BOARD OF HEALTH Mission Statement:
The mission of the Essex Board of Health Department is to assess and address the needs of the Essex community, in order to protect and improve the health and quality or life of its residents, visitors, and work force. This charge is carried out by health promotion, community health services, public outreach and education, as well as promulgation and enforcement of Health Department, Town and State regulations
Board of Health Calendar Year 2008 Annual Report
In 2008, Dr. David Driscoll joined Chair Lynne Marchetti, L.M.T, and Marlene Sanders, R.N. as a member of the Board of Health. Elaine Wozny remained as Board Administrator, Ann White continued as Board of Health Administrative Clerk and Mario Salvatore continued as our contracted food service inspector. Kim Paskalis, R.N., joined the department in a 5 hour per week position as our first on staff Town Nurse in over ten years. Although her hours are minimal, her beneficial effect was immediate. Kim dove into her duties and learned the protocols for disease reporting & investigations, took over the monthly blood pressure clinics from a depleted pool of weary volunteers at the Senior Center, learned the intricacies of vaccine ordering, storage and
tracking, joined the emergency planning efforts of the Cape Ann & Essex area, and is rapidly becoming an indispensable fixture in our community structure.
The Board of Health had an active year. In 2008 we -
• Issued 9 Disposal Works Construction Permits.
• Held 6 flu clinics resulting in the vaccination of 237 people. Thanks to our new Nurse, we achieved a 50% increase over last season’s (158) administered flu vaccines.
• Performed seasonal weekly monitoring and water sampling of three public & semi-public town swimming areas. Performed monthly sampling at one public swimming area.
• Investigated 15 complaints.
• Reviewed 20 Title 5 Inspection Reports.
• Issued 21 septic system abandonment permits for properties connecting to public sewer, and performed abandonment inspections on properties.
• Reviewed 40 building permit applications.
• Reviewed 33 pre construction septic system design plans.
• Witnessed soil testing on 14 existing & proposed lots.
• Performed 112 inspections of food service establishments.
• Licensed 36 Septic System Installers.
• Issued 3 Recreational Camp for Children licenses and performed associated inspections.
• Issued 41 Food Service Permits (Retail, Establishment, Non-profit, & Catering).
• Issued 35 Temporary Food Service Permits.
• Issued 5 Milk & Cream permits.
• Issued 12 Bodywork Establishment Licenses.
• Issued 12 Bodywork Practitioner Permits.
• Issued 9 Septic Haulers Licenses.
• Issued 37 Keeping of Animals Permits.
• Issued 4 Retail Tobacco Sales Permits.
• Issued 2 Bed & Breakfast/Hotel/Motel Permits.
• Provided investigation and followed up as required by MA Department of Public Health
for the following 28 reportable diseases -
Hepatitis, Type C – 2 cases
Campylobacteriosis – 1 case
Group A Streptococcus – 2 cases
Group B Streptococcus – 1 case
Streptococcus Pneumoniae – 3 cases
*Babesiosis – 3 cases
*Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis – 1
*Lyme Disease – 16 cases
* tick borne diseases
Although the traditional BOH activities of septic system oversight, restaurant and housing inspections, etc. remain a fundamental part of our responsibilities, we are evolving to include even more activities that we feel are crucial for the health and welfare of our citizens. Our education and outreach to our citizens & neighbors has expanded this year. Together with the Cape Ann division of the North Shore/Cape Ann Emergency Preparedness Coalition, we sponsored 11 evening presentations for the public and emergency response volunteers on Cape Ann. Topics of these presentations included, “Flu Care at Home”, “Emergency Dispensing Site Mechanics - part I & part II”, “Emergency Preparation on Cape Ann”, “Pandemic Flu”, “Behavioral Health First Aid”, and
“Overview of Bioterrorism Agents”. The Board of Health has held three free public showings of the movie on chronic lyme disease “Under Our Skin”, with showings continuing into 2009. We have had over 40 members of the public view this film already and invite everyone to view this topical documentary by making the dvd available for home viewings. Call the Board of Health office for this information. We are thrilled to have held our first annual Health Fair this past October in conjunction with the Essex Clamfest. Twenty-nine organizations participated this year and we expect to expand on our success next year.
In 2008, we expanded our relationship with the seniors in town. We gave presentations at Senior Center luncheons on “Flu Care at Home” and “Emergency Preparedness on Cape Ann”. We sponsored and coordinated a presentation by ACTION on fuel assistance and other available financial assistance programs. Our Public Health Nurse holds monthly blood pressure clinics at the site, as well as the first flu clinics of the season, to assure seniors the earliest vaccine availability. The Board, Administrator, and Nurse are determined to continue and expand on these services to offer assistance and information to help seniors in areas of concern in their daily lives.
During the summer months, we sponsored an intern for Northeastern University. Linda Haskell worked with our Administrator to gain experience in performing recreational camp inspections, water testing, septic system testing, design & installation, emergency preparedness and numerous other facets in the responsibilities of a local Board of Health department. She also investigated lyme disease and created a brochure for Essex residents.
We continued our recycling program for the replacement of mercury thermometers and our sharps (syringes, lancets, etc.) collection program. Please call our office for information on either of these programs or for suggestions as to a program you would like to see implemented.
We continue to provide professional and prompt services and disseminate information to the public. We worked closely with the town’s Animal Inspector, Pam Stone on animal bites/scratches that require follow up to prevent the spread of rabies. We work to assure the safety of Essex residents & those who visit our community by permitting and inspecting our permanent and temporary food service establishments. We seasonally sampled & monitored our public & semi public bathing beaches in town and close them to swimming when the bacterial limits are exceed.
We are proud of the continuing efforts of our Board and staff to continue to work toward the continued health and safety of our community. We continue to attend seminars and meetings to remain current in many of the vast and expanding Board of Health responsibilities including topics such as emergency planning, power point training, grant applications, Title 5, and regional emergency response training. Our Department contributed to the planning of, and participated in, a Pandemic Flu tabletop exercise held in the spring. Over 100 people of multiple emergency response and governmental jurisdictions from Cape Ann, state and federal agencies participated in this exercise.
Our Board of Health belongs to a Health emergency response collaborative with area communities of Danvers, Beverly, Salem, Peabody, Lynn, Saugus, Gloucester, Nahant, Rockport, Marblehead, Swampscott, Hamilton, Wenham, and Manchester-by-the-Sea. The North Shore/Cape Ann Emergency Response Collaborative has valuable emergency preparation information, including available educational trainings on their website, www.nscalert.org, as well as information on how you can become a much needed volunteer to help your community in the
event of a health emergency. Emergency response personnel of Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester & Essex have joined forces together with Addison Gilbert Hospital to advance our pandemic and all emergency response planning. We are proud to be part of this planning group, which is one of the most advanced in the state. Our BOH Administrator and Nurse belong to the Cape Ann Emergency Planning Team and the Cape Ann Education subcommittee. Our Administrator also sits on the Cape Ann Care Delivery Group.
In 2008, the BOH applied for a grant to hold a child & youth triathlon to teach healthy active habits to our youth and combat obesity and associated childhood and adult chronic diseases. We are optimistic that the grant will be awarded. We are committed to this project, regardless of the decision. We are working with other organizations such as the Essex division of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and the Shipbuilding Athletic Group to make this event a success for all of Cape Ann and to ensure it becomes an annual event.
Effective January 2009, the BOH meeting schedule is now the second and fourth Thursday of the month. The public is welcome to attend these meetings. If you would like to discuss an issue, please call our office in advance to be placed on the agenda.
In 2008, the town implemented a new website, www.essexma.org, including a link specific to the BOH. We are thrilled that we can now offer more information through this site. Please check our site frequently, to gather useful information and to keep current on our activities. We look forward
to continuing our successful programs and expanding our outreach to benefit our residents in future years.
Respectfully Submitted,
Lynne Marchetti, BOH Chair
Below:
Essex Board of Health Administrator, Elaine Wozny, at the 2008 Cape Ann Emergency Preparedness Tabletop Excercise for a pandemic flu outbreak.
photo by: Lynne Marchetti
First Annual Health Fair that took place October 25, 2008, held in conjunction with the popular 26th Annual Essex Clam Fest brought many interesting organizations to the Essex Fire Station. Some photos below:
 Adoption/Foster Children  Weight Watchers  H.A.W.C.(Help for Abused Women and Children)Essex Board of Health Information Table & Blood Pressure Clinic
(above left) Public Health Nurse, Kim Paskalis with Essex Board of Health Administrator, Elaine Wozny at the Board of Health information table.
(above right) Our volunteer nurse for the Blood Pressure Clinic.
 (Photo: Table~ Participant PFLAG. BEHIND PFLAG: Acupunturist, Herbalist, Entrpeneuer: Mike Arsenault, creator of Emily's Skin Soother.
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