Montague Town Seal

Town of

Montague

1 Avenue A
Turners Falls, MA 01376
413-863-3200
Contact Us | Hours/Directions
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Board of Health

Additional Page(s)

Contact:

Ryan Paxton, MPH, RS

Director of Public Health

Geneva Bickford

Administrative Assistant 

Brittany Tuttle, RN

Contract Public Health Nurse

Address:

One Avenue A
2nd Floor
Turners Falls, MA 01376

Phone:

(413) 863-3200 Ext. 205

Fax:

(413) 863-3225
 

 

 

Office Hours:

 

 

 

 

 

Nurse Hours:

BOARD OF HEALTH OFFICE HOURS:
 

Monday, Tuesday, & Thursdays: 
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM &

Wednesdays: 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday: Closed


 

 

By Appointment

Next 3 meetings:

  • Wed, Oct 30 at 5:00 PM -- Town Hall Second Floor Meeting Room and Zoom
  • Wed, Nov 20 at 5:00 PM -- Town Hall Second Floor Meeting Room and Zoom
  • Wed, Dec 11 at 5:00 PM -- Town Hall Second Floor Meeting Room and Zoom

Members

3 of 3 seats. 3 years each seat.

Mission Statement

The first Local Health Board in Massachusetts was located in Boston and was established in 1796. As chairman of the first Board of Health in the United States Paul Revere was charged with the task of controlling filth and other causes of deadly epidemics. In 1869 Massachusetts established the first State Health Department in the United States.

Today the purpose of the public health system remains essentially the same. The Montague Board of Health  is dedicated to preserving and protecting the health of our population and to promoting health status improvement for everyone.

To accomplish this goal we seek to:

  • Prevent illness, injury and disability for all
  • Reduce health disparities and provide universal access to health care
  • Provide access to nutritious food
  • Provide safe air and water and to protect our natural resources
  • Ensure decent, safe housing for everyone
  • To remediate all sources of filth, sickness and disease.

Toward the larger goal, on a daily basis, the Montague Board of Health carries out the following responsibilities:

  • Investigate and remediate health problems and threats to health
  • Prevent food-borne illness by requiring all food establishments to meet certain minimum standards of safe food handling
  • Prevent the spread of disease and sickness
  • Investigate all complaints of filth and sources of sickness
  • Work to prevent the spread of rabies and other diseases such as West Nile Virus

The following a partial list of the responsibilities of the Board of Health:

  • Protect the public health and well-being through disease prevention, communicable disease surveillance, etc.
  • Ensuring minimum standards for human habitation are met (safe, clean housing).
  • Remediation of all sources of filth and disease risk
  • Protecting groundwater by overseeing the location of septic systems and private drinking wells
  • Ensuring safe food through inspectional services and investigation of complaints
  • Investigate nuisances that may effect human health and well-being
  • Inspect and enforce the law regarding semi-public and public swimming pools
  • Investigate all reported animal bites and scratches, and maintain a rigorous rabies prevention program
  • License and inspect body artists, tanning salons, food establishments, septic system installers, funeral directors, septage haulers, trash haulers, recreational camps for children and mobile/manufactured home, and many other duties as necessary to protect public health. 

 

Previous meetings:

Board of Health Meetings