EXPLORE THE HISTORY!

Our tours run every Thursday and one Saturday each month by appointment. Use our online form to reserve your spot. Our volunteers are here to greet you!
IF YOU MISSED IT...

 The October presentation about leprosy, or Hansen's Disease, was informative and insightful, and our guests shared their very personal stories with us. Watch it here.
A New Board
At the Annual Meeting of the Public Health Museum, Al DeMaria, MD was voted president, Steve Chilian, Vice President, and Noreen Johnson Smith, Treasurer. Dr. Kathie Domoto, longtime president of the board of directors, has stepped down and we thank her for her years of service. Kathie will continue her involvement with the Outbreak! program and will continue to be a valuable resource for us.

Part of the Annual Meeting was a fascinating presentation by director Sarah Alger, who gave us a virtual tour of the Paul S. Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital. Participants viewed the ether dome, an early operating theater where the first successful public demonstration of surgical anesthesia happened in 1846. While the Russell Museum is not open to the public right now, you can still view their exhibits via the link below.

The presentation by the Russsell Museum was part of our ongoing museum partnership series, generously funded by a grant through the Tewksbury Cultural Council, a local chapter of the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
THE NEXT GENERATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Student Tours at the PHM

Now that we are back with in-person tours, our volunteers have been hosting elementary, high school, and college students non-stop! Nursing students, dental assistants, and STEM students have been learning about the history of public health, important breakthroughs, and significant contributors to the field. If your school or university would like to schedule a tour, please contact Sandra Price at tours@publichealthmuseum.org.
Sharing the history of Public Health
Public Health Nursing Students from Middlesex Community College, Bedford, MA
Dental Assisting students from Keefe Tech, Framingham, MA
Sophomore Scholars in Residence, Living-Learning Program students from the University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
BOOK REVIEW
Volunteer Mary Ferguson was intrigued by Kate Moore's story of Elizabeth Packard and her quest to end the practice of husbands being allowed to commit their wives to insane asylums to silence them.
THE JET INJECTOR

Volunteer David Paquette shares the history of the jet injector, on display in the museum.
Meet David Paquette
Public Health Museum Volunteer
  By Mary Ferguson
 
David joined our team of tireless volunteers this year and arrived with abundant enthusiasm and a career of Public Health experience to draw upon. He recently retired, returning to the Lowell area after many years of living in Arizona. Educated at the University of Michigan School of Public Health (M.S.), and the University of Massachusetts (B.S.), some of his career highlights include working under Dr. Anthony Fauci of NIH (National Institutes of Health), establishing HIV Planning and Services for the Arizona Department of Health Services in Phoenix in 1991 and later serving as Director of Bio-Defense Preparedness and Response for the Maricopa County Public Health Department, also in Phoenix.
 
Part of his retirement plan has been to continue to pursue his enduring passion in all things public health and history. He became aware of the museum after seeing one of our new Public Health Museum signs, visited us online and knew at once he had found a hidden gem. He soon made a visit to the museum and within a few weeks he was leading tours.  David enjoys teaching visitors about the complexities of public health and its vibrant history. In the process he uses storytelling which educates as well as entertains. He believes the museum has good potential for growth and has a vision of a larger space with broader exhibits and programs. David is also a volunteer for the Upper Merrimack Valley Medical Reserve Corps. In this capacity he is engaged in administering vaccinations for COVID and Influenza.
 
David is happy to be back in his native state and and not worried about learning to embrace New England winters again . He is settling well into retirement, finding the right mix of relaxation and volunteer work. He is looking forward to traveling again to uncommon destinations with his spouse when safe to do so. His other passions are classic cars and cooking. Welcome David!
 
 
New volunteers are the key to the success of the museum and are always needed. Apply online or contact Sandra Price, Volunteer Coordinator for more information. Better yet, sign up for a tour!
"America's first public health museum"