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West Nile Virus Alert
On Friday, August 2nd, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) identified West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes in trap located in Brookline. As a result, the risk level is at a Low level.
Mosquito-borne viruses are viruses that are carried and spread by mosquitoes. In this part of the country, public health surveillance is done for two mosquito-borne viruses that can cause encephalitis (swelling of the brain) - West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). The period of highest risk of getting either disease can be from late July through the fall.
Cyclospora Alert
www.cdc.gov/parasites/cyclosporiasis/
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has observed an increase in reported Cyclospora infections since June 2019.
This year, MDPH has already received reports of over 100 cases of Cyclospora infection since May. Most of the cases have occurred in greater
Boston, but infections have been reported in residents of most counties in the Commonwealth.
Please click on the link above to learn more about Cyclospora and what to do if you think you have symptoms.
Brookline Department of Public Health Issues Advisory on Foxes
Brookline— The Brookline Department of Public Health (BPH) reports there was a rabid fox captured on July 2, 2019 near Brookline Muddy River – Jamaican Pond Area. Rabies is 100 percent preventable with post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) that includes rabies vaccine and medications to fight infection, as long as people get PEP before symptoms start. “If you see wildlife acting erratic avoid them and please call the police immediately” said Swannie Jett, DrPH, MSc, Health Commissioner for Brookline Public Health.
The Brookline Public Health and Human Services’ mission is to preserve, protect & promote the physical, mental, and environmental health of the Brookline Community. We collaborate with partners to reduce health inequities and respond to emerging public health challenges. For additional information, contact Brookline Department of Public Health on 617-730-2300. Also, please join our Twitter discussion: @BrooklineHealth, Facebook: Brookline Department of Public Health, or Instagram: Brooklinehealth.
MDPH Clinical Measles Alert
August Events
Mindful Movement Group
Brookline Public Health Swimming Pool Quiz
Test your knowledge on swimming pools and win a special prize! Click the link above to start now!
BWH Volunteer Opportunities
A Conversation on Race and Lessening the Racial Divide with Dr. Deborah Plummer
The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, in collaboration with the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations is hosting a Conversation on Race and Lessening the Racial Divide with Dr. Deborah Plummer on Wednesday, July 31st at 6pm.
Dr. Plummer is the author of Some of My Friends Are…The Daunting Challenges and Untapped Potential for Cross-Racial Friendships. This book is an insightful examination of how cross-racial friendships work and fail in American society. Dr. Plummer is also currently the Chief Diversity Officer at UMass Medical School and UMass Memorial Health Care, as well as a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Quantitative Health Sciences, and the Graduate School of Nursing, where she continues her research on diversity metrics and cross-racial friendships.
The discussion will be held on Wednesday July 31st from 6-8pm at the Brookline Village Library in Hunneman Hall. The flier for the event is attached. The event is free and light refreshments will be provided. Please contact Caitlin Starr at cstarr@brooklinema.gov or at 617-730-2345 to reserve a spot.
ODICR Monthly Quiz
The Brookline Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations has released a new Monthly Quiz! The Monthly Quiz is a great way to test what you know about Brookline and learn new things about your community! If you score a 10/10 you will win a small prize (while supplies last) and your name will be entered into a year-end raffle.
The August quiz is a way to learn about Women's Equality in the US. You can also check out our Women's Equality Display in Town Hall on the 6th Floor anytime this month!
To take the Quiz: Click https://www.brooklinema.gov/1514/Community-Quiz
For any questions or more information, contact Caitlin Starr at 617-730-2345 or cstarr@brooklinema.gov
Power to Decide: February 2019 Power Player
Cannabidiol-Hemp (CBD) Advisory
Cannabidiol-Hemp (CBD) Advisory (PDF)
New Marijuana Study
“A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that marijuana had a more damaging effect on teenagers’ long-term cognitive abilities than alcohol. Even after students reported stopping, their cognition did not improve.
Noteworthy research about long-term impact of teen marijuana use reported by Shamard Charles, MD, ABC Health News, December 31, 2018. Excerpt below:
“The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, followed over 3,800 adolescents from 31 Montreal-area schools over four years. The teens, who started participating in the study when they were 13, agreed to provide annual reports of how frequently they used marijuana and alcohol. They also took computer-based cognitive tests that measured recall memory, perceptual reasoning, inhibition and short-term memory.
“With the rise of legal weed, drug education moves from ‘don’t’ to ‘delay.’ To get a more honest account of their marijuana and alcohol consumption, students were assured that parents and teachers would not have access to the information — unless there was an imminent safety risk. The study concluded that marijuana had a more damaging effect on teenagers’ long-term cognitive abilities than alcohol. Even after students reported stopping marijuana, their cognition did not improve.”
Information on Marijuana
Health Survey Results
Evaluation of a mixed-methods community health assessment model: Lessons and opportunities
Food Code Revisions
Food Code Revised
On September 12, 2018, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health amended 105 CMR 590.00: State Sanitary Code Chapter X: Minimum Sanitation Standards for Food Establishments to include sections of the 2013 FDA Food Code with amendments made by FDA in 2015. The amendments were published in the Massachusetts register on October 5, 2018 and became effective upon publication.
Follow link to new Food Code and Revisions
NEW Food Employee Reporting Agreement
Highlights of Food Code Changes:
- New Food Safety Definitions, Terminology and Inspection Forms and Protocols will be used.
- New Temperature Requirements for Cooking and Holding Specific Foods for Food Safety.
- Specific Date Marking Requirements for Certain Foods.
- New Reporting Requirements for Employees Reporting Illness and Cleaning Procedures.
- Specific Requirements for the Designated Person in Charge (PIC).
- And More…..
FACT SHEET: Article 8.32: Sustainable Food Containers and Packaging
Friends of Public Health
Brookline resident and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) Dean, Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, was awarded the Alan Balsam Public Health Leadership Award by the Friends of Brookline Public Health (FPH) on April 4, 2019, during National Public Health Week activities in Brookline. The award is presented to a Brookline resident for outstanding leadership in public health both at the local and national level. Dean Galea received the award at the Coolidge Corner School in Brookline prior to his talk: “How the Trump Administration is Shaping Your Health.”
Prior to coming to BUSPH in January, 2015, Dean Galea was Gelman Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
He previously held academic and leadership positions at the University of Michigan and at the New York Academy of Medicine, and received degrees from Columbia and Harvard University.
Dean Galea has published more than 800 scientific journal articles, 50 book chapters, and 13 books. His forthcoming book, Well: what we need to talk about when we talk about health, will be published by Oxford University Press in May 2019.
The Friends of Brookline Public Health (FPH), a non-profit organization, was formed in 1999 by J. Jacques Carter MD, MPH (Chair, Brookline Advisory Council of Public Health) and Alan Balsam PhD, MPH (Director, Brookline Public Health and Human Services). The goals of the organization are to build a constituency and advocate for public health at the local level, educate the community about public health, secure grants and other donations, and provide seed funding for worthy local public health projects.
To date, FPH include 160 individual members and 10 corporate members, the former paying $25/year and the latter paying $100/year to join. Most members are public health and medical practitioners who live and/or work in Brookline. The Friends of Public Health also holds annual public health forum moderated by Former Governor Dukakis. Awards and mini grants are given out during this meeting. We also accept your kind donations in order to fund organizations that need our support!
Brookline Public Health and Human Services’ mission is to preserve, protect & promote the physical, mental, and environmental health of the Brookline Community. We collaborate with partners to reduce health inequities and respond to emerging public health challenges.
Currently, the FPH is moving toward to obtaining its 501 (C)(3) status by recruiting more members who are interested in supporting local organizations. The Friends of Public Health plays a role in educational campaigns and community health, as well as in advocacy for local community. The Friends of Public Health would love to have your support to make the town a better place! Please join us!
Find us on social media:
Twitter : @fph_Brookline
Facebook: Brookline Friends of Public Health@brookline.fph
Email: brookline.fph@outlook.com
Population Health
Greetings!
I’ve been asked many times what population health is. Wikipedia defines it as “the health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within the group." It is in essence, a strategic plan to improve the health of the entire population.
Health is a dynamic state of complete physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (WHO, 1998) Public Health is “What we, as a society, do collectively to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy." (IOM 1988).
Public Health
- Prevents epidemics and the spread of disease
- Prevents injuries
- Promotes and encourages healthy behavior
- Responds to disasters
- Assures the quality and accessibility of Health Services
“Population health is public health”
- A medical model saves lives one person at a time
- Public Health saves lives millions at a time.
Through public health achievements life expectancy in the United States has increased from 47.3 years in 1900 to 78.1 years in 1996. That’s a 25+ years of life improvement.
Additional Information
Dr. Swannie Jett, Health Commissioner of Public Health, asks that you contact the Brookline Health Department at 617-730-2300 with any questions or requests for additional information.