INTRODUCTION
The Board of Health is charged with protecting the public health and safety of the citizens of Randolph. Some important Board of Health functions include: Food Inspection; Swimming Pools, Recreational camps; Housing; Trash; Hazardous Waste; communicable diseases and Public Health nuisances. The Infectious Disease Committee was formed to help with public health emergencies. Our town-wide MRC (Medical Reserve Corps) for Public Health Emergency volunteers assisted with flu clinics. The Town is still actively seeking volunteers in this area. We have regionalized the MRC with surrounding towns including Holbrook, Stoughton and Avon (SHAR). If interested, please contact the Board of Health @ (781) 961-0924. The Board of Health received approximately $5,000.00 in grant monies from
State & Federal sources to aid the Medical Reserve Corp. The following is a summary of the functions this indispensable department has performed throughout the year.
ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION
REFUSE COLLECTION & DISPOSAL: On July 1, 2010 we entered into a three year contract Allied Waste who continues to be the Refuse Collection contractor for the Town of Randolph. SEMASS/Covanta, Rochester, MA is used for the disposal of the Town’s refuse and curbside recycling program. The Town disposed of approximately 9,547.04 tons of trash, a significant drop of 466.22 tons..
RECYCLING/CURBSIDE RECYCLING PROGRAMS: Curbside recycling, which commenced in August, 1994 continues to be very successful with the residents very cooperative and eager to participate. The town’s recycling continues to increased along with local business and charity containers . The recyclables are picked up every other week on their regular trash day. Stickers may be picked up at the Board of Health Office presently at no charge. Newspapers, junk mail, magazines, catalogs, phonebooks, paperboard, cardboard (cut to 3’x3’), white and colored paper, can be collected together. Glass bottles and jars, plastic containers (all numbers, except bags), metal cans and trays may be recycled in a bin. In addition, the town was able to dispose of 930.18 tons in
yard waste; 80 tons of wood; and .77 lbs of mercury items. We continued to offer Abitibi Paper Retrieval containers located around town which yielded an additional 68.07 tons of paper. Residents may call the “Recycling Hotline” at 1 (781) 289-0500 with any questions or visit our website @ www.randolphboardofhealth.com. The Board of Health continues to work diligently to improve the solid waste program and pursue and procure any available grant monies for recycling.
Because of the extensive education by the BOH to the residents and businesses of Randolph, we have almost tripled our recycling percentage. Residents can continue to recycle their old clothes and shoes, which are picked up and recycled to a textile manufacturer by disposing of same at the Randolph High School parking lot and most recently at Bob’s Stores. The textile manufacturer, in turn, gives
The disposal of “white goods” (stoves, refrigerators, washers/dryers, etc.) remains the same. Residents must schedule a pickup for all appliances by directly calling the Board of Health office. Items must be placed curbside in order to have them picked up. Refrigerator doors must be removed.
The Year 2010 brought a slight change of address for residents dropping off their yard waste and CRTs. Because of the high rental cost of the former landfill @ Johnson DriveThe Board of Health , along with the negotiating efforts of our Town Manager, David Murphy, were able to procure a new site at no cost to the Town. Collection of these items can now be brought to the Randolph DPW yard (6 Carlino Way), which is located directly behind the Joseph Zapustas Ice Skating Rink. The DPW yard opens every other Saturday, 8:00 A.M. to 12 Noon from April through November of each calendar year. You can call the Board of Health office @ (781) 961-0924 to find out the dates and times or by keeping the yearly recycling calendars we send out which have the dates marked off as to when to bring the materials
there. This ensures that CRTs are properly disposed of safely and strictly followed by the State guidelines.
TVs cost $10.00 per unit under 27” and $20.00 per unit over 27”. Continuing with the trend, residents still have the option of bringing other electronics to the drop-off site at no additional cost. We were also able to extend the program for three (3) more Saturdays by purchasing a container housed at the Highway Dept.
2010 marked Randolph’s fourteenth Annual Household Hazardous Waste Day. The event, also involving the Town of Avon, was a success, with approximately 300 cars attending and disposing of large amounts of oil, paint, tires, batteries and adhesives being collected. We also offered our first ground breaking medication take back program which was very successful in keeping this hazardous materials out of the waste stream and homes. In addition to the hazardous waste day, Mercury items, inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges, mobile phones and rechargeable batteries are all being collected at the Board of Health during regular business hours at no cost.
Randolph residents can continue to avail themselves of the use of our Mercury Waste disposal shed and resume bringing their mercury contained items, as well as fluorescent tubing or bulbs, rechargeable batteries, etc. to the Board of Health office for immediate disposal. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please call our office @ (781) 961-0924.
money back to the Randolph Public Schools to offset the high cost of athletic programs. It works out well for all! The Board of Health will continue to support this endeavor and wishes to thank the residents of Randolph for their continued recycling efforts and looks forward to expanding this program in the future.
Any questions, please call the Board of Health @ 961-0924.
PUBLIC HEALTH COMPLAINTS: Hundreds of complaints were received for health nuisances and hazards which were investigated and resolved during the year.
SWIMMING POOLS: 16 permits, for public, semi-pubic and private pools were issued.
PUBLIC, SEMI-PUBLIC POOL INSPECTIONS: The State mandates that public/semi-public pools be inspected and brought up to code prior to issuance of annual license. This duty falls to the local Board of Health and, as such, over 24 inspections and re- inspections of public and semi-public pools were made by this office prior to issuing annual permits.
INSPECTION OF NURSING AND OTHER STATE-RUN HOMES: 2 inspections of 1 facility were made prior to re-licensing.
FOOD/LTD. FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS: 94 permits were issued to restaurants and other type operations serving food and/or drink for consumption on the premises. Some Inspections of all establishments have been carried out in excess of the two required by State Code and will continue to be monitored constantly.
FROZEN DESSERT: 6 permits were issued and are inspected on a regular basis.
MOBILE FOOD & TEMPORARY FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS: 3 permits were issued and are inspected on a regular basis.
RETAIL & LIMITED RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS: 64 permits were issued to retail & limited retail food establishments. All are being inspected on a regular basis.
CATERING ESTABLISHMENTS: 6 permits were issued to operate a catering establishment, which is also being inspected at regular intervals.
WHOLESALE/MANUFACTURING FACILITIES: 4 permits were issued to Wholesale/Manufacturing facilities, which is inspected on a yearly basis.
HEALTH CLUB: 2 Permits were issued to Health Clubs with an annual inspection per year.
COLLECTION & DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE/GREASE: 7 permit(s) were issued.
REMOVAL, TRANSPORT, DISPOSE OF GARBAGE/OFFAL: 21 permits were issued.
TOBACCO PERMITS: 45 permits were issued for the sale of tobacco products.
SUNTANNING FACILITIES: 4 permits were issued and facilities inspected.
VAPOR BATHS:: 1 license was issued.
REVENUE PRODUCED
Permits, Licenses & Fines
(Including appliances; CRT’s &
stickers) $40,693.55
Corkin Bldg. Rental 2,400.00
Immunization Revolving 20,807.86
Abandoned Property Fees 4,000.00
Grants 5,000.60
TOTAL $ 72,901.41
Respectfully submitted,
Mark Kittredge, Chairman
Thomas J. Fisher, Vice Chairman
Dr. David Kaplan, Member
Esther Muhammad, RN, Member
Nelly Janga, Member
John P. McVeigh, MBA, CHO, R.S.
Director of Public Health/Agent
PERSONNEL MATTERS
Mark Kittredge, Thomas J. Fisher, Dr. David Kaplan, R.S., CHO, Esther Muhammad , RN and Nelly Janga were appointed Board members of the Randolph Board of Health. Also in 2010, John McVeigh was appointed Director of Public Health for three years.
Director of Public Health, John McVeigh currently is Associate Unit Leader for the Medical Reserve Corp. for the Town and continues to actively work to prepare the Town for any public health related Emergency that might arise. He continues to preside on the State Registered Sanitarians Board and belongs to numerous public health committees throughout the State. In addition, in 2010, the MRC formed a new regional SHAR team which includes the towns of Stoughton, Holbrook, Avon and Randolph headed up by Rick Reuss, Emergency Management Director of Holbrook which will allow for more resources to be shared between the towns.
We wish to thank our office staff, Priscilla MacDougall and Paula Steward for all their assistance in keeping the office running smoothly and professionally. Despite the tremendous workload at the Board of Health Office, Priscilla and Paula manage to keep the office running smoothly and continue to get the job done.
In May, 2010, our Public Health Nurse, Pat Iyer, left after ten years of wonderful service to the Town. Pat is now at the State level at the department of Public Health. We all wish Pat good luck and thank her for her many years of devoted service to the Town.
On August 1, 2010, we welcomed into our fold our new Public Health Nurse, Cheryl Bushnell, MS, BSN who has a long list of public health service throughout the Commonwealth. Cheryl came highly recommended and has shown initiative, perseverance and an excellent work ethic. Cheryl is a great asset to our community.
Lastly, we wish to thank the Board of Health Members for their tireless efforts toward keeping the Town and its residents in a safe and healthy environment and to Mr. David Murphy, Town Manager, who oversees our day-to-day operation and is always there to lend a hand and offer direction.
WIC PROGRAM
In order to facilitate the growing needs of our residents by increasing their appointments and hours, the WIC staff moved into the Corkin Building at 19 North Main Street and continues to offer the Town of Randolph citizenry its services and worthwhile programs.
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING
2010
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Public Health Nursing section of the Board of Health changed in August with the town hiring a new public health nurse to address the health and wellness of the Randolph residents. There continues to be a few active tuberculosis cases and suspect cases this past year. There are 65 cases of Latent Tuberculosis Bacterium Infection (LTBI). The needs of residents who need help with access to health care and immunizations because of lack of health insurance have been addressed in coordination with the school nurses and the local community health centers in surrounding communities.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE
All reportable communicable diseases must have a thorough investigation completed by the Public Health Nurse. Confidential reports are completed and kept at the Randolph Board of Health as well as submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Infectious disease surveillance is done electronically. There were a total of 135 reports of communicable diseases that were either confirmed, contacts, probable, revoked or suspect cases. Additionally, there were 65 latent tuberculosis cases identified. A total of 62 cases of communicable disease were confirmed in 2010 and detailed below.
Amebiasis 1
Campylobacteriosis 2
Giardiasis 4
Group B Streptococcus 2
Hepatitis B 2
Hepatitis C 24
Influenza 4
Invasive bacterial infection (other) 1
Legionellosis 2
Listeriosis 1
Lyme 3
Meningitis – unknown type 1
Pertussis 1
Salmonellosis 7
Shigellosis 1
Streptococcus pneumoniae 5
Tuberculosis 11* (*3 confirmed; 2 suspect, 6 revoked)
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING AND CLINICAL PROGRAMS
IMMUNIZATIONS AND BIOLOGICAL WASTE PROGRAM
Vaccines are provided to the Randolph Board of Health from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). Vaccines are provided free of charge. In 2010, the Randolph Board of Health administered immunizations to 19 children and 27 adults. This does not include Influenza. The Randolph Board of Health also provided private immunizations clinics. These private immunization programs bring added revenue to the Randolph Board of Health. More Randolph residents participated in the biohazard by back program. 48 individuals brought sharp containers for disposal to the department. Randolph has a small fee of $5.00 to cover costs of biologic waste disposal. Individuals are encouraged to bring in filled syringe containers and receive an empty one in exchange. As of
July 2010, Massachusetts State Law prohibited individuals from disposing of their syringes in the trash.
Influenza Immunization
2010 proved a very challenging year for the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There were 151 individuals who received the H1N1 vaccine. The H1N1 pandemic was officially ended and seasonal flu vaccine was made available in many settings such as pharmacies, medical offices as well as the Board of Health. Over 500 doses of seasonal flu vaccine was administered in Randolph outside of the BOH setting. The uptake of vaccine has been limited this year even though, three clinics were offered and the nurse continues to vaccinate in the office throughout the flu season. The board of health was allocated double the seasonal flu vaccine this year. With that being said, 530 doses of seasonal influenza were administered through the BOH, 215 were received by individuals
65 or older and we are continuing to vaccinate through the winter. The BOH and the school department worked in collaboration to immunize school aged children in Randolph and there was a clinic in which 57 school children, teachers and staff were immunized. Additional teachers and staff were vaccinated through the BOH employee clinic.
KEEP-WELL CLINICS
Keep-Well Clinics are weekly blood pressure screenings for Randolph residents 65 and older. They are held in various locations throughout Randolph. Hours are available for walk in checks as well. There was a total of 26 blood pressure clinics held in Randolph last year. 316 people had blood pressure screening either at a clinic or in the office.
TUBERCULOSIS TESTING/CASES
44 people of various ages had TB testing at the Board of Health. The test must be evaluated 48-72 hours after being done. 7 of the 44 individuals tested positive and were referred for evaluation at a TB clinic, which is an increase from last year. There were 11 new cases of suspect or confirmed tuberculosis, three of which require visits 2 – 5 days a week. Those with active tuberculosis are followed by the Public Health Nurse while taking medication for the duration of treatment. There are also 65 cases of latent tuberculosis infection, which is non-contagious exposure to the TB germ with potential for acute infection.
OFFICE and Home VISITS
Randolph residents come to the Board of Health for a variety of reasons including allergy injections, Vitamin B12 injections, injectable medication administration, blood pressure monitoring, or TB skin testing. This year 343 people obtained services from the Randolph Board of Health. This number also includes individuals requiring immunizations. There were 141 home visits made this past year, when the person does not qualify for Visiting Nurse services but is homebound or has active tuberculosis. This reflects an increase in active TB suspects needing PHN intervention.
OTHER PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS
The Public Health Nurse is an integral part of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Medical Reserve Corp volunteers continued to support the nurse during vaccination clinics and are a valuable asset to the community. Approximately 10 volunteers (clinical and non clinical) were available during all clinics offered in 2010.
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are essential to the success of any program in the community. The Randolph Board of Health has a successful nurse volunteer program. These nurses provide valuable assistance. The Randolph Women’s Club members are also an integral part of our flu vaccine program. Their tireless efforts during our many flu clinics continue to ensure smooth flow of people seeking immunization and collection of data. Coordination with the MRC and Women’s Club was essential in the success of the flu clinics offered in 2010.
MEDICARE AND SENIOR HMO REIMBURSEMENT
Randolph Board of Health enrolled receives reimbursement for those senior citizens who are enrolled in Medicare B receiving either the Flu or Pneumonia vaccine. We are also enrolled in the Senior HMO Reimbursement, which will bring addition funds during Fiscal year 2010. We are now able to bill insurances for flu shots in people less than 65 through a program with Commonwealth Medicine. These funds enable the board of health to purchase needed immunization materials.
FIRE DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION
The Randolph Board of Health collaborates annually with the Randolph Fire Department to ensure that Randolph Fire Fighters are free from Tuberculosis. This year 40 fire fighters were tested for Tuberculosis. The public health nurse continues to provide successful Bladder Cancer screening annually in which 56 firefighters were tested for bladder cancer. Those with abnormal results were referred to their primary care physician. This endeavor was funded by both the Randolph Chamber of Commerce, Hospital as well the Firefighters Union. Firefighters participated in the employee flu clinics held at the BOH. Two firefighters received H1N1 vaccine in 2010.
POLICE DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION
Police officers participated in the employee flu clinics held at the BOH. Additionally, three received H1N1 vaccine.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
A grant to increase health literacy was submitted to the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. This grant, if successful will provide the means of outreach to our diverse community, promoting health and increasing access to health care services.
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