Northborough HHS spotlights National Public Health Week, schedules April 15 wellness fair and free screenings

Northborough Health and Human Services used its April lunch-and-learn to mark National Public Health Week and preview community events, including a Wellness Fair on Wednesday, April 15 at the North Free Library.

"The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health" is at the heart of public health, Director Isabella Caruso said, quoting a longstanding definition as she outlined the department’s prevention and promotion activities. Caruso described core local work such as flu clinics, restaurant and housing inspections, infectious-disease monitoring through state systems, blood-pressure screenings, and maternal and child-health programming conducted with regional partners.

Caruso and outreach coordinator Liz Nolan used the 30-minute session to list Public Health Week activities already held and those coming up. "Yesterday Emily and I tabled at the high school," Caruso said, and staff hosted a Narcan training at the Northborough Library and a pelvic-health workshop through the Greater Boroughs Partnership for Health. Nolan invited residents to an April food-pantry collection of personal-hygiene and toiletry items, with drop-off boxes at Town Hall, the library, Central One Federal Credit Union and Allure Hair Spa.

The town’s Wellness Fair will run 5–7 p.m. April 15 at the North Free Library. Nolan said the fair will feature about 15–17 local and state agencies and nonprofits, including MassHealth, MassHire, the Central Mass Mosquito Control Project and Smok; free blood-pressure checks and a hands-only CPR demonstration will be offered.

Caruso announced additional scheduled services and trainings: a 3D mammogram mobile unit will be at the library Thursday, May 21, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.; "if you don't have insurance that will not prevent you from being screened," she said. A Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR) suicide-prevention training is set for Tuesday, May 19, 6:00–7:30 p.m., and the town is running a blood drive on April 22 (Caruso said slots were largely filled and a wait list had been opened). The Words of Wellness book club meets April 21 at 6 p.m., led by social worker Caitlyn Mitchell; the April selection is Educated by Tara Westover.

Caruso also highlighted the department’s internal structure and staff who carry out services: short-term mental-health counseling and case navigation (Nolan and social worker Caitlyn Mitchell), community-health programs and substance-use prevention (Emily and the Encompass Coalition), regional epidemiology (Michaela via the Greater Boroughs Partnership for Health), a public-health nurse (Penny), and environmental-health agents (Chris and Vinnie) who oversee inspections.

The department asked residents to sign up for newsletters and to send event ideas; staff said they will continue promoting vendor spotlights on the department’s Facebook and Instagram pages. The lunch-and-learn closed with an invitation to attend the upcoming events and to contact HHS with questions.

The town provided event links and further details on the Northborough Health and Human Services website.