On behalf of The Public Health Museum, I would like to give a big thank you to the volunteer team for leading tours great and small, to working on historical collections and research, being available for special events, and keeping the museum in working order! The commitment to serve is very much appreciated!
The museum has a collection of Christmas Seals, used by the American Lung Association to raise money for tuberculosis care. Volunteer Phyllis Healy shares the history.
The PHM is incredibly lucky to have been able to continue operations, albeit modified, despite the pandemic. Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, the museum was able to expand its virtual programming, offer Outbreak! in its second year online, conduct more frequent outdoor tours, and welcome more college and high school tours than ever before. In fact, over 1,000 visitors toured in 2021 and we are already booking out well into 2022.
January also brings our membership renewal and donation appeal. Please consider a gift to the museum. Your tax-deductible contribution helps cover archive work and upgrades to technology. We look forward to welcoming a Museum Coordinator in 2022 and digitization interns who will work on preservation of the ledgers from Tewksbury Hospital.
Public health has never been more squarely in the public eye, and we are grateful to be able to raise awareness and bring its history to the community.
Paul Etkind, MPH, DrPH, gives us his reflection. Paul is a retired epidemiologist and a member of the Public Health Museum Advisory Committee. Prior to retirement, Paul had a public health career of over 40 years as an epidemiologist and division director at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, at the Nashua, New Hampshire Health Department, and at the national level as Senior Director of Infectious Diseases National Association of County and City Health Officials.
Our volunteers have been hosting elementary, high school, and college students now that we are back in person. Nursing students, dental techs, and STEM classes have been learning about the history of public health, important breakthroughs, and significant contributors to the field. Learn how Tewksbury teachers partnered with the Lemelson-MIT Program to develop a STEM-based visit to the museum. Our volunteers hosted the entire 5th and 6th grades through the whole month of November. Contact the museum about scheduling your group for a tour!
South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School, Hanover, MA
John F. Ryan Elementary School, Tewksbury, MA
Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School,
Danvers, MA
Your gift shop purchases help fund our mission. Coffee mugs, tshirts, magnets, and books are all available. We're moving to a cashless model so credit/debit is appreciated when you visit.
Outbreak! coordinator Teri Clover was featured in this month's Region 7 member update in the Network of the National Library of Medicine's blog. We are grateful for National Library of Medicine (NLM) support of the program! Read about Teri and her path to a career in public health.
