From the Lynn Public Health Department: The Lynn Public Health Department distributes a monthly newsletter with health-related information for the City of Lynn. For more information and questions you can call the Public Health Department at 781-598-4000 extension 6712.

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June Health Theme: Men’s Health Month 

2026 Theme: “Partners in Care: Advancing Men’s Health Through Connection, Education, & Advocacy Across the Lifespan — for Better Lifespans”

Celebrated during the month of June, the goal of Men’s Health Month is to serve as a reminder for men to be proactive about their health and encourage preventative care. According to the National Vital Statistics Report in 2023, the leading cause of death for men in the United States was:

1. Heart Disease – 23.3%
2. Cancers – 19.9%
3. Unintentional Injuries – 9.2%
4. Stroke – 4.4%
5. Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases – 4.2%
6. Diabetes – 3.4%
7. Suicide – 2.4%
8. Alzheimer disease – 2.2%
9. Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis – 2.0%
10. Kidney Disease – 1.8%

Preventative screenings are a useful tool to help identify and detect diseases early on. Some screenings include:

• Blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar for cardiovascular health 
• Prostate and colorectal screening
  • Prostate screening should begin around age 45
  • Colorectal screening should begin between 40-50 years of age depending on risk
• Routine physicals for health
  • Check vital signs, body measurements, discuss various screenings based on age/need, and overall general assessment  
• Mental health screenings
  • In the United States, among men 18+ (2024):
    • 20% experienced a mental illness
    • 21.3% experienced a substance use disorder
    • 42.1% with a mental illness received treatment in the past year 

July Health Themes: Chronic Disease Day (July 10) & UV Safety Month

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Meet Our Summer Interns

We are happy to introduce our summer 2026 interns, all studying different majors, but share a common passion for Public Health. 

Lamya B.
Boston College studying Neuroscience and Applied Psychology and Human Development

Evelyn F.
Bryn Mawr College studying Neuroscience and Spanish with Minor in Health Studies

Julien S.
University of Massachusetts Lowell studying Public Health

Daleri G.
Framingham State University studying Criminology and Psychology

We accept internship applications on a rolling basis. If you are interested in applying for an internship, learn how by clicking here.

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Grant Updates 

Our goal in Public Health is to promote, improve, and protect the health and wellness of communities and populations. We are able to do this through promoting health education campaigns, initiatives, and programming – most of which are funded through grants we pursue. Over the past few years, the Lynn Public Health Division has been awarded many grants that have helped us not only reach these goals, but help maintain them long-term. 

To learn more about the grants we’ve been awarded and initiatives we’ve implemented, click to expand and select from the options: 

• CHII/NiCIP Grant 
• Community Heat Resilience Pilot Grant
• Contact Tracing Grant
• Mass Call 3B Youth Prevention Grant 
• Mass Cultural Council Grant
• MLCHC Grant
• MVP HEAL Grant
• Opioid Working Group (OWG)
• RIZE Mosaic Grant
• SOR-PEC Grant
• Stroke Community Awareness Grant
• Transportation Grant

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Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Preparedness is a major aspect of Public Health, as it encompasses a wide range of activities to effectively prepare and to keep our community safe. Here in the Lynn Public Health Division, our Public Health Director and Epidemiologist work closely with the City’s Emergency Management Director to effectively plan and prepare.

Examples of initiatives include hosting quarterly meetings with department representatives such as: Police, DPW, School Safety and Inspectional Services. The purpose of these gatherings is to maintain regular contact, share updates, brainstorm and have a good working relationship for a more coordinated and cohesive approach. On a regional level, Lynn is part of the Region 3D Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition (HMCC), which is a “regional collaborative effort between local Public Health, EMS, Long Term Care Facilities, Large Ambulatory Care Practices, Community Health Centers, and Hospitals.” Regional meetings for 3D occur every month and more in-depth tabletop exercises take place throughout the year.

Overall, these efforts aim to safeguard resident safety, preserve health and promote cohesion in the community during emergencies. These examples include proper and timely notification, evacuations and mass shelter operations, disaster response from public safety and sanitation, mental health support and re-stabilization in the City.

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Lynn Board of Health Meeting

The Lynn Board of Health will be meeting on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 6:30pm in Lynn City Hall – Community Health Resource Room,108.

Through grant funding, the Lynn Public Health Division now offers live translation services during the Board of Health meetings. Spanish interpretation is available with both voice and live captions, along with live captions in various other languages.

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Calm 1-Year Anniversary 

On June 23rd, the Lynn Calm Team celebrated its 1-year anniversary. The Calm Team is an unarmed, care-oriented community response program rooted in racial equity and cultural competency. 

Since its launch, the Calm Team has recorded 1,198 interactions and activity lines. This total includes interactions in which the team maintained a visible presence in community spaces without necessarily engaging directly with specific individuals.

During the month of May, the Calm Team recorded 159 interactions, including 60 response calls and 99 proactive outreach activities.

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Dance Workshop: Afrobeats

Over the past few weeks, alongside the Lynn Youth-led Mental Health Committee, we hosted a series of dance work shops celebrating the diverse cultures represented in our city. On June 16th, we concluded the series with an Afrobeats dance workshop at Red Rock Park in collaboration with Mia Ihegie. 

Thank you to everyone who attended our workshops, our collaborators from: Cultura Latina Dance Academy Inc, Kakrona Center Inc., and Mia Ihegie, and the Lynn Cultural Council for awarding us grant funds to be able to bring these cultural dances to our communities.

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Bright Futures Scholarship

The City of Lynn’s Opioid Working Group (OWG) held an awards ceremony on June 9th, for the awardees of the very first Bright Futures Fund. This new initiative is dedicated to supporting young people whose lives have been affected by substance use.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

Classical | Amelia S. & Nessa Q.
Frederick Douglass | Jonandy Lara A. & Nathaniel V. 
English | Aneyah S. & Edgar C.
St. Mary’s | Anhaylee F. & Jason P.
Tech | Alexavier S. & Stephany M.
KIPP  | Daniel T. & Joseph B.

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Brickett Elementary School Visit

On June 10th, we welcomed kindergarteners from Brickett Elementary School. We told them all about what we do in Public Health, showed them our sensory area where they played, and gave them some Public Health swag. Thank you for the visit!

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Congratulations, Magnolia Contreras!

Congratulations to Lynn’s Magnolia Contreras as the 2026 Lemuel Shattuck Award for Significant Contributions to Public Health Practice recipient at the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance annual spring breakfast on June 5th at the JFK Library. Magnolia is the Vice President of Community Health at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and her decades-long career has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to eliminating health inequities. Lemuel Shattuck is known as the Architect of American Public Health and the award is given to an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of Public Health practice. Learn more about Magnolia and other awardees here.