Sharon Health Department Journal

Facebook: Sharon Health Department

Instagram: sharonma_healthdpt

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer months and has had a chance to reset and relax—whether that means reading a good book, enjoying a day at the beach, hiking, or simply spending time with family and friends.

We have been fortunate this summer to welcome several interns to the Health Department who have been working on projects that directly support the health and well-being of our community. Their work has included tick and Lyme disease surveillance, a community needs assessment, and health-related programming and outreach in collaboration with the Council on Aging. These projects are important to the work we do every day and provide our interns with valuable, hands-on experience in public health.

Our interns have also taken the time to share a little about themselves and the work they have been doing this summer. We invite you to learn more about them and their projects in the profiles included in this newsletter.

We would also greatly appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete the two surveys developed by our interns, which can be found beneath the Health and Wellness Fair section. Our interns will review and analyze the responses, and your feedback will help guide the Health Department as we plan future programs, services, and initiatives and determine what health issues are most important to Sharon residents.

As summer begins to wind down, we are looking ahead to a busy fall season. The Health Department will be offering community-wide and school vaccination clinics to help residents prepare for the fall and winter months. We will also be participating in Sharon Day, where you can stop by and learn more about the Health Department, meet with community partners, and connect with local public health resources.

We hope you will take advantage of these opportunities to stay informed, get connected, and take an active role in your health and the health of our community. We look forward to seeing you at the Health and Wellness Fair on Sunday, August 30th and Sharon Day on Sunday, September 27th!

Linda Callan

Health Administrator

Hello everyone!

My name is Isabella Zelenchuk and I am an intern for the Sharon Public Health Department! I am a rising junior at Northeastern University pursuing a Bachelor’s in Science in Health Science on the pre-medical track.

I moved from Stoughton to Sharon in 2010, so I attended all the Sharon schools for my K-12 education. I graduated from Sharon High School summa cum laude in May 2024! I am excited I am able to apply the skills I’m learning in my public health and healthcare classes in the real-world while being able to give back to my community!

I previously interned for the Sharon Pubic Health Department last summer (Summer 2025), where I collaborated with other college interns to create a Maternal and Child Health Resource Guide to serve the towns of Sharon, Mansfield, Foxborough, Norton, Easton, and Plainville.

This summer (Summer 2026), I am working on a tick-borne disease surveillance project and studying the prevalence of Lyme disease in Sharon. This project includes a community survey to hear from Sharon residents about their concerns on ticks, tick-borne diseases, and what the Sharon Health Department can do to help address these concerns. Furthermore, this summer project will also lay the groundwork for developing an education program about ticks and tick-borne diseases to bring to the elementary schools. This program aims to educate the most common demographic impacted by tick bites and tick-borne diseases — children under the age of 10 — in order to reduce their risk. By bringing this vital public health education to these schools, the goal is to prevent and reduce the number of cases while increasing awareness about local tick risk. Using this data, an epidemiology report and tick risk map will be published for viewing by Sharon residents who hope to learn more about tick risk in Sharon. Through this project, I hope to show how vital public health campaigns are for ensuring the health and safety of our town.

About Me

In the future, I hope to pursue a dual MD/MPH program to combine my interests in clinical medicine and public health to become a well-versed healthcare practitioner. Aside from being a college student, I am also a Husky Ambassador (tour guide) for Northeastern where I get to share my passion for my school to prospective students and families, and I am an EMT, trained in providing emergency medical care in Massachusetts.

I am incredibly passionate about public health as I believe it is the first step in ensuring a healthier community for all. By focusing on prevention, education, and awareness, future health problems can be avoided, lessoning a multitude of burdens for families. I have a particular interest in infectious disease control and epidemiology (probably because I’ve loved watching YouTube videos on infectious diseases and pandemics since I was 12!). I also have a passionate interest for global health after studying abroad in South Korea this summer, as I believe the U.S. can take away great public health and healthcare lessons from other countries to implement for themselves.

Hello everyone! My name is Morgan Mitchell and I am a Public Health Intern with the Sharon Health Department. I am currently pursuing my Master of Public Health at Brown University School of Public Health, where I expect to graduate in 2027. I also earned a Graduate Certificate in Public Health from the University of Florida and hold a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Strategic Communication from American University.

My path to public health began through communications. I spent several years working in public relations, media relations and content development, including work with health and technology organizations. That experience showed me how important clear, accessible communication is, particularly when people are trying to make decisions about their health or understand complicated information.

About Me

I grew up in Sharon and am so excited to be able to give back to my hometown as a part of my MPH journey! At the Sharon Health Department, I am working on a community needs assessment that includes survey development, data analysis and a final report for the Board of Health. The project focuses on several issues that are especially important to me, including substance use prevention, food insecurity and mental health. I am excited to have the opportunity to apply what I have learned in my MPH program to local public health and to learn more about how a municipal health department responds to the needs of its community.

Outside of my academic work, I have also been involved in community service. I previously volunteered with the Friendly Food Pantry in Randolph, where I established its social media presence and managed a youth volunteer program for high school students. That experience strengthened my interest in food insecurity and community-based public health. What I enjoy most about public health is how many different pieces come together to improve health, from research and data to communication, prevention and community partnerships. I am particularly interested in health equity, substance use and addiction, food insecurity and finding ways to make public health information and services more accessible. I am enjoying learning from the Sharon Health Department team and contributing to the department’s work throughout my internship.

Recent news related to a family from Massachusetts has brought a heartbreaking but necessary conversation to the forefront nationally: maternal mental health. It serves as an urgent reminder that mothers need far more compassion and active care than our society currently provides.

The cognitive, emotional, and physical load of motherhood is staggering. Mothers constantly navigate complex choices, societal pressures, and the immense responsibility of nurturing another human being—often while still figuring out their own paths. This frequently leads to quiet, persistent overwhelm and deep isolation. A mother’s well-being shapes her entire family, especially her children. In a world where the traditional "village" has disappeared, we have to rebuild it.

If you know a mom, ask her how she is doing. Create a safe, judgment-free space for her to talk; simply listen. Remind her she is not alone. That small act of connection can be life-changing.

To help rebuild our local village, my therapeutic private practice, Commit to You, PLLC—which focuses on helping parents nurture their own well-being so they can more fully engage in and enjoy parenthood—has partnered with the Sharon Health Department and Sharon Public Library to host a weekly Parent Support Program. Our goal is to provide parents with direct access to community connection, vital information, and clinical tools.

• When: Every Tuesday at 10:30 AM (Resuming September 15th)
• Where: Sharon Public Library
• What to Expect: Local health experts covering topics that would be helpful to new parents, such as infant sleep, nutrition, and parental wellness.

• For the Children: Story time and activities led by the children’s librarian, if your child(ren) are joining you!

Our core mission is to create a warm space where parents can build the social support network they so desperately need to fill their cups. If you know a new parent, please share this program with them. Additionally, if you have an area of expertise that could benefit this group, please reach out. Together, we can provide the support Sharon parents and children need.

Sejal Prajapati, PsyD

Commit to You, PLLC

The Sharon Health Department is accepting donations of the following to provide no-cost foot care to Veterans:

• Cotton socks
• Rough nail files
• Nail file blocks
• Vick's mini tubs
• Travel-size Gold Bond powder
• Dr. Scholl's inserts

Items must be new/unopened and can be brought to the Sharon Health Department during business hours.

The Sharon Health Department is hosting its first ever Wellness Fair on Sunday, August 30, 2026. The event will be held at Everwood Day Camp (125 Lakeview Street Sharon, MA) from 1pm-4pm!

The event will feature health and wellness-related vendors and resources including:

• Eye care
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Holistic Wellness
• Nutrition
• Athletics
• Fitness
• Education
• Senior Living
• Local town departments and organizations
• And more!

The event will also feature live, interactive fitness demonstrations, health screenings, and giveaways!

There will also be food and drink available for purchase.

Come with the whole family and enjoy a fun and educational day in nature!

Pop-In with the Public Health Nurse, second Wednesday of the month 10:30AM-12:00PM at the Sharon Council on Aging.

Care Solace is a free and confidential, 24/7/365 service that helps individuals and families quickly connect with mental health, substance use treatment options, and social service support.

Call (888) 515-0595 or click on the button below.

Bat activity increases from spring through early fall, with peak activity during the summer months. From March through October, bats emerge to feed, raise their young, and prepare for winter hibernation. Bats play an important role in our ecosystem by consuming large numbers of insects each night.

As temperatures cool in September and October, bats become more active while preparing for winter and may seek shelter in attics, chimneys, trees, or other quiet spaces. During the winter months, most bats enter hibernation.

If you encounter a bat in your home, avoid handling it with bare hands. Keep people and pets away from the bat and contact your local health or animal control department for guidance, particularly if there has been any possible contact with a person or pet.

HESSCO Elder Services

545 South Street, Suite 300

Walpole, MA 02081

P: 781-784-4944

F: 781-784-4922

https://hessco.org/services/

https://www.facebook.com/HESSCO/

https://www.instagram.com/hesscoelderservices

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hessco-elder-services

This recipe serves 4 people for approximately $5 per serving using frozen wild salmon—and even less when made with canned salmon.

Nutrition (Per Serving): Calories: ~705; Protein: ~45g; Carbohydrates: ~38g; Fat: ~40g.

Ingredients:

For the Salmon Cakes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1½ pounds frozen wild salmon pieces, thawed, cooked and roughly chopped
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs (½ cup in the mix, save ¼ cup for coating)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons avocado mayo

For the Salad

• 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 ounces mixed greens
• ½ green apple, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons diced red onion
• Fresh herbs (parsley, dill, or thyme)
• For the Vinaigrette
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pat the salmon dry, drizzle with olive oil, and season with kosher salt.
2. Bake for 8–12 minutes, then allow to cool slightly before roughly chopping into small pieces—you want texture, not a paste.
3. In a bowl, gently combine the salmon, egg, panko, Dijon mustard, red onion, fresh herbs, nutritional yeast, avocado mayo, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined.
4. Form into 8 small patties and lightly coat with the remaining panko breadcrumbs.
5. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook until golden brown on both sides, flipping once.
6. Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
7. Toss the mixed greens with the white beans, apple, red onion, fresh herbs, and vinaigrette.
8. Serve the crispy salmon cakes alongside the dressed salad. Enjoy!

Report My Meal is an online system for reporting suspected foodborne illness to public health officials in Massachusetts. After completing the attached online form, the information goes to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) where it is reviewed and shared with local health departments within the state for follow-up.

If you have any ideas you would like The Health Department to include in future newsletters, please reach out to us at (781) 784-1500 ext. 1205 or email agreeley@sharonma.gov

It's important to regularly check the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recall list because defective or unsafe products, including drugs, food, and medical devices, can reach consumers.

When you're aware of active recalls, you can act quickly - stop using the product, follow the manufacturer's instructions, and contact your healthcare provider or retailer of needed. Failure to do so can mean exposure to serious health risks or harm even when the chance may seem small.

Staying informed is a simple but powerful step in protecting your health and the wellbeing of those around you.