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Health director outlines 2024 services, outreach and rare botulism response
Summary
Westfield Regional Health Department director Megan Avalon told Madison council the department ran dozens of clinics in 2024, handled 120 environmental complaints, maintained a 94% first-pass restaurant inspection rate, and conducted outreach after two infant botulism cases in a neighboring town.
Megan Avalon, the borough's health officer (Westfield Regional Health Department partnership), presented highlights of the department's 2024 annual report to the Borough Council, emphasizing clinical services, environmental health and proactive outreach.
Avalon said the department ran 82 child health clinics and 53 adult clinics in 2024, and provides free home flu vaccinations for residents who are homebound. "We will also offer the vaccine for their caregiver as well," she said, and noted the department makes COVID vaccines available when supplied by the state.
She described preventive and regulatory work: 120 environmental complaints were filed and followed through to resolution; 94% of restaurants inspected passed on their first inspection; summer-camp and pool inspections are routine; and tobacco-age-of-sale enforcement (TACE) is conducted with student volunteers, yielding one violation in 2024.
Avalon highlighted the department's vulnerable-population outreach work, which she said assisted 15 families in 2024, and explained lead-inspection follow-up practices, stating the department follows children with elevated blood-lead levels until values fall below 3.5 mcg/dL and, when indicated, inspects homes.
She recounted an outreach campaign after two exceedingly rare infant-botulism cases in a neighboring town in 2024. "We developed these packets... went to every single urgent care center, every single pediatrician in our service area, Madison included," Avalon said, describing a targeted provider outreach and a fact sheet on infant botulism.
Council members thanked Avalon for the breadth of services and asked about vaccination pushback and 24/7 response capability; Avalon said the department is tracking nonmedical exemptions and reiterated that residents should consult their health care providers for clinical advice. She also described an around-the-clock hotline and follow-up protocols for urgent calls.
The council noted a free flu clinic scheduled for Oct. 23 (Hartley Dodge Memorial Courtroom) and thanked the health department for its work coordinating with schools, long-term care and other providers.
