A message from Health Director Frank Singleton, MSPH, MPA

Welcome to the City of Lowell Health Department. Our mission is to preserve and maintain the City’s public health standards to both promote and to protect the health and wellness of the people within Lowell: residents, workers and visitors.

We strive to fulfill our mission through a wide range of public health programs that serve to target the prevention of communicable and chronic disease, environmental health and code enforcement as well as emergency preparedness and emergency medical response.  The Department provides school nursing services to some 16,000 school children, utilizes public health nurses to promote immunization and to respond to reportable diseases of public health concern and manages the City contract with the City’s Ambulance provider, Trinity EMS. Housing inspections, retail food service, noise, refuse and public nuisance enforcement and education are also provided. Prevention of youth access to tobacco and the handling of workplace complaints on smoking are also the responsibility of the Lowell Health Department.   For a detailed view of the Lowell Health Dept, click on the link  below to watch our streaming video created by Lowell Telecommunications (LTC)!

click here for the LTC Steaming Video of The Lowell Health Department!

H1N1 FLU  (swine flu)

The H1N1 Flu Virus is similar to seasonal flu,  so please do not panic.  We are talking with State Health Officials, both local hospitals, Emergency Managment and the School Department on a regualar basis.   For more details and see what is running on LTC, click HERE or visit one of the links below.  

Note:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) link below is updated on a daily basis. 

Protect yourself and your family by :

•       Wash your hands often.  Watch this short video and put your hands together.
•       Avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes.
•       Use cough etiquette (cough into your elbow)
•       If you get sick with flu –STAY HOME!
•      Call your doctor as he or she will know if you need to be tested or take medication.

  For more information from the Mass Deptartment of Public Health click here.

 For more information on Flu Care at Home click here.

 * NOTE other languages of Flu Care at Home are available at MDPH under "related links" (on the right) Flu: What you can do.

 For more information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) click  here.  

For more information from the Lowell Health Department  call 978-970-4010 and press the number 5 or ext 9-4304.

For more information on proper cough etiquette click here.

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We are part of a committee planning prevention of hospital overflow when someone with special medical needs is evacuated in an emergency such as the December 2008 ice storms.   In September of 2008, the first community drill was held where several residents (all actors no actual residents evacuated) of Northwood Healthcare Center were evacuated to two other nursing facilities; Heritage Nursing Care Facility and Willow Manor. Here the residents could continue to receive needed daily medical care while freeing up the hospitals for other emergencies.  Click HERE to watch the streaming video, created by LTC, and the drill unfold.

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•  Do You think you may have bed bugs?  Found where people sleep, bed bugs have grown in numbers in the last several years, as they have become more resistant to pesticides formally used to control them.  If you think you may have bed bugs, DO NOT PANIC, they can be removed if you follow an organized and structured pest managent plan.  For  further information and basic fact sheets,  visit the Health Inspection Division Dept.  page.                

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• Do you have questions about recycling?  Visit the City of Lowell's Recycling Program web page for further information on recycling. 

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• If there were an emergency in Lowell would you be willing to volunteer? Many people want to help during an emergency but do not realize that volunteers need to be pre-credentialed before they can help.  We work very closely with the Upper Merrimack Valley Reserve Corps (UMVMRC), an organization that provides volunteers for emergencies and seasonal events such as parades.  To learn more, take a moment to read a letter to Lowell Residents and visit the UMVMRC web page.  Interested in joining?  Use this link to the application page and become a volunteer today!  Application Page Link!