Object of the Month 

Symbolizing the fight against tuberculosis, The seals were first issued in 1904 in Denmark at Christmastime, giving them this name. Purchases helped to fund sanitariums. 

Later, with the advent of the antibiotic streptomycin, TB became a curable disease.

Occurrences had been declining, especially in the developed world,  but is currently on the rise, and still a common major infectious disease. Learn about its history in Massachusetts in the April 3 lecture.   

Thank you to Tom and Veronica Kott of Blue Moon Philatelic for donating this important piece of public health history.

What is National Public Health Week?  

Since 1995, when the first full week of April was declared National Public Health Week by President Bill Clinton, communities across America have observed it by recognizing the contributions of public health.  

“Return on Investment: Save Lives, Save Money” is the 2013 theme for the week, exploring the value of prevention and the importance of well-supported public health systems in preventing disease, saving lives, and curbing health care spending.  

Learn more at the  Health Week’s website.  

Plan your visit  

In honor of National Public Health Week 

Extended Museum Hours

Open 10-2, Tues-Sat

April 2-6 

Wheelchair-accessible

Stroller parking  

Leave about an hour for your guided tour. 

Please call ahead for group tours, research, and special arrangements.

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PHM INSIDER – Newsletter of the Public Health Museum

Dear Colleague,

The first week of April the Public Health Museum celebrates National Public Health Week. I am pleased to provide event details in a flyer for you to share.  

What is the significance of this week for us?  As we continue to become more aware of how the environment has an impact on individual and community health, we observe that the action of

one affects the health of all.

 Public health makes us aware of the part we all play in the health of our communities and how we are connected to each other.

And to further those connections, I  invite you, friends, and colleagues to attend a series of events at the Museum and at our newest partner’s location, the Tewksbury Public Library.

 Some events are free and open to the public and others are specifically for nurses and other health practitioners.   

And in this celebration issue of the PHM Insider, I’m delighted to feature volunteer Sandra Gandreau and her outstanding contribution through her tours of the Public Health Museum.

Here’s to a marvelous National Public Health Week,  

Katherine Domoto, MD, MBA 

President of the Museum Board of Directors 

Public Health Museum

Attend a Free Lecture 

Public Health History in Massachusetts:

a story of smallpox, yellow fever, cholera, and tuberculosis.

April 3

7 p.m. Held at the Tewksbury Public Library, 300 Chandler St., Tewksbury.   

As part of the Museum’s celebration of National Public Health Week we invite you a talk by State Epidemiologist
Alfred DeMaria, MD, a wonderful speaker and friend to the Museum.  

Learn the fascinating history of the treatment of these diseases and the impact on our state’s public health. Whether you are a practitioner, or just interested in community health, the history will amaze you.

The First Library/Museum Exhibit

 April 1-30, 2013 

     Introducing the Public Health Museum

Visit our first exhibit at the Tewksbury Public Library with Museum objects on display.  

The exhibit provides a preview of the unique historical artifacts and public health articles on display at our Museum.  

Also as part of National Public Health Week celebration, we donated two circulating Museum passes to the Library. This allows Tewksbury residents the opportunity to visit the Museum at no charge.  

Thank you to the Director and staff at the Tewksbury Library for these wonderful opportunities.    

Meet Volunteer Sandra Garneau 

Sometimes it takes a real insider to bring history to life, and that’s just what Sandra brings to her role as Tour Guide at the Museum.

She developed the very first hospice room at Tewksbury Hospital. An RN, now retired from the Hospital’s Unit E-2, she would prefer to shine the spotlight on her colleagues’ award-winning work than on herself.  

But it is this caring and empathy that gives her a special feeling for the stories behind the Museum collections.    

And Sandy does not stop there. Ask her about thrice weekly “bone-building”  exercise class, her ministry, ten grandchildren, and her husband of 52 years–also a volunteer– and get ready for some great stories!  

Thank you, Sandra, for bringing so much to the Museum experience for everyone. 

Find us on Facebook

We invite you to join the conversation on Facebook at the Public Health Museum page. See cool photographs and visitor comments–and post some of your own!

Thank you to Cindy Grove, Reference Librarian of Tewksbury Public Library, for her recommendation on Facebook of the book:

Mountains beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man who would cure the world