Public health doesn’t stop at town borders. That’s why the Middlesex-Essex Public Health Collaborative (MEPHC) brings six communities together to share resources, expertise, and staff capacity. This regional approach allows us to strengthen local health departments while creating consistency and efficiency across the region.
Strengthening Environmental Health through Inspections
Food, housing, pools, septic, camps, you name it, local health departments inspect it. This past year, our shared inspector completed hundreds of inspections across all six communities. Beyond inspections, the team also:
- Developed standard operating guides, such as the Noise Complaint Investigation SOP and Health Inspector Onboarding SOP.
- Helped towns meet FDA program standards and adopt new inspection software that ensures consistency across the region.
These efforts don’t just check boxes, they improve safety, protect residents, and modernize how inspections are done.
Health Education in the Community
Our shared public health nurse has been busy expanding health education and prevention efforts. Over the past year, MEPHC has:
- Hosted blood pressure and blood glucose screenings and shared diabetes education with older adults.
- Delivered hands-only CPR and choking relief trainings, as well as “Stop the Bleed” workshops.
- Presented medication management and impaired driving presentations at community events.
- Supported vaccination clinics across the region.
- Developed health education graphics, memos, and fact sheets on emerging issues like avian influenza and measles.
By showing up at local events and senior centers, and offering practical, life-saving skills, we’re making public health more accessible to the communities we serve.
Workgroups that Build Capacity
Collaboration is at the heart of MEPHC. This year, our:
- Public Health Nurse Workgroup created SOPs for MAVEN coverage requests and vaccine referrals.
- Health Inspector Workgroup worked together to address complex inspectional challenges.
- Opioid Workgroup began convening local leaders, nurses, EMS, and outreach staff to share resources and align efforts related to opioid settlement funds and prevention programming.
These groups make sure that no community has to tackle public health challenges alone.
Why This Matters
Through collaboration, MEPHC:
- Expands access to health education and preventive care.
- Ensures inspections are thorough, consistent, and modernized.
- Builds stronger networks among public health staff across the region.
- Provides extra staff capacity to support local health departments when and where they need it.
Looking Ahead
As we move into the next year guided by our new strategic plan, MEPHC is committed to:
- Continuing to expand health education and training opportunities.
- Supporting towns with inspectional services and policy development.
- Growing the capacity of our regional workgroups to meet emerging needs.
Together, we’re proving that regional collaboration makes our communities stronger, healthier, and more resilient.