Mass Public Health Blog

Falls among older adults (age 65+) are a major public health challenge.  In Massachusetts, there are nearly 50,000 emergency room visits each year for fall-related injuries.  These injuries, which can include broken bones and traumatic brain injuries, are also very expensive to treat. In 2014,   …Continue Reading Working Together to Prevent Falls Among Older Adults

When you say ‘temp worker’, many people picture a receptionist filling in while a company’s employee is on vacation or out sick. Back in the day that was what the temp industry looked like. (I remember working as a temp in an office during summer   …Continue Reading Got Temp Workers? Make Sure They’re Trained

The September 14th meeting of the Public Health Council included a vote on one Determination of Need request, followed by a series of information presentations on the current status of various proposed regulatory amendments. First, the Council took up a Determination of Need application from Nantucket   …Continue Reading Highlights of the September 14th Public Health Council Meeting

Nearly 25% of school-aged children have vision problems. 1 in 20 children aged 3-5 years old have vision problems that could result in permanent eye damage and vision loss if left untreated. How do you know if your child is seeing clearly? Here are things   …Continue Reading Seeing Clearly! – Your Child’s Vision

 “If we are going to survive, we must build communities of caring and connection.” – Cecile Andrews September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and there is no better time to begin or renew our commitment to taking care of ourselves and each other. Too many   …Continue Reading One Conversation Can Save a Life

Watching children learn and develop can be a wonderful thing and it is common for parents to wonder whether their child is developing as expected. Along with keeping up with regular doctor visits, there are several different ”milestones,” things that most children do by certain   …Continue Reading Memorable Milestones!

In the six years from 2008 through 2013, 356 workers died on the job in Massachusetts.  This is about one worker every five days!  The MDPH CFOI and MA FACE projects developed this infographic to illustrate these tragic worker deaths and to underscore the human costs   …Continue Reading Some Workers Face Higher Risk of Injury – But Employers Can Make a Difference

Wellness programs are good for business. They can lead to better performing workers, lower absenteeism and decreased healthcare and insurance costs. Now, small businesses can be rewarded for these efforts! The Massachusetts Wellness Tax Credit Incentive gives small businesses in Massachusetts a state tax credit   …Continue Reading Massachusetts is Rewarding Small Businesses for Healthy Workplaces

National Immunization Awareness Month is a reminder that we all need vaccines throughout our lives. All adults should get vaccines to protect their health. Even healthy adults can become seriously ill, and can pass certain illnesses on to others. Unfortunately, far too few adults are   …Continue Reading Vaccines Are Not Just for Kids!