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Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/lexington/news/x1346872030/Bill-could-help-towns-share-health-resources
Bill could help towns share health resources
By State House News Service
Fri Jun 27, 2008, 06:10 AM EDT
Boston -
A bill advancing in the Senate would encourage regional management of ailments from food poisoning to avian flu, a prospect that would promote greater public health and help stave off a catastrophic pandemic, supporters say.
The bill, S 2672, sponsored by Public Health Committee Co-chair Sen. Susan Fargo, would allow cities and towns with small, often-understaffed and under-trained public health offices to enter into resource-sharing agreements with neighboring municipalities to enhance everything from food inspections to emergency response.
On Tuesday, the Senate gave the bill initial approval and the Senate may send it to the House as early as next week, Fargo said in a phone interview.
"The real thrust of it is to bring our local public health system into the 21st Century," she said. "We have a very badly fragmented system. With 351 cities and towns, we have about the same number of public health departments."
The bill is entirely voluntary and costs nothing for the state, Fargo added.
"We are not prepared for some kind of broad-scale emergency," she said. "We are going to have to rely locally on the resources we have. We should keep bringing to mind these emergency either pandemics or other threats. Although we haven't been talking about recently, it is something that we have to plan for. This is a piece of that planning."
As the session winds down - July 31 is the last day for formal sessions, when more controversial bills are debated - bills not yet on the move face long odds to passage.
The Patrick administration has expressed support for regionalization of services to help save costs and limit duplicative efforts.
Similarly, the Massachusetts Municipal Association has backed bills that facilitate greater resource-sharing among communities, including for health services.
A March 2007 state audit of local health inspections found that restaurant inspectors were often ill-prepared to thoroughly examine food establishments in their areas. By consolidating inspection services, State Auditor Joe DeNucci found, cities and towns can ensure healthier outcomes for their residents.
"There's a highly decentralized process of food inspections ... operated by generally small local authorities," DeNucci spokesman Glenn Briere said. "The FDA had described it as unique, that Massachusetts was far more decentralized in its food protection activities than other states. Legislation that [Fargo] sponsored is certainly a major step in the right direction. Local activities could be uniformly conducted."
Bill could help towns share health resources
By State House News Service
Fri Jun 27, 2008, 06:10 AM EDT
Boston -
A bill advancing in the Senate would encourage regional management of ailments from food poisoning to avian flu, a prospect that would promote greater public health and help stave off a catastrophic pandemic, supporters say.
The bill, S 2672, sponsored by Public Health Committee Co-chair Sen. Susan Fargo, would allow cities and towns with small, often-understaffed and under-trained public health offices to enter into resource-sharing agreements with neighboring municipalities to enhance everything from food inspections to emergency response.
On Tuesday, the Senate gave the bill initial approval and the Senate may send it to the House as early as next week, Fargo said in a phone interview.
"The real thrust of it is to bring our local public health system into the 21st Century," she said. "We have a very badly fragmented system. With 351 cities and towns, we have about the same number of public health departments."
The bill is entirely voluntary and costs nothing for the state, Fargo added.
"We are not prepared for some kind of broad-scale emergency," she said. "We are going to have to rely locally on the resources we have. We should keep bringing to mind these emergency either pandemics or other threats. Although we haven't been talking about recently, it is something that we have to plan for. This is a piece of that planning."
As the session winds down - July 31 is the last day for formal sessions, when more controversial bills are debated - bills not yet on the move face long odds to passage.
The Patrick administration has expressed support for regionalization of services to help save costs and limit duplicative efforts.
Similarly, the Massachusetts Municipal Association has backed bills that facilitate greater resource-sharing among communities, including for health services.
A March 2007 state audit of local health inspections found that restaurant inspectors were often ill-prepared to thoroughly examine food establishments in their areas. By consolidating inspection services, State Auditor Joe DeNucci found, cities and towns can ensure healthier outcomes for their residents.
"There's a highly decentralized process of food inspections ... operated by generally small local authorities," DeNucci spokesman Glenn Briere said. "The FDA had described it as unique, that Massachusetts was far more decentralized in its food protection activities than other states. Legislation that [Fargo] sponsored is certainly a major step in the right direction. Local activities could be uniformly conducted."