The Alternative Press

The Westfield Board of Health met on February 6, 2012.  New goals for 2012 included the following:  to incorporate the Township of Cranford into the Westfield Regional Health Department, to agree on a new contract mechanism with the participating municipalities, to significantly cut the costs for animal control, to update the health department website and to support efforts for state-wide community water fluoridation.

The Health Department activities in 2011 were reviewed and included the following for Westfield residents.  It provided 336 residents with influenza vaccinations, 87 childhood vaccinations and 151 vaccinations for meningitis, pneumonia, Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis) and human papilloma virus.  It also provided 38 children with evaluations, 31 with examinations, and 63 residents with health screenings.  Seventy-two persons with communicable diseases were evaluated and provided services and 9 residents required home visits.  In addition, all restaurants, retail food establishments and public pools in town were inspected at least once and most were inspected 2 or more times during the year.  A few food establishments were closed due to fires.  One was closed due to an unsatisfactory sanitary rating and when it reopened was given a 4-day suspension, which was held in abeyance.

A town-wide community blood drive on Thursday, March 8, from 2:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the Municipal Building Community Room is being sponsored by the Health Department and Overlook Medical Center to help supply the blood bank at Overlook.  You can call 908-522-2985 to schedule an appointment.

In addition, the Health Department is sponsoring free health screenings with Overlook in the Municipal Building.  Respiratory disease screening will be on Thursday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Colorectal Education will be on Thursday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.   For more information about these programs and to register, please call the Overlook Medical Center Community Health Department at 1-800-247-9580.

The Board also heard a resident request that it consider restrictions on cigarette smoking in selected public places, which will be further discussed at our next meeting.  Information about all of the Department’s activities is available on its website http://www.westfieldnj.gov/health.  The complete minutes of the February 6 meeting will be posted after review and approval at our March 5 meeting, which starts at 5:30 PM in the Municipal Building.