The American Nurse Project

The Baltimore City Health Department is the oldest, continuously operating health department in the United States. It was formed in 1793, when the governor appointed the city’s first health officers in response to a yellow fever outbreak in the Fells Point neighborhood along the northwest branch of the Patapsco River. Since that time, BCHD has worked to improve the health and well-being of Baltimore residents in partnership with agencies, health care providers, community organizations, the media, and our funders.