TOWN OF RANDOLPH
BOARD OF HEALTH
ANNUAL REPORT 2006
INTRODUCTION
website @ www.randolphboardofhealth.com
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 but not limited to, food Inspection, swimming pools, recreational camps, housing, trash collection, hazardous waste, communicable
diseases and other public health nuisances. The following is a summary of the functions this department has performed throughout the year. The
Infectious Disease Committee was formed to help with infectious disease public health emergencies such as a pandemic. Our town-wide MRC
(Medical Reserve Corps) for public health emergency volunteers ran a highly successful mock emergency operation at the High School, which was
attended by many residents. The Town is still actively seeking volunteers (medical and non-medical) for this corps. If interested, please contact
the Board of Health @ (781) 961-0924. We are actively seeking grants to sustain this MRC endeavor and make trainings available.
ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION
REFUSE COLLECTION & DISPOSAL: On July 1, 2006 we entered into our second year of a two-year contract
with Allied Waste (BFI) with the potential to extend additional years. SEMASS holds the contract for
the disposal of the Town’s refuse and curbside recycling program. The Town disposed of approximately
12,700 tons of trash.
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 recycled approx.1,494.28 tons. Recyclables are picked up every other week on
regular trash day. If a resident needs additional bins, they may be picked up at the Board of Health Office presently at no charge. Newspapers,
junk mail, magazines, catalogs, phonebooks, paperboard, cardboard (cut to 2’x2’), 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. Residents may call the “Recycling
Hotline” at 1 (617) 471-7900 with any questions or visit our website @ www.randolphboardofhealth.com
The disposal of “white goods” (stoves, refrigerators, sinks, etc.) remains the same. Residents must schedule a pickup for all appliances by going to
the Board of Health office and purchasing a sticker at $20.00 fee per item to place on the item for curbside pickup. The Board of Health will
arrange the date for the pickup of these appliances. Items must be placed curbside in order to have them picked up. Refrigerator doors must be
removed.
The Year 2006 was the seventh year we have successful operated at the compost area for disposal of leaves and yard waste. Due to the large
demand of the Townspeople who had many more leaves than the two-week curbside collections would accommodate. The landfill, of course,
remains closed except for a small area in the front, which opens every other Saturday, 8:00 A.M. to 12 Noon for a limited time during the course of
the year. Call the Board of Health office @ (781) 961-0924 to find out the dates and times. Unfortunately, the landfill is no longer free for the
Town’s use and we must now cover the lease cost. Members of the Board of Health negotiated for the site, the former landfill on Johnson Drive, off
Canton Street.
The disposal site for televisions and computer monitors also continues to be successful The state does not allow for the pickup of cathode ray
tubes (CRT’s), also known as computer monitors and televisions by trash haulers and instead require these items to be properly disposed of in
accordance with State guidelines.
As such, the Board has arranged for a CRT container to be placed at the site of the former landfill where Town residents can bring these items to
the site at a cost of $10.00 per unit under 27” and $20.00 per unit over 27”. This year, residents were given the option of bringing other electronics
to the drop-off site at no additional cost. The site, as with the compost area, (same location) was open in the Spring, Summer and Fall every other
Saturday, 8:00 A.M. – 12 Noon. We were also able to extend the program for four (4) more Saturdays by purchasing a container housed at the
Highway Dept. yard, and offered the following
dates: January 7, 2006; February 4, 2006, March 4,2006 and December 30th, 2006.
This year marked Randolph’s Tenth Annual Household Hazardous Waste Day. The event in corporation with the Town of Avon was a
tremendous success, with almost 400 cars attending and disposing of large amounts of oil, paint, tires, batteries and adhesives being collected. 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.
The Board of Health continues to work diligently to improve the solid waste program and pursue and procure grant monies for recycling.
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. The textile manufacturer, in turn, gives 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.
The Board of Health was also successful in obtaining a $3,000.00 Tobacco Compliance Enforcement Grant designed to stave sales of tobacco
products to minors.
Any questions, please call the Board of Health @ 961-0924.
PUBLIC HEALTH COMPLAINTS: Hundreds of complaints were received for possible health nuisances and hazards which were investigated and
resolved during the year.
SWIMMING POOLS: 15 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 ( including the high school) and
brought up to code prior to issuance of annual license. This duty falls to the local Board of Health and as such, over 25 inspections and reinspections 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 2 facilities food areas only were made prior to re-licensing.
FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS: 107 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. Please visit our website for a list of critical violations www.randolphboardofhealth.com
FROZEN DESSERT: 4 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: 56 permits were issued to retail & limited retail food establishments. All are inspected
on a regular basis.
CATERING ESTABLISHMENTS: 2 permits were issued to operate a catering establishment, which is also being inspected at regular intervals.
COLLECTION & DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE: 6 permits were issued.
REMOVAL, TRANSPORT, DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE/OFFAL: 23 permits were issued.
TOBACCO PERMITS: 43 permits were issued for the sale of tobacco products.
SUNTANNING FACILITIES: 8 permits were issued and facilities inspected.
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE: 20 licenses were issued.
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTS & VAPOR BATHS:: 6 licenses were issued.
REVENUE PRODUCED
Permits & Licenses
(Including appliances; CRT’s &
stickers)
$76,867.88
Respectfully submitted,
John P. McVeigh, MBA, CHO, R.S.
Director of Public Health/Agent
Thomas J. Fisher, Chairman
Dr. David Kaplan, Vice Chairman
Mark Kittredge, Member
PERSONNEL MATTERS
On April 4th, 2006 Thomas Fisher was elected to the Board of Health for a 3-year term.
I wish to thank our capable staff members, Priscilla MacDougall principle clerk and Paula Steward who’s duties include
office clerk and recycling coordination, for all their assistance in keeping the office running smoothly and professionally.
Despite the tremendous workload that is constantly increasing at the Board of Health Office, Priscilla and Paula manage
to go beyond the call of duty on a daily basis and get the job done.
Moreover, I also extend many thanks to our Public Health Nurse, Pat Iyer, who is always offering profound wisdom,
knowledge and maintains a healthy rapport with the residents and employees of Randolph.
Lastly, I 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.
WIC PROGRAM
The WIC Program (Women’s, Infants & Children) continues to be housed at the Board of Health office at 1 Turner Lane
and remains very successful. WIC is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday and you can call for an appointment
for hours @ (781) 961-4206.
This highly regarded program is promoted by the State Department of Public Health and is an invaluable tool to assist
those in need of its services.
WIC now has over 900 Randolph residents who use their services, which is a great benefit to our Town’s residents who
can utilize the program without having to travel to Quincy.
Respectfully submitted,
John P. McVeigh, MBA, CHO, R.S.
Director of Public Health/Agent
Thomas J. Fisher, Chairman
Dr. David Kaplan, Vice Chairman
Mark Kittredge, Member
REPORT TO THE BOARD OF HEALTH
PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING
2006
GENERAL INFORMATION
2006 was a busy year for the Randolph Board of Health Nursing Department. There was an increase in the number and diversity of communicable
diseases as well as a leveling off in the number of Latent TB infection from last year. There was an increase in Randolph citizens, needing health
support and immunizations. The South Shore Visiting Nurse Association provides Public Health Nursing by contract for 32 hours per week.
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. The following
communicable diseases were reported in Randolph in 2006.
Ambebioasis
Campylobactor
Chicken Pox
Giardia
Group B Streptococcus
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Lyme
Pertussis
Salmonella
Streptococcus Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
Viral Meningitis
Bacterial Meningitis
1
1
7
1
1
23
25
4
3
5
4
1
1
1
Aseptic Meningitis
Pneumococcal Meningitis
Invasive Streptococcus A
Influenza B
Shigella
Encephalitis
Crytosporidosis
Dengue Fever
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
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. They are provided to children and
elders free of charge. For those over 18, the Randolph has a small fee of $5.00 to cover costs of materials and biologic waste disposal. No one is
denied vaccination due to lack of ability to pay. In 2006, the Randolph Board of Health administered immunizations to 24 children and 54 adults.
This does not include Influenza. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health performed its annual vaccine review visit and Randolph got high
scores on its vaccine management program. As a result of the collaboration with the Holbrook Board of Health, Randolph continues to be a depot
for vaccine distribution for Holbrook physician practices and patients. There was an increase in the amount of Randolph residents who participated
in the biohazard by back program. The Randolph Board of Health also provided private immunizations to both “Not Your Average Joe’s” restaurant
employees as well as to employees of the Boston Higashi School, providing 49 Hepatitis A vaccinationss to “Not Your Average Joe’s” employees
and 64 Hepatitis B vaccinations to Boston Higashi School employees.,
Influenza Immunization
We were fortunate to have an abundance of Influenza vaccine with the Department of Public Health allocating 1160 doses for Randolph residents.
The amount of Randolph citizens who received Flu vaccine through the Randolph board of health decreased significantly from last year. This is
due in part to the later release of vaccine from the Department of Public health as many individuals received their vaccine from private providers. At
present a total of 760 Randolph residents received the Flu vaccine at 4 different clinics as well as those served at the Board of Health or in their
residence. Volunteers make it possible for the Flu clinics to run smoothly. The Randolph Women’s Club, annually lends a hand in making our
clinics run so smoothly. In addition, we had the support of nurse town residents, nurses from the South Shore Visiting Nurses Association and three
retired nurses who had volunteered their time to assist as well. We were very fortunate to also have members from the Randolph Medical Reserve
Corp who volunteered their time and services providing non-medical functions.
DISTRIBUTION OF BIOLOGICS
The Randolph Board of Health is required to function as a distributor for vaccines, which are supplied by the Massachusetts Department of Public
Health. The Board of Health Nurse is responsible for ordering, obtaining, and distributing all biologics, keeping accurate records of storage,
distribution, and usage of vaccines. The Public Health Nurse also keeps school nurse personnel, physicians and nursing homes abreast of all
changes in any public health/immunization regulations. 2950 doses of various vaccines and serums were received this year. These were distributed
to private physicians, nursing homes or were used at public health clinics sponsored by the Randolph Board of Health.
KEEP-WELL CLINICS
Keep-Well Clinics are weekly blood pressure screenings for Randolph residents 65 and older. They are held 3 Wednesdays per month at
alternative elderly housing complexes. One does not have to be a housing resident in order to participate but must be a Randolph resident. In
addition, there are clinics for residents at Fireman House, Randolph Senior Center and members of the Temple Beth Am. There are also monthly
blood pressure clinics for municipal employees. Public Safety workers have their own wellness program for blood pressure monitoring that is
independent from Randolph Board of Health activities. There was a total of 85 blood pressure clinics held in Randolph last year. 839 people had
blood pressure screening. 86 individuals were found to have blood pressure, which was higher than acceptable ranges.
TUBERCULOSIS TESTING/CASES
43 people of various ages had TB testing at the Board of Health. The test is performed by the Public Health Nurse and must be evaluated 48-72
hours after being done. 7 of the 43 individuals tested positive and were referred for evaluation. There was 1 new case of Tuberculosis which
necessitated direct observation for the patient and for her child. There were 4 suspect cases which turned out to be negative though treatment was
followed through. There were 104 Class 2 (non-active) TB contacts. People with active Tuberculosis are followed by the Public Health Nurse while
undergoing treatment.
OFFICE VISITS
Randolph residents come to thee Board of Health for a variety of reasons including allergy injections, Vitamin B12 injections, injectable medication
administration, blood pressure monitoring, immunizations or TB skin testing. This year 432 people obtained services from the Randolph Board of
Health. This number also includes individuals requiring immunizations but not immunization clinics. In some instances, people are unable to come
to the Board of Health for required services. Home visits are made on occasions whereby the person does not qualify for Visiting Nurse services
but is homebound. There were 44 home visits made this past year.
OTHER PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
MEDICAL RESERVE CORP
The Public Health Nurse is an integral part of the Medical Reserve Corp and assisted the Randolph Health director in the development and
implementation of an Emergency Preparedness exercise in September 2006 involving a mock drill. This even took much collaboration and
planning with other members of the Infectious Disease Committee as well as the Randolph Board of Health and volunteers.
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 with town Influenza and blood pressure clinics. In addition we have 3 retired nurses assisting
during the annual flu clinics. . As previously mentioned, the Randolph Women’s Club members are 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.
MEDICARE AND SENIOR HMO REIMBURSEMENT
Randolph Board of Health enrolled in the Medicare Reimbursement program, which enabled us to bill for those senior citizens who are enrolled in
Medicare B who receive either the Flu or Pneumonia vaccine. Because of our participation in this program, at present, the Town of Randolph
received over $10,000.00 in additional funds. We are enrolled in the Senior HMO Reimbursement, which will bring addition funds during Fiscal year
2006. The reimbursement of these programs for the provision of services continues to come in until the close of the Fiscal year. Billing for Flu
season 2006 has not been submitted at the present time.
FIRE DEPARTMENT COLLABORATION
The Randolph Board of Health with the Randolph Fire Department to ensure that Randolph Fire Fighters are free from Tuberculosis. This year 32
fire fighters were tested for Tuberculosis to adhere to hospital requirements that all incoming EMS personnel be free from Tuberculosis. The Public
Health Nurse and Randolph Firefighters had a very successful Bladder Cancer screening program in which 56 firefighters were tested for bladder
cancer. Those tested included current firefighters as well as retirees. Those with abnormal results were referred to their primary care physician. The
screening program was done in conjunction with the Canton and Stoughton Board of Health nurses. This endeavor was funded by both the
Randolph Lions Club as well the Firefighters Union. Our plan is to make this an annual screening. The public health nurse presented on this
screening at the Leadership Institute in Chicago, Il as well as the annual Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses conference.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
The Public Health Nurse currently services as the President for the Southeast Chapter of the Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses.
She also serves on the board of the Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses. Because of her interest and activity in this leadership role
she was chosen as part of the Massachusetts delegation including both state and regional public health leaders to attend a one - year leadership
fellowship through the Mid-Atlantic Regional Leadership Institute and completed the program in September 2006. She and John McVeigh,
Randolph Director of Public Health obtained a Graduate Certificate in Vaccine Technology and Bioterrorism from Northeastern Univ. through a
Region 5 bioterrorism grant.
Respectfully submitted,
Pat Iyer, RN.
Public Health Nurse
Thomas J. Fisher, Chairman
Dr. David Kaplan, Vice Chairman
Mark Kittredge, Member