Program Description

Under M.G.L Chapter 111, the Board of Health and Health Department manage the public and environmental health and welfare of Provincetown by protecting the food and water supply; inspecting housing; protecting environmental health and sanitation through wastewater and stormwater management; performing communicable disease surveillance and management; planning and preparing for emergencies; promoting community health and well-being; licensing and regulating Provincetown’s core industries of food service, body art, lodging, and solid waste; managing public solid waste and hazardous waste collection along with the Department of Public Works; monitoring beach water quality; and investigating general nuisance conditions. Many of these activities are required under State Law to assure population health, well-being, and sanitation of the community.

Budget Statement

The Health Department serves Town residents, businesses, and visitors in a variety of ways that protect public and environmental health. The Department continues to expand its capacity while always seeking to do so with a limited impact on the Town’s operating budget. The Health Department’s budget is historically well funded by its fees and fines (FY2020 revenue was $196,436). This year, the Department is requesting additional funding for mental health services, however the goal is that the mental health programming can be supported through marijuana tax revenue. The Health Director’s salary is partially supplemented by the Wastewater Enterprise Fund.

Major Accomplishments for 2020

COVID-19

• Researched and wrote recommendations that became the Joint Order of the Select Board and Board of Health.
• Developed a local dashboard of metrics to monitor stress on local infrastructure.
• Researched and wrote industry guidance while the state’s guidance was being drafted.
• Communicated local and state regulatory guidance and advisories with licensees and the general public via email distribution lists, webpages, press releases.
• Researched and presented online training to licensees, including licensees of other departments, prior to COVID Re-Opening in anticipation of safety standards to review state guidelines.
• Initiated and ran regular calls with local health and human service providers and the faith community to ensure that gaps and needs that arose during the pandemic were met and addressed.
• Initiated and ran regular calls with front line representatives to ensure that communication channels were open, questions were answered, and concerns for future were considered.
• Provide regular community updates on the pandemic; through call-in Q&A sessions and reports at Select Board and Board of Health meetings.
• Write and distribute a Weekly COVID-19 Update using alert system.

Licensing/Regulatory

• Accommodated all pre-application meeting, plan review, and other Health Department guidance requests, both pre-pandemic and after the Emergency Order via online platforms.
• Continued to check wastewater design flows at every stage of Health Department review and make corrections where needed.
• Guided 24 new and potential food establishments through plan review to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local health regulations.
• All six licensed refuse haulers complied with the BOH regulation1023 ‘Provision of data to the Board of Health’ for 2020 license renewal, providing tonnage of refuse and recycling collected.
• All semi-public pool operators provided updated Virginia Graeme Baker certification in 2020, most operators installed with new, compliant drain covers.
• The Board of Health met frequently during the pandemic via online platforms.
• Health moved online applications to a new software application starting June 1, 2020, with the goal of a higher level of online applications.

Public Health

Ongoing public health programming and initiatives include:

• Winter Wednesdays: free programming to encourage community engagement in the coldest and darkest months of the year. A joint program with the Provincetown Public Library, Housing/Economic Development Department, Wellfleet Health Department, and the Provincetown and Truro Schools.
• Crystal Free: a weekly drop-in group for men seeking freedom from crystal meth use, offered by the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod.
• Community Support Liaison program: providing case management services for previously unserved populations, offered by Homeless Prevention Council.
• Yoga for Addiction Recovery: a weekly yoga class for people with substance use disorder and those who love them. A joint program with the Recreation Department.
• Crop Swap, the community’s produce swap shop launched in September 2018, in partnership with the Provincetown Public Library, Soup Kitchen in Provincetown (SKIP), and the Friends of the Provincetown Library. Since its inception, the Crop Swap has given away 3.5 tons of fresh produce to the community.

Public Health Communications

• Continued social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, posting relevant health and wellness related information. Followers have increased significantly in the past year. As of 11/18/20, the Provincetown Health Department’s Facebook page has 507 likes and 621 follows, quadruple the number from this time last year, and Instagram has 227 followers.
• There are almost 4,000 people signed up for the Town’s alert system, which is double the number of participants in the previous alert system.

FY 2022 Objectives

Public Health:

• Guide the community through the pandemic using science and evidence-based interventions until a safe and effective vaccine is available to all.
• Continue to address the mental health challenges of the pandemic in concert with other community agencies and the faith community.
• Build a mental health component to the Health Department’s work to address gaps in the existing mental health field through contracts and grants.
• Strengthen community connectedness, health, and well-being by offering public health and wellness events and programming in connection with community partners and guided by stakeholder input.
• Effectively communicate public health information and initiatives to the greater public.

Licensing/Regulatory:

• Continue to partner with our local businesses on state and local guidelines for safer practices during the pandemic.
• Continue to streamline processes to improve efficiencies and support economic growth.
• Protect environmental and public health in Provincetown, using up-to-date Board of Health regulations and public educational campaigns.

Environmental Health/Wastewater:

• Manage existing wastewater assets, including septic and sewer systems, to protect the health and environment while supporting managed growth.
• Plan for strategic expansion of the sewer to ensure optimal environmental safety and public health protection.

Performance / Workload Indicators