A Message from Neil Meltzer - July 31, 2019
We are a large organization, but we are one LifeBridge Health family.
Over the last few days, we have seen heated words exchanged as part of a national debate about the City of Baltimore, which is home to many of our facilities, patients and team members. For those who live and work in the city, it can be hard to see Baltimore's challenges bantered about in the media without context and appreciation for the amazing people and wonderful qualities of the place that many of us choose to call home.
There are varied perspectives and opinions on the struggles Baltimore City faces and what may be the best path forward to make things better. We must understand that within this discussion there are those who may have limited interest in what happens in the city and endeavor to respect those perspectives as well.
Regardless of your point of view, and even if you live or work outside the city, the health of the city affects us all.
As a health system, our mission is about healing. At LifeBridge Health, our purpose statement is "Caring for Our Communities Together," and we are working to improve the health of people in all our communities - urban, suburban, rural and everywhere in between.
Our Population Health and Community Development teams work all across our region on programs aimed at addressing issues that affect people's health, ranging from poverty and crime to a lack of opportunities in education, employment, housing, healthy food and support services.
Like every city and every community, Baltimore has its problems, and we cannot ignore the hard work that needs to be done to take on these complex and deeply rooted struggles.
Cities evolve, grow, decline and are reborn as something else, often in new and unexpected ways. Baltimore has a wonderful history, with world-class healthcare (including LifeBridge Health) and educational institutions, a leading digital and information technology community, a vibrant business community and a rich tapestry of museums, theater, sports and other cultural offerings. It's called "Charm City" for a reason.
The people of Baltimore, like the city itself, have a spirit of resiliency, embracing both innovation and partnership, and we can already see growth and investment that is leading to new opportunities. While this growth can be seen at times as sporadic, localized or uneven - it is undeniable forward progress nonetheless.
Baltimore also embraces the spirit of partnership, understanding and the power to do even more good when we all work together. In the most recent example, LifeBridge Health joined with nine other hospitals and the city itself on an initiative to address housing and homelessness.
We hope that with the eyes of the nation upon us, we can use this opportunity to step up, show all the good things that we are doing and come together to move the city, and our region, forward.
I am proud of all of you and the work our teams are doing, caring bravely for our patients and our communities.
I look forward to continuing to care for our communities together - alongside all of you.
Best regards,
Neil M. Meltzer
President & CEO
LifeBridge Health