• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Wellesley Square
  • School news
  • Private schools, sponsored by Riverbend
  • Camp
  • Kids
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Business news
  • Embracing diversity
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Fire & police scanner
  • Worship
  • Deland, Gibson Insurance Athlete of the Week
  • Raiders sports schedules & results
  • Live gov’t meetings
  • 2023 Town Election
  • Events
  • About us
  • Natick Report
 
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Meet Wellesley candidate for Board of Health, Shepard Cohen

March 1, 2020 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Town of Wellesley depends on the active participation of its citizens in governance of the Town. Wellesley has 11 Boards and Committees on the ballot at the Annual Town election each year in March. The 2020 election will be held on March 17.

Shepard Cohen, Wellesley candidate, Board of Health
Shepard Cohen is running as a candidate for the Wellesley Board of Health

There is one candidate running for the single open position on the Board of Health. The Board of Health is a three-member elected Board that provides leadership on Town health and human service matters. The mission of the Board is to protect and improve the health and quality of life of the town’s residents and workforce. Like other town boards, Board members receive no payment for their volunteer services.

Although the race is uncontested, we’re always interested in the priorities and goals of Wellesley’s elected officials. We invited candidate Shepard Cohen to answer a few questions about his qualifications and priorities for the Town of Wellesley.

The Swellesley Report: How long have you served on the Board of Health, and in what capacity?
Shepard Cohen: I have been fortunate to have served Wellesley as an elected member of the Board of Health for over 30 years, and as Board chair for the past 20.

SR: What is your background and what qualifies you for the position?
Shepard Cohen: For more than five decades I have been  a senior  health care administrator and consultant, mainly for Federal, State and local public agencies.

SR: Tell us about some of your accomplishments during your tenure on the Board of Health?
Shepard Cohen: After 30 years, where do I start? Overall, along with my accomplished  Board  colleagues over the years, we have recruited and retained an outstanding staff; advocated for adequate resources; and set policies and priorities that are science-based and responsive to changing community needs, particularly in the areas of  environmental/sanitation and social services/mental health.

SR: How is the Board of Health working toward promulgating regulations for vaping?
Shepard Cohen: Health Department staff have drafted revised vaping and tobacco regulations. We are now watching how the new State comprehensive regulations are implemented and how they will withstand any legal challenges. If then necessary, the Board of Health will promulgate local revisions to its current tobacco regulations.

SR: What has been the impact of marijuana legalization in Wellesley? How will Wellesley handle the potential sale of marijuana in town?
Shepard Cohen: It is unlikely that the Town will allow the sale of marijuana.

SR: How does the Town provide for people with substance use issues?
Shepard Cohen: As might be appropriate based individual circumstances, the Town’s very good community- and school-based counseling, social service and mental health resources are available to address substance abuse issues, including education and awareness. We also collaborate with other Town departments and community agencies. On the Health Department website (Wellesleyma.gov/health) is a mental health resource guide that includes listing of substances abuse resources.

SR: Does the Wellesley Health Department offer free training and Naloxone (Narcan) distribution for community members who are at risk of witnessing or experiencing an overdose? What are your thoughts about that?
Shepard Cohen: With donations of Narcan from Newton-Wellesley Hospital, the Health Department oversees distribution of Narcan to first responders as well as other Town staff. The fire department Emergency Medical Services  Coordinator, Dana Gerrans, provides training to a variety of frontline personnel.

SR: Can you talk about the ways Wellesley provides Behavioral Health services for residents? What more can the town do?
Shepard Cohen: The Health Department annual budget includes a sizable subsidy to our wonderful community health agency, Human Relations Services, so that Wellesley residents are not denied mental health services because of financial or insurance issues. This budgeting also provides for funding of  a full-time psychologist or social worker outreach worker in the high school and middle school to deal early with any child’s non-school related mental health needs. Importantly, the Health Department staff fortunately now includes  a full time senior community social worker and a second social worker, serving all segments of the population.

SR: What is the greatest health related need in Wellesley and what is your hot-button issue?
Shepard Cohen: There is no one “greatest” need or one “hot button” issue.  The Board of Health and Health Department bear a wide range of awesome responsibilities to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of townspeople. They range from protecting the food supply, to ensuring summer camp safety, to preventing and controlling communicable diseases, to offering health education and related programs, to preparing for emergencies, and to otherwise assessing the health care needs of the Town and striving to meet documented needs, either directly or In collaboration with a myriad of Town and community health and social service agencies.

Shepard Cohen can be reached by email at shepcohen@aol.com or by cell at 617-797-SHEP (7437)

MORE:

Table of Wellesley offices, 2020

print

Filed Under: 2020 Town Election, Government, Volunteering

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisements:

Linden Square, Wellesley
EXPLO, Wellesley
Wellesley Hills Junior Women's Club

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Advertisements

Wellesley Square, Wellesley Merchants
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Beacon Hill Athletic Club, Wellesley
Fay School, Southborough
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Wellesley Theatre Project
Volvo
Cheesy Street Grill
Mature Caregivers
Admit Fit, Wellesley
charles river chamber
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Most Read Posts

  • Sign up now for summer camp in Wellesley (and beyond)
  • Letters to the editor on The Swellesley Report
  • Voting rights expert to give talk at Wellesley College
  • Wellesley High parents pan standards-based grading, school leaders say improvements planned
  • Wellesley business buzz: La Toscana's, Express Gourmet to serve alcohol; Where the town banks (not SVB!)

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Upcoming Events

Mar 23
9:00 am - 10:30 pm

Select Board office hours

Mar 23
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Wellesley Neighbors information session

Mar 23
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Babson Arts presents “The Forgotten Kingdom”

Mar 25
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm

The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical

Mar 26
10:00 am - 10:30 am

6th annual “Plunge for Elodie”

View Calendar

Popular pages

  • Wellesley’s 2023 Boston Marathon charity runners
  • Wellesley’s 7 official scenic roads

Recent Comments

  • Mike on Time is right for new owners of Wellesley’s Coconut Thai Cafe
  • Ken on Wellesley High parents pan standards-based grading, school leaders say improvements planned
  • J covino on Wellesley High parents pan standards-based grading, school leaders say improvements planned
  • LADY WELLESLEY on Wellesley High parents pan standards-based grading, school leaders say improvements planned
  • Michali Lerner on Wellesley High School hosting standards-based grading discussion

Links we like

  • Danny's Place
  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group

Categories

  • 2021 Town Election (24)
  • 2023 Town Election (13)
  • Animals (429)
  • Antiques (49)
  • Art (596)
  • Beyond Wellesley (53)
  • Books (380)
  • Business (1,568)
  • Camp (12)
  • Careers/jobs (53)
  • Churches (82)
  • Clubs (241)
  • Construction (301)
  • Dump (131)
  • Education (3,219)
    • Babson College (252)
    • Bates Elementary School (18)
    • Dana Hall School (37)
    • Fiske Elementary School (11)
    • Hardy Elementary School (48)
    • Hunnewell Elementary School (47)
    • MassBay (57)
    • Schofield Elementary School (26)
    • Sprague Elementary School (19)
    • St. John School (2)
    • Tenacre Country Day School (11)
    • Upham Elementary School (35)
    • Wellesley College (615)
    • Wellesley High School (1,008)
    • Wellesley Middle School (208)
  • Embracing diversity (97)
  • Entertainment (823)
  • Environment (779)
  • Fashion (145)
  • Finance (15)
  • Fire (174)
  • Food (360)
  • Fundraising (650)
  • Gardens (165)
  • Government (625)
    • 2020 Town Election (47)
    • 2022 Town Election (15)
  • Health (870)
    • COVID-19 (203)
  • Hikes (6)
  • History (403)
  • Holidays (442)
  • Houses (164)
  • Humor (47)
  • Kids (869)
  • Law (8)
  • Legal notices (10)
  • Letters to the Editor (89)
  • Media (72)
  • METCO (4)
  • Military (13)
  • Morses Pond (109)
  • Music (584)
  • Natick Report (30)
  • Neighbors (282)
  • Obituaries & remembrances (86)
  • Outdoors (658)
  • Parenting (63)
  • Police (786)
    • Crime (398)
  • Politics (560)
  • POPS Senior Profile (10)
  • RDF (7)
  • Real estate (348)
  • Religion (139)
  • Restaurants (345)
  • Safety (156)
  • Scouts (2)
  • Seniors (128)
  • Shopping (164)
  • Sponsored (6)
  • Sports (1,024)
    • Athlete of the Week (14)
  • STEM (109)
  • Technology (165)
  • Theatre (397)
  • Town Meeting (26)
  • Transportation (242)
  • Travel (17)
  • Uncategorized (1,245)
  • Volunteering (351)
  • Weather (180)
  • Wellesley Election 2019 (21)
  • Wellesley Free Library (282)
  • Wellesley Holiday Gift Guide (2)
  • Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend (20)

© 2023 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login