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.