Hopkinton Health Director Shaun McAuliffe and members of the Board of Health lauded public health nurse Simone Carter during Tuesday night’s meeting for her work and leadership in public nursing. “Simone deserves some praise,” said McAuliffe. He and the board...
Health Department
Articles on Special Town Meeting warrant cover MBTA Communities Act, budget matters
There are a number of articles on the warrant for Monday’s Special Town Meeting that span everything from tax exemptions to rezoning. The Independent recently sat down with town officials to understand each of the articles on the STM warrant and their impact on...
Health Department looks for avenues to help with staffing
The Board of Health spent its meeting Monday night focused on the Health Department’s budget for the next fiscal year. Health Director Shaun McAuliffe took the board through his proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 and the changes he hopes to get approved. McAuliffe’s...
Special Town Meeting date set for Nov. 18, budget articles are not welcome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9-lB75_FR0&ab_channel=HCAM The Select Board voted unanimously to set a Special Town Meeting date for Nov. 18, with the intended focus being a vote on the MBTA Communities zoning bylaw. Kyla LaPierre, the town’s chief financial...
Board of Health reviews strategic plan ahead of Select Board presentation
Health Director Shaun McAuliffe walked members of the Board of Health through the Health Department’s new strategic plan Monday night. The plan, which was finalized in August, identifies five strategic priorities for the department. These center around data reporting,...
Board of Health discusses regional surge in West Nile virus
Board of Health members on Monday discussed a possible surge in West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes, which could impact the town. Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe and public health nurse Simone Carter informed the board they would be putting an advisory out...
State issues cyanobacteria advisory for Hopkinton Reservoir
Hopkinton Health Director Shaun McAuliffe announced Monday afternoon that the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation issued a cyanobacteria advisory for Hopkinton Reservoir, which is located in Hopkinton State Park. An email from the state's Department of...
Health Department raises concerns over food distribution at Legacy Farms
At Tuesday’s Board of Health meeting, members discussed the ongoing issues with food distribution in the Legacy Farms neighborhood. The Health Department has been coordinating with the Legacy Farms HOA, United States Department of Agriculture and Massachusetts...
Board of Health talks ‘budget variances,’ pesticide regulation
The Board of Health at its meeting Monday learned about what now former Town Manager Norman Khumalo referred to as “health services budget variances” that led to the department experiencing a recent shortfall and how the situation was resolved. Health Department...
Hopkinton Health Department faces ‘five-figure’ budget deficit, scales back services
Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe announced at Monday evening’s Board of Health meeting that the department is scaling back its services because two per diem nurses had to take furloughs when it was discovered that their positions weren’t funded, creating a...
Narcan training rescheduled to Thursday
The Hopkinton Health Department announced that a Narcan administration training session will be held Thursday (Feb. 15) from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Hopkinton Public Library. It originally was scheduled for Tuesday but was canceled due to the snowstorm that forced the...
Board of Health not amenable to developer’s request to waive water testing requirement
A developer's request to the Board of Health for a waiver of the potable water testing requirement for a Box Mill Road property could set a precedent if approved by the town, members cautioned before unanimously voting down the request at Monday's meeting. In a...
Board of Health discusses plastic bag usage, vaccine vendor partnership
The Board of Health at its meeting Monday night heard a resident’s concerns about plastic bag usage at local stores as well as details about a partnership with a multistate vaccine vendor that is expected to save the department money. Sustainable Green Committee...
Student initiative leads to food allergen awareness campaign at school playgrounds
What started as a fourth-grade school project for Reese Robledo more than five years ago has blossomed into a public awareness signage campaign at school playgrounds about the dangers of exposure to food allergens. For Robledo, exposure to even the smallest particles...
Updated COVID-19 vaccine available from Health Department Thursday
A limited supply of the updated Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine will be available Thursday from the Hopkinton Health Department. A VCF flu/COVID clinic is scheduled for Thursday (Nov. 9) from 3-5 p.m. in the lower level of Town Hall. This vaccine formula, designed...
Board of Health approves new town biosafety regulation
The Board of Health at a 20-minute meeting Monday evening approved the town's new biosafety regulation 2-0 in an effort to safeguard the public and monitor the use of all biological agents in town. Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe explained that the...
Lack of state PFAS guidance frustrates Health Department, residents
The Board of Health at its meeting Monday evening discussed the lack of state guidance on PFAS levels and Hopkinton’s leading role in its regional health collaborative structure. Health Department Director Shaun McAuliffe told board members that no state guidance from...
Health Department surveys residents on vaccines
The Hopkinton Health Department has started a survey to gauge the interest of residents in receiving the RSV, updated COVID and/or shingles vaccines. RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. It’s a contagious virus that causes respiratory disease. The survey asks...
Resident tip leads to cease-and-desist letters to illegal food operations in town
Health Director Shaun McAuliffe told the Board of Health at its meeting Wednesday that an email he received led to his investigation that uncovered five illegal food operations in town. “We had received a complaint about a food service establishment that was operating...
Health Department to offer drive-through flu vaccine clinics in October
The Hopkinton Health Department announced two drive-through flu clinics in October. The first is for older adults. It will be held Friday, Oct. 13, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Senior Center (28 Mayhew Street). Nursing staff from the Health Department will be at the...