What is the Mission of SBPHC?
To leverage partnerships in order to provide quality public health services that directly improve the health and well-being of the entire community.
What Communities are served by SBPHC?
The SBPHC supports the Boards of Health in the towns of Alford, Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Monterey, Mt Washington, Otis, New Marlborough, Sandisfield, Sheffield, Stockbridge and Tyringham
What is the role of the SBPHC?
The role of the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative is to help member communities meet minimum standards for public health as set forth by the Blueprint for Public Health Excellence, issued in 2019 by the Special Commission on Local and Regional Public Health and adopted into law in November 2024. Click here or more information on SAPHE 2.0.
What services does SBPHC provide?
Public Health Nursing
All of our member towns receive comprehensive public health nursing services, including:
- MAVEN Coverage: Provide daily communicable disease surveillance and disease follow up. Provide “Direct Observational Therapy” services and support for residents with active TB.
- Fall Mobile Vaccination Services: Conduct mobile fall flu/COVID vaccination clinics, as well as provide outreach to homebound residents for both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines.
- Expanded Adult Vaccinations: Pneumococcal, Tdap,
- Childhood Vaccine Provider: Provide free childhood vaccines for individuals 18 and under. In addition, our nurses work with schools to reconcile student vaccine records and provide vaccine services, when needed, both in the school and in our office by appointment.
- Medical Review for Camp Inspection: Work alongside inspectional staff to provide comprehensive vaccination record and medical information reviews for recreational camps.
- Additional Nursing Support: Provide monthly wellness sessions where public health nurses both present educational materials on a wide variety of topics and provide blood pressure clinics.
Inspectional and Agent Services
Comprehensive Agent Services: SBPHC also provides Sandisfield and Mt Washington comprehensive agent services, which include things like managing permitting and the day-to-day running of BOH Offices- including answering questions from the public, handling ongoing permitting, turnovers, board education and BOH meeting attendance at least quarterly.
Inspectional Services: Staff can provide both routine and as-needed support for a wide variety of environmental health inspectional services, including:
- Food
- Housing
- Swimming Pool
- Recreational Camps
- Body Art
- Body Works
- Septic Plan Review
- Septic T5 and perc Test Witnessing
- Tanning
- Tobacco Education, Nuisance Complaints
- Well Inspections and more
Community Initiatives
- Sharps Disposal Program: Purchase and display sharps kiosks in community spaces, as well as provide individual sharps containers.
- Chokesaver Courses: Facilitate the distribution of Narcan to local health departments, along with comprehensive education for public health staff, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge to empower individuals and communities to respond effectively to opioid emergencies.
- Developing Draft Policies for Boards of Health to Review: Work on regional trainings and policies to be considered by member Boards of Health establish safe guards within their individual towns
- Technical Assistance: Provide staff with public health technical assistance on new or complex situations, as needed, including hybrid meeting support, online permitting setup, etc.
- Regional and State Representation and Collaboration: Representing both Southern Berkshire and rural health needs at a variety of regional and state tables.
- General Support and Special Projects: Other public health support and special projects that are not outlined in this “Menu of Services” with prior approval from the Shared Services Coordinator.
What is the Organizational Structure of the SBPHC Board?
The SBPHC is comprised of a representative and an alternate from each member community. The SBPHC Board typically meets on the second Friday of each month, both in person in the Stockbridge Town Hall with a remote option. Agendas are posted with each town, and the official posting location for SBPHC is found at Public Notices /Meeting Agendas | Town of Lee MA