Welcome. The Commissioners of the County of Dukes County established the position of Associate Commissioner for Public Health in recognition of the important role that ensuring the health, wellness, and safety of its residents and visitors plays in sustaining our vibrant island communities. This broad mission encompasses several core beliefs:
·Wellness promotion and disease prevention support healthy communities.
·Healthy environments sustain healthy communities.
·Safe behaviors create healthy environments.
·Knowledge empowers individuals and their communities.
·Being prepared for the unexpected ensures safer outcomes.
·Communities are responsible for the health and well being of all their
inhabitants and guests.
Building a healthier and safer County requires the coordinated and continued efforts of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and institutions, all of which are committed to enhancing the health of our community.
Dr. Ilene J. Klein, the first Associate Commissioner for Public Health and founding Chair of the County's Public Health Committee, was appointed in March of 2005. Christopher A. Knowles, MPA, the current Associate Commissioner, was appointed in March of 2009. Prior to coming to Massachusetts he served as an administrator for hospitals, community health centers, hospices, and a home health agency, as well as a lobbyist for the mental health profession. He worked for Martha's Vineyard Hospital and Martha's Vineyard Community Services. He soon joined the Board of Directors of the former AIDS Alliance of Martha’s Vineyard. He was a charter member of the Department of Public Health's (DPH) Community Health Network Area 27 (The Cape & Islands) working group, eventually becoming its Chairman. He was a member of the Martha’s Vineyard
Health Care Consortium formed in 1993 in response to anticipated Clinton healthcare reform. When the consortium disbanded in 1995 he approached the County Commissioners to ask that they form the Dukes County Health & Human Services Advisory Council. He was the founding Chairman of that group which is, today, the Dukes County Health Council, and remains a member thereof. The Council has served as the incubator for such public health initiatives as the Vineyard Health Care Access Program (VHCAP), the Island’s federally-funded rural health clinic and the Youth Task Force. In the late 1990’s he was the non-hospital representative from Martha’s Vineyard to the committee of DPH which drew up the State's criteria for Critical Access Hospitals, a designation which Martha’s Vineyard Hospital holds today. Today he serves as a member of DPH’s Rural Health Advisory Council. Since 2005 he has been a member of the County's Public Health Committee. Finally, he
works with the Martha’s Vineyard Medical Reserve Corps which may be activated by a local authority to assist existing agencies or supplement existing resources in responding to natural or man-made emergencies.
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