Public Health in Lexington

Environmental Health

Community Health

Emergency Preparedness

Public Health is Prevention and Protection through education and enforcement.

Public Health in Lexington

Board of Health Office of Community Development, Health Division

Board of Health

Wendy Heiger-Bernays, PhD; Chair Burt M. Perlmutter, M.D. Sharon MacKenzie, R.N., CCM David S. Geller, M.D. John J. Flynn, J.D.

Health Division Staff

Gerard Cody, R.E.H.S. / R.S. Health Director Kathy Fox, C.F.S.P., C.H.O Health Agent David Neylon, R.N., Public Health Nurse Linda Rainville, Office Assistant Stephanie Scogland, Food Consultant Rebecca Ryan Caruso, rDNA Consultant Jeanine Flaherty, Tobacco Consultant Megan Baldwin, Healthy Communities Consultant

Health Division Duties

Part of the Office of Community Development

Environmental HealthCommunity HealthEmergency Preparedness

Environmental Health

Inspect food establishments, swimming pools, bathing beach, camps, motels and skating rinks. Respond to air quality complaints, ensure that well water is tested, monitor waste treatment systems, collect hazardous and medical waste. Enforce the State Sanitary Code for dwelling units. Issue permits for farm animals. Monitor mosquito control activities.

Environmental Health ……

Environmental Permits Issued

Food Permits rDNA Permits Swimming Pool Permits Tobacco Permits Camp Permits Potable Well permits Septic Systems Cess Pools Geo Thermal wells Monitoring wells Beaver trapping permits Rubbish Hauler Septic Hauler Lodging Permits

170 15 33 15 15 5 150 88 7 6 2 22 12 4

Environmental Inspections Completed

Low Risk Food Medium Risk Food High Risk Food Food Plan Review State Sanitary Code Tobacco Permit Nuisance Complaint rDNA inspections Swimming Pool Inspections Camp Inspections

59 260 56 8 19 15 33 15 36 31

Environmental - Miscellaneous

Old Res Water samples Skating Rink HHP collections Medical waste collections Catch basins treated with a

larvacide Health Education programs

for food establishments Farmer’s Market – health

education program

32 2 8 4 4001 with altosid

(methoprene). 4

2

Environmental Health - Food Safety

Restaurant inspections: proper food preparation and storage, food temperatures, pest control, hand washing, clean bathrooms

Required by law to inspect all food establishments between 2 and 4 times per year

Investigate Food Borne Illness complaints

Review plans for food establishments before they begin to operate.

Provide training and act as a resource.

US FDA guidelines state that each inspector can only perform 250 food inspections per year (that’s 125 establishments X 2)

Environmental Health – State Sanitary Code

Housing violations (State Sanitary Code) are very time consuming. Extreme hoarding, a mental illness, creates gruesome dangers for neighbors and emergency responders.

Environmental Health – Semi Public Swimming Pools

Each semi-public pool must be managed by a person who has completed a training course approved by MDPH and becomes a Certified Pool Operator or CPO.

If at any time, a pool does not conform to the requirements of bacterial quality, chemical standards or water clarity, the CPO must close the pool until the pool water conforms to those standards.

Environmental Health- Septic Systems

Improperly installed or inspected septic system can cause groundwater and drinking water to become polluted.

Community Health - Public Health Nurse

Prevent, monitor and control communicable infectious diseases (meningitis, flu, hepatitis)

Reach vulnerable, high risk populations including children and the elderly

Community Health - Public Health Nurse

Work with day care centers, nursing homes, medical offices, school nurses and municipal and state authorities to prevent and control outbreaks

Document and report trends: West Nile,TB, whooping cough, chicken pox, measles

Massachusetts Flu Activity

Influenza-like illness (ILI, defined by fever >100F and cough and/or sore throat) activity is very low and is consistent with activity levels normally seen at this time of year.    

Community Health – vaccination results

How many Seasonal Influenza vaccinations were administered by the Lexington Health Division in 2011?

How many Seasonal Influenza vaccinations were administered by the Lexington Health Division in 2012

How many Pneumonia vaccinations?

One thousand nine hundred (1,934)Lexington residents were vaccinated last year.

Two thousand four hundred forty five (2,445)Lexington residents were vaccinated last year. So far this year, 931 have been vaccinated.

Twenty eight (28) in 2012 and Nine (9) so far this season.

Community Health - The Lexington Healthy Communities Project

Grant funded Planning Process to identify ways to improve health and quality of life in Lexington

Guided by committee of stakeholders through Sept 2013

Broad definition of health and various factors impacting health

Methods include Survey and Focus Groups

Will develop plan to address priority issues identified

Help us with our ABC's:Assessing and Building Community

Together!

Take our Survey!www.lexingtonma.gov/health/

communityhealth.cfm

This Healthy Communities Planning Grant project is funded through the Northwest Suburban Health Alliance/CHNA 15 DoN funds from Lahey Clinic.

Emergency Preparedness

Local Planning with Fire, Police, Town Administration, DPW, Human Services and other town departments.

Regional Planning with 33 cities and towns, Region 4A

Officials have adopted an “all hazards” approach to prepare for natural and man made disasters.

Public health and Public safety agencies all work together.

Coordinate local emergency plans: shelter, telephone call in lines, mass immunizations

Emergency Preparedness

Region 4A

Acton Ashland Bedford Boxborough Burlington Carlisle Concord Dover Framingham Holliston Hopkinton Hudson Lexington Lincoln Littleton

Marlborough Maynard Medfield Millis Natick Norfolk Sharon Sherborn Southborough Stow Sudbury Walpole Waltham Wayland Weston Winchester Woburn Wrentham

Communication Networks

Homeland Health Alert Network

Food Recalls Infectious Outbreaks Vaccine Updates

DPH

Local Health

Citizens

Staff Training

ICS 100 & 700 - Incident

Command Structure

Job Action Sheets for Emergency Dispensing

Sites

Volunteer Training

Medical Reserve Corp

Upcoming Events Flu Vaccination Clinics Wednesday, October 30 at Diamond Middle School from

4:30 PM to 7PM Wednesday November 6 at Katahadin Woods Apts from

5:00 PM to 7PM. . Wednesday, December 4 at Lexington High School from

4:00 PM to 7PM. . Wednesday, December 11 at Avalon at Lex Hills from 5:00

PM to 7PM. .

November 22, 2008, sub regional EDS between Burlington Winchester and Lexington. Tested the delivery of a shipment of medicine from the Strategic National Stockpile.

November 1, 2008, EDS style flu clinic and training exercise at Cary Hall. Health Staff and MRC volunteers vaccinated 705 citizens in 120 minutes.

July 2011 - tabletop exercise – pandemic influenza outbreak

July 2012 – tabletop exercise – best practices in shelter operations

July 2013 – tabletop exercise – anthrax response (suspicious package and citizen exposure at retail shop).

Completed Exercises

EDS – Citizen Participation

Citizens line up at Cary Hall in order to participate in the EDS clinic. Medical Reserve Corp staff can be seen patrolling the line as a part of the Clinic Flow station.

EDS – Registration

Citizens are required to complete a medical registration form before receiving a vaccination.

EDS – Clinic Flow

MRC Clinic Flow volunteers engage citizens and determine which vaccination station is available for the next patient.

EDS – Vaccination Station

All of the vaccination stations are clearly numbered in order to direct citizens to the next available location.

EDS –Staff

One Clerical Unit Supervisor, manages the Registration tables and Clinic Flow Staff.

One Clinical Unit Supervisor monitors the progress of the RN’s and helps to troubleshoot any supply or technical questions.

Shelter Operation – October 2011

Shelter Operation – October 2011

October 30, 2011 87 visited, 18 overnight

October 31, 2011 57 visited, 14 overnight

November 1, 2011 27 visited – closed

operation at 4PM.

Emergency Planning is a Team Effort between a variety of Town of Lexington Departments

Public Health Review

Prevents outbreaks of disease, food poisoning, cancers, other diseases and deaths

Increases life span by promoting healthy behaviors Identifies trends early to develop response and

controls Partners with Police, Fire, DPW, Schools and Town

Administrators in assessment and response to emergencies.

Public Health works to keep our community safe from disease and health hazards. Public Health protects everyone’s quality of life and is an essential service to the Town of Lexington.