North Shore Shared Public Health Services Program is a regional collaboration made up of eight health departments (Salem, Peabody, Lynn, Beverly, Danvers, Nahant, Marblehead and Swampscott). Together we were fortunate to receive one of only 5 Public Health District Incentive Grant (DIG) awards offered by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. This along with funding from the North Shore Community Health Network is
increasing our ability to improve health on the North Shore.
The North Shore’s DIG award will be used to strengthen our ability to deliver our core services, such as environmental inspections and disease surveillance, and also to enhance our ability to work on regional initiatives to prevent chronic disease through educational and environmental interventions.
One of the primary goals of our project is to reduce the incidence of asthma by removing environmental “triggers” that can cause an asthma attack. Rates of emergency room visits for asthma in this region are elevated for young children, as well as for individuals of Black or Hispanic race. It is well-documented that controlling conditions in the home is critical to the success of managing asthma. Two of the most important triggers are exposure to second-hand smoke and exposure to household pests.
The North Shore Shared Public Health Services Program will be undertaking two objectives related to this issue:
The North Shore’s DIG award will be used to strengthen our ability to deliver our core services, such as environmental inspections and disease surveillance, and also to enhance our ability to work on regional initiatives to prevent chronic disease through educational and environmental interventions.
One of the primary goals of our project is to reduce the incidence of asthma by removing environmental “triggers” that can cause an asthma attack. Rates of emergency room visits for asthma in this region are elevated for young children, as well as for individuals of Black or Hispanic race. It is well-documented that controlling conditions in the home is critical to the success of managing asthma. Two of the most important triggers are exposure to second-hand smoke and exposure to household pests.
The North Shore Shared Public Health Services Program will be undertaking two objectives related to this issue:
- Promoting voluntary smoke-free housing units
- Promoting integrated pest management in residential housing