OLRH partnerships ensure that the voice of local public health is heard by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). By fostering a two-way dialogue among the individuals working in the state’s diverse 351 cities and towns, these partnerships ensure resources are directed where they are needed most.
The Public Health Excellence Grant promotes service sharing among the state’s municipalities. OLRH serves to administer the program. Learn more about PHE Grants.
Coalition for Local Public Health (CLPH)
The Coalition for Local Public Health includes seven public health organizations that advocate for and increase awareness of the important work done by local public health. The organizations represent public health professionals interested in supporting the Commonwealth’s local public health infrastructure and its ability to respond to routine and emerging health issues.
Member organizations include:
- Massachusetts Association of Health Boards (MAHB)
- Massachusetts Association of Public Health Nurses (MAPHN)
- Massachusetts Environmental Health Association (MEHA)
- Massachusetts Health Officers Association (MHOA)
- Massachusetts Large Cities Health Coalition (MLCHC) (see below)
- Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA)
- Western Massachusetts Public Health Association (WMPHA)
The Massachusetts Large Cities Health Coalition
The Massachusetts Large Cities Health Coalition, developed in 2016, represents the 14 largest cities in the Commonwealth. MLCHC provides an opportunity to network and share best practices with communities facing similar challenges in an evolving public health landscape.
It is also an opportunity for DPH to engage with public health leaders of Massachusetts’ largest cities so we can learn about these cities’ unique needs and opportunities and have a productive dialogue about the best ways to support them.
The 14 cities selected for MLCHC are based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Places and the NACCHO Big Cities Health Coalition. The population criteria set by DPH for this group is populations of 70,000 or greater. In Massachusetts, large cities range from Framingham, with a population of about 72,000, to Boston, with a population of approximately 675,000.
The following cities (in alphabetical order) are included in the MLCHC:
- Boston
- Brockton
- Cambridge
- Fall River
- Framingham
- Lawrence
- Lowell
- Lynn
- New Bedford
- Newton
- Quincy
- Somerville
- Springfield
- Worcester
Intra-Agency Local Public Health Working Group
The Intra-Agency Local Public Health Working Group provides an opportunity for collaboration and communication among DPH programs on matters related to local public health. This group has regular touchpoints throughout the year, allowing space for DPH offices and bureaus to collaborate on issues related to local public health. OLRH facilitates the working group and seeks to act as a bridge between DPH and local public health.
DPH Bureaus and Offices represented:
- Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health
- Bureau of Community Health and Prevention
- Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition
- Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality
- Bureau of Health Professions Licensure
- Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences
- Bureau of Substance Addiction Services
- Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management
- Office of Health Equity and Community Engagement
- Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
Tribal Working Group
OLRH partners with DPH’s Office of Health Equity and Community Engagement (OHECE) to build a collaborative and sustainable working relationship that supports improved health outcomes through meaningful communication, effective resource distribution, and equitable health practices with the state’s two federally recognized Tribal nations, Tribal-serving organizations (historically acknowledged Tribes TIPSOs), and Native American individuals.
DPH is actively working to improve and strengthen its relationships with the Tribes and Tribal and Indigenous People Serving Organizations, rooted in the Strategic Plan to Advance Health Equity, or SP-ARE. We are committed to ensuring that all Tribal health and wellness needs are prioritized, respected, and integrated into policy, programs, and work, while protecting Tribal sovereignty, preventing erasure, and promoting equity.