The Franklin Board of Health reviewed a draft 2025 annual report on Jan. 12 that staff said showed sharp increases in several public‑health measures and outlined upcoming community health assessment work.

Board members were told the department achieved a Level 3 health department designation and is preparing the report for presentation to the common council in February or March and for wider community release in June or July.

Staff reported what they described as a 200 percent increase in influenza‑related hospitalizations from 2024 to 2025 and a 200 percent increase in Lyme disease incidence, noting those Lyme figures reflect a small absolute number. The presenter also said the department responded to nine clinical outbreak events in 2025, saw an 11 percent increase in immunization program participation year over year, and recorded about a 12.5 percent rise in inspection services.

On maternal and family health, staff reported 321 births in Franklin during 2025 and said the “welcome baby” kit program will continue into 2026. The report also noted a 15 percent increase in use of the city’s sharps disposal program.

Staff described an increase in naloxone distribution to the health department of about 57 percent and said tracking actual uses of distributed naloxone is difficult; the department asks people if they return to refill after use but has no comprehensive usage metric. The presenter said fire‑department overdose‑mapping trends suggest overdoses are down compared with the prior five years.

Social‑service referrals rose substantially: staff reported 88 total referrals in 2025 and said roughly 50 occurred in the last quarter, representing a 120 percent increase over the prior period. Staff said referrals are most often for older adults with complex needs — falls, failure to thrive, hoarding — and that the department will increase cross‑department education and distribute a resource guide to help triage cases.

The board discussed workforce options for addressing these needs. A previously proposed shared social worker position (0.33 FTE funded across police, fire and health) was not funded; staff said the city instead is funding a community paramedic position through a grant to the fire department to provide referrals, in‑home follow up and care navigation. According to staff, funding for that salary was provided through a grant routed to the fire department, with some opioid settlement funds identified among the funding streams.

On the Community Health Assessment (CHA), staff said 1,600 surveys were mailed, the department’s target is about 380 responses to meet its preferred confidence level, and about 288 surveys had been returned at the time of the meeting. Staff said they will analyze survey data, complete 25–30 key informant interviews by late spring, run four to five community focus groups in March–May, and publish a compiled report and improvement plan in June or July.

The department signaled plans to present the finalized annual report to the common council after board review and to continue outreach as the CHA analysis and community engagement proceed.