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Date: 10/13/2021
SOUTHWICK – The Select Board last week accepted a state Department of Public Health grant for $179,630 to fund a public health nursing staff to be shared between Southwick, Blandford, Granville, Montgomery, Russell and Tolland.
Southwick would act as the leading community in hiring and supporting public health nurses to cover each of the other communities. The three-year grant will provide Southwick the funds to pay for one full-time and one part-time public health nurse.
Health Director Tammy Spencer was originally going to be the primary administrator for the shared nursing program. However, during the Oct. 7 Board of Health meeting, she announced that her last official day at Southwick’s Health Department will be Nov. 4. She said during the meeting that she plans on being able to assist in the transition period for a new health director and in setting up the shared nurse program.
“There is quite a bit that has to be done in the next two months for the program,” said Spencer.
Of the $179,630, $105,000 will be used directly to pay for the full-time and part-time nurses. The remainder will likely be used to cover administrative costs and possibly to compensate Spencer for any assistance she gives after Nov. 4.
Spencer had previously identified inequities in the public health system between larger communities and more rural towns like those that will join this program. The nurses would be able to run vaccine clinics or make house calls for vaccine administration. They could also do well-being checks on residents and go over the healthcare goals for residents in need of help.
A tentative draft plan for the shared nurse program is due this week, and the final plan is supposed to be in place by Nov. 15.