Urban Health Institute 25th Anniversary

The Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute was built on a bold vision—a community where health and opportunity belong to all who live and work in Baltimore. From the beginning, it was designed as a true partnership between Johns Hopkins, local residents, community-based organizations, other healthcare delivery systems, government, and business.

As we mark the 25th anniversary of the UHI, I am filled with both gratitude and excitement. UHI’s legacy of advancing health equity was nurtured by visionary leaders and community partners who believed deeply in the power of collaboration, and I am honored to work hand in hand with Baltimore’s communities, amplifying voices too often left unheard, and creating spaces for healing, dialogue, reconciliation, and positive change. Together, we have expanded programs, deepened relationships, and continued to foster trust between Hopkins and the communities we serve. Each step forward has been possible because of the resilience, brilliance, and compassion of those who walk this journey with us.

That legacy can be seen in initiatives like the Weinberg Early Childhood Center at Henderson-Hopkins, which UHI helped make possible by convening and sustaining the workgroup that shaped it into a model of integrated health, education, and family support for Baltimore’s youngest learners. It also lives on in the Bunting Neighborhood Leadership Program, which equips Baltimore’s emerging neighborhood leaders with the skills and networks to drive change in their own communities. These milestones remind us that when Hopkins and Baltimore work together, we create new opportunities and new possibilities for equity.

Looking ahead, our 25th Anniversary is not just a milestone, but also a call to action. We hope that our theme, 25 Years of Advancing Health Equity in Baltimore, inspires you all to remember, recommit, and reimagine the journey toward equity, health, and justice.

This page will serve as a living archive of our 25th anniversary — expanding with events, opportunities, and stories throughout the year. I invite you to return often and celebrate, learn, and build with us.

— Dr. Lisa Cooper
Director, Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute