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  1. Home
  2. Local Public Health Nurse Consultant Program

About the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program

A new initiative between the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and the Mass. Department of Public Health.

A map breaking down the regionals for the Local Public Health Nurse Consultant Program.

The Public Health Nurse Consultant Program is designed to address the varying health challenges faced by communities across Massachusetts. A joint collaboration between the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), the program’s overall goal is to advance the mission of the Blueprint for Public Health Excellence and support the advancement of Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) for all communities. PHN Consultants provide support, technical assistance and guidance as needed to all PHNs and other health department staff to address the unique needs of each community. Examples include screening for hypertension, vaccination clinics, harm reduction or maternal visiting programs.

Services

The program delivers services in three main areas - 

Clinical Consultation

Consultants provide clinical consultations to local health departments and PHNs to support Foundational Public Health Services, serve as mentors for new nurses or those new to Local Public Health Nursing, support the clinical and programmatic work of seasoned LPHNs, and provide community focused technical assistance and support.  

Training Program

The Public Health Nurse Consultant Program is tasked with creating and delivering a three-tiered PHN training curriculum with ongoing quality improvement. The curriculum will be structured as follows: 

  • Tier 1: Asynchronous eLearning Modules
  • Tier 2: Instructor Led Courses on LPH topics as a part of the Local Public Health Intensive Training Program
  • Tier 3: Practice-based Clinical Training using Real Public Health Scenarios
Workforce Development

The Public Health Nurse Consultant Program will work with the Office of Local and Regional Health's (OLRH) Workforce Unit on recruitment strategies. Outreach will begin with all BSN programs in Massachusetts and will include in-person presentations aimed at introducing nursing students to the profession of Public Health Nursing. The program will work with academic partners in each of the five regions to build relationships that serve workforce development, and will facilitate preceptorships and clinical experiences for nursing students with LPH partners across the Commonwealth. 

Learn more

  • Search your county to find your regional public health nurse consultant.
  • Learn about trainings for healthcare providers.
  • Share any feedback, questions, or requests you may have regarding the Local Public Health Nurse Consultant Program via the LPHNCP Feedback Form.
  • Reach out to your region's Local Public Health Nurse Consultant for technical assistance and support by completing the OLRH Technical Support Request Form.
  • Sign up for the Local Public Health Nurse Consultant Email Distribution List.

Meet the Team

Ann Becker

RN, DNP, PHNL
Director, Public Health Nurse Consultant Program
Clinical Associate Professor
Director of Public Health, UMass Amherst

Ann Becker is a UMass Amherst clinical associate professor, international programs nursing advisor, and director of the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program.

Headshot for Ann Becker

Margaret (Meg) Burch

MS, RN, NCSN
Program Manager, Public Health Nurse Consultant Program

Meg Burch is the program manager of the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program, a joint initiative between UMass and the Mass. Dept. of Public Health.

Meg Burch

Anne Mistivar

DNP-HSIL, MSN, RN
Western Region, Local Public Health Nurse Consultant,
Local Public Health Nurse Consultant Program

Anne Mistivar is a local public heath nurse consultant serving the western Mass. region with the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program.

Anne Mistiva

Tamara Bedard

BSN, RN​
Central Region, Local Public Health Nurse Consultant,
Public Health Nurse Consultant Program

Tamara Bedard is a local public health nurse consultant serving the central Mass. region with the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program.

Tamara Bedard

Alyssa Kaiser

BSN, RN
Southeast Region, Local Public Health Nurse Consultant,
Public Health Nurse Consultant Program

Alyssa Kaiser is a local public health nurse consultant serving the southeast Mass. region with the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program.

Alyssa Kaiser

Chassea Robinson

MSN, MPH, RN​
Northeast Region, Local Public Health Nurse Consultant,
Public Health Nurse Consultant Program

Chassea Robinson is a local public health nurse consultant serving the northeast Mass. region with the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program.

Chassea Robinson

Tiffany Benoit

MPH, BSN, RN, CHO
Eastern Region, Local Public Health Nurse Consultant,
Public Health Nurse Consultant Program

Tiffany Benoit is a local public health nurse consultant serving the eastern Mass. region with the Public Health Nurse Consultant Program.

Tiffany Benoit

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