condition is solid economics.

During Governor Moore’s first State of the State address he made a bold commitment to “end child poverty in the state of Maryland.” As a part of this pledge, Moore announced the Family Prosperity Act, a package deal that permanently increases the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and creates a Child Tax Credit (CTC) that would reach about 2% of Maryland children. While it is incredibly refreshing to have a leader in Annapolis take such a strong stance against child poverty, the Family Prosperity Act continues a pattern of legislation that leaves behind the poorest families.

Our nonprofit news organization is made possible by subscribers and donors who value storytelling that impacts and uplifts communities. Thank you for supporting our journalism. As a pulmonologist and a critical care physician at the the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, I spend my days caring for children and adults who are living with chronic diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But often, I’m fighting a losing battle. When I prescribe an inhaler to a child, I know it’s only going to be undermined by the air pollution they’re forced to breathe when they leave my office.

With a recession looming and federal emergency rental assistance running out, tens of thousands of Marylanders could face eviction in the coming months, and the vast majority — more than 90% — of these households are families with dependent children. Just a handful of days remain in this legislative session, and Maryland leaders have a historic opportunity to turn proven strategies created in response to the pandemic housing crisis into a sustainable framework for housing policy that works for Marylanders at all income levels.

Each year during Maryland’s legislative session health care costs, needs, and other issues dominate the headlines for good reason — affordable and accessible health care is essential to a thriving, healthy, and productive Maryland. However, when lawmakers debate the complex issues surrounding prescription drug affordability and health care access, one key detail is typically overlooked: that a majority of Marylanders are covered by employer-sponsored health plans, which employers and employees depend upon to provide affordable access to health care and prescription drug benefits.

Baltimore is one of the country’s preeminent health care cities. Yet studies have shown that hospitals here as well as all Maryland hospitals have the longest wait times in their emergency departments for seven years running. The legislature has put forth HB274/SB387 to find out why. SB387 proposes creating a task force to study the problem. The original bill recommended a task force consisting of one member each from the Senate and House of Delegates, a designee of the secretary of health, a representative from the Maryland Hospital Association, someone who actually works in an emergency department, and two patient advocacy representatives.