Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, Baltimore’s top health official and deputy mayor, is stepping down at the end of June as part of planned changes in city leadership. The announcement was made by Deputy Mayor for Equity, Health, and Human Services in a memorandum from Chief Administrative Officer Faith Leach obtained by The Baltimore Sun.
Dzirasa, a pediatrician who earned her medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, has been serving as deputy mayor since April 2023. Prior to her current role, she held the position of city health commissioner from March 2019 to April 2023. During her tenure, she led Baltimore’s COVID response, overseeing initiatives such as the mass testing drive-thru site at Pimlico Race Course and the conversion of the Lord Baltimore Hotel into a COVID command center in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical System. Under her leadership, Baltimore was recognized for its efforts in a 2021 study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health for its success in avoiding sickness and death during the pandemic and achieving high levels of vaccination.
In a memo to the City Council, Chief Administrative Officer Leach announced Dzirasa’s departure with mixed emotions, thanking her for her leadership and service to Baltimore. Mayor Scott’s current deputy chief of staff, John David “J.D.” Merrill, will serve as Dzirasa’s interim replacement, while Bryan Doherty, the communications director, will be promoted to deputy chief of staff.
As one of Baltimore’s top health officials and a leading figure in city government during one of its most challenging times, Dzirasa has left an indelible mark on public health policy and emergency management in Baltimore City. Her departure marks yet another significant change in city leadership under Mayor Brandon Scott
