Health - Marblehead Current

30 Oct

Marblehead native with ALS shares story, helps raise research money with The Beacon

Leigh BlanderHealth, Top Stories

John Peffer was born and raised in Marblehead and loves coming back to his hometown whenever he can. He traveled the world as a sales and marketing executive, but he says there’s no place like home. “I’ve been to some beautiful spots, but there’s just no other harbor in the world that beats Marblehead,” he said. Peffer, 62, is coming home again on Saturday, Nov. 15, for an ALS fundraiser in his honor. He was diagnosed with the debilitating disease last year. His father died…

20 Oct

Town tackles rising recycling costs, wellness efforts and flu warning

Akanksha GoyalHealth, Local News

The Board of Health wants to hear from residents, as the town chooses a new trash and recycling vendor. At an Oct. 15 meeting, Public Health Director Andrew Petty said the town is considering three main options for curbside collection: continuing the current system with residents using their own barrels and limited recycling; switching to automated pickup with barrels provided by the town; or automated pickup with recycling every other week, which could reduce costs. He noted that all options would result in higher expenses.…

09 Oct

PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVES: Improving mental health in town

Tom Massaro, MD, Ph.DHealth, Opinion

“Mental health is the defining public health crisis of our time.” It is difficult to disagree with the quote from Dr. Vivek Murthy above. The facts are overwhelming. In 2024, 23% of U.S. adults struggled with a mental illness and 18% reported having a substance use disorder. Approximately 20% of American youth had at least one major depressive episode, with 13% reporting having seriously considered suicide. Despite the high incidence of mental illness, less than half of youth receive treatment nationwide. Marblehead and its young…

07 Oct

Miles for Mary 5K Run/Walk supports brain cancer research

Leigh BlanderHealth, Local News, Sports

Two upcoming events in Marblehead will honor the memory of Mary Park while benefiting brain cancer treatment research at Mass General Cancer Center. Park died from glioblastoma in 2012, as have too many other loved ones in town. The first is a Miles for Mary Run/Walk Saturday, Oct. 18 at Devereux Beach. According to the National Institute of Health, more than 25,000 people will be diagnosed with brain cancer this year. The National Brain Tumor Society states that the five-year relative survival rate for glioblastoma…

01 Oct

Trash, recycling costs expected to soar

Leigh BlanderHealth, Top Stories

At a Sept. 29 meeting, Public Health Director Andrew Petty showed off two large plastic trash toters (barrels) and spoke about different options for trash and recycling after the town’s 10-year contract with Republic Services ends in September 2026. For years, Petty has been alerting the town that once the Republic contract ends, costs will likely increase by about 60%. Right now, according to Petty, Marblehead pays just over $1 million a year for trash and recycling collection. That amounts to about $2 a week…

30 Sep

High-dose flu clinic in Marblehead

Leigh BlanderHealth, Local News

The Marblehead Public Health Department will hold a high-dose flu clinic for seniors 65 years and older on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 9-11 a.m. It will be held at the Jacobi Community Center, 10 Humphrey St. Register HERE. For questions, call Tracy Giarla, public health nurse at the Health Department, 781-631-0212

29 Sep

PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVES: Assessing wellness in Marblehead

Tom Massaro, MD, Ph.DHealth, Top Stories

In your mailbox this week there should be a postcard from the town of Marblehead c/o UMass Boston inviting you to complete a private, completely confidential survey about your health and wellness. The Board of Health will use the results of that survey to set priorities and develop community-wide programs in the future. It may take a few minutes of your time to complete today, but the results from it will be invaluable to the board as it makes strategic decisions for years to come.…

26 Sep

Marbleheaders join musical adventure to help cure cancer

Saoirse StallingsArt, Entertainment, Health, Local News

An annual musical tradition, with deep Marblehead connections, is set for Saturday, Oct. 4, at North Shore Music Theater in Beverly. The show, “Myth Magic & Mystery,” is presented by Voices of Hope, a nonprofit that raises funds for cancer research through theatrical performances. Its mission is to achieve a cancer-free world. Over the last 16 years, VOH has donated more than $1 million to the Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies at Massachusetts General Hospital. Belinda Termeer is a longtime Marblehead resident whose husband, Henri,…

24 Sep

Marblehead Turns Pink, with lots of local support

Bella TravagliniCommunity Resources, Community Service, Health, Top Stories

Susan Hassett thought that her two-year battle with breast cancer had been “wrapped up in a little box, with a big pink bow” hidden away in the back of her closet — until she realized that she needed to pay it forward. It was this past spring, while on a business call that had turned to friendly chatter, that Hassett, 68, learned of a free, multi-faceted support service for breast cancer patients; a service she had been unaware of during her treatments, surgeries and recovery.…

16 Sep

App-based mental, emotional support system coming to town

Leigh BlanderHealth, Top Stories

Soon, all Marblehead residents and employees will have access to a new app that offers a wide-range of mental, emotional and physical health support — all for free from their phone. Public Health Director Andrew Petty announced that the town is using $14,500 in opioid settlement funds to hire Bloom, a platform that provides therapy, crisis care, resources and more. The Current contacted Bloom’s co-founder Joanne Mercaldi to learn more. Current: What will Marblehead residents and employees have access to? Mercaldi: With Bloom, Marblehead residents…