Medfield proposes full-time health administrator, towns weigh staffing and budget trade-offs

Medfield officials told the Charles River regional public-health shared-services group on Tuesday that the town plans to restructure its health department by adding a full‑time health administrator while keeping a part‑time public health nurse and a part‑time public health agent.

The change is intended to give Medfield a single, full‑time staffer to manage the department’s many responsibilities and to allow the nurse and agent to focus on clinical and environmental work, Cathy McDonald, Medfield director of human services, said. The town administrator had proposed moving existing funds to cover the new health administrator salary; Medfield’s board and warrant committee will vote at the town’s upcoming annual meeting, according to speakers.

The reorganization follows recurring workforce shortages across the region and a widespread difficulty recruiting candidates with environmental‑health experience. Sam Menard, assistant manager of the Charles River Health District and trainer for the North Central–Metro West training hub, said many towns are posting positions and sharing job announcements via…