Government
Leana Wen Takes Her Fight for Women’s Health National
Baltimore City’s health commissioner leaves her post Friday to become president of Planned Parenthood, and she’s bringing her relentless work ethic along with her.
The incoming president of Planned Parenthood sounds more like a boxer than a doctor. “I am so ready for this fight,” Dr. Leana Wen tells CityLab.
Wen, an emergency room physician who has spent the last four years as Baltimore City’s health commissioner, is poised to begin her new job in a month. She’ll be the first physician in nearly 50 years to lead Planned Parenthood, and she’s arriving at a challenging time not only for the organization, but for women’s health in general. In a statement released last month, Wen called the threat to women’s health “the single biggest public health catastrophe of our time.”