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 Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission website
Message regarding homebound residents
About coyotes in New Jersey
Food Handler Course - English
Food Handler Course - Espanol
| About the Board of Health |
The history of the Montvale Board of Health is almost as long as that of the Borough itself. The second ordinance that was passed by the first Mayor and Council was dated March 4, 1865. It was "AN ORDINANCE CONSTITUTING A BOARD OF HEALTH IN THE BOROUGH OF MONTVALE." The ordinance called for a five-person Board to be comprised of the Assessor, the Tax Collector and the Clerk, together with two other citizens appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council. On March 11, 1895, Garret F. Hering was appointed as the first President of the Montvale Board of Health.
Over the past one hundred years, the mission of the Board of Health has changed. During the nineteenth century, waves of epidemics persisted and included many communicable diseases. There were few antibiotics and immunizations available. Scientific discovery of organisms during the later part of the century opened a new wave of sanitation concerns and control, and these discoveries had a major impact on the development of public health practice. State and local governments felt increasingly responsible for controlling the spread of bacteria and micro-organisms.
The Montvale Board of Health began safeguarding water and food as well as overseeing sewage disposal. Victims of contagious diseases were quarantined . Early efforts also included inspecting septic tanks, monitoring dairy farms and ensuring adequate drinking water from the many wells in Montvale.
Today the Board of Health, an autonomous group under the capable leadership of Joyce Cohen, meets monthly to review health inspections, monitor health complaints and conduct a general overview of the health status of the community. A health fair and a rabies clinic are sponsored annually. These are widely attended by the citizens of Montvale. In addition, the Northwest Regional Health Commission, under the supervision of Rod Preiss, Health Officer, and public nurses from HARP, the Health Awareness Program of Hackensack Hospital, are retained by the Montvale Board of Health to assist in meeting the health care needs of the community.
| Current Board of Health Members |
| Joyce Cohen | President | | Ray Woodward | Vice President | | Janet Russo | Secretary | | Cathy Flagg | Board Member | | Leigh Hopper | Board Member | | Dr. Joel Landzberg | Board Member | | Monica Danna | Alternate #1 | | Patricia Lennon | Alternate #2 | | Theresa Cudequest | Council Liaison |
| Angela Musella | Northwest Regional Health Officer | | Gail Brunner/Gary Cochran | Northwest Regional Health Sanitary Inspectors | | Kate McDougall, RN | Health Awareness Regional Program (HARP) nurse | | Diana Costagliola | Health Awareness Regional Program (HARP) nurse | | Carol Tyler | Tyco Animal Control Officer & Animal Cruelty Investigator | | Dr. Lee Wallace, DVM | Borough Veterinarian, 115 Chestnut Ridge Road |
| Past Board of Health Presidents |
Archives of the Board of Health are incomplete, but some of the Presidents of the Board and the years in which they served are as follows:
| Year(s) Served | President | | 1926-1927 | John Schriever | | 1928 | Warner Cosgrove | | 1930 | R.E. Smith | | 1934 | Fred Unver | | 1936-1939 | Julius Ronay | | 1940 | George Kreis | | 1941 | Henry Metlitz | | 1944 | Robert Overbaugh | | 1950-1975 | Clifford Stalter | | 1976-1980 | Donald Kafka | | 1981-1994 | Thomas Fleming | | 1995-present | Joyce Cohen |
If further information is needed for community health issues the Board of health recommends these sites:
To identify the most significant health maintenance goals in the United States for 2000 to 2010 visit www.health.gov/healthypeople
CDC Center for Disease Control www.cdc.gov
Coalition for Healthier Cities and Communities visit www.healthycommunities.org
Websites of interest to seniors include www.aarp.org and www.nih.gov/nia
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 | | Updated January 7, 2010 |
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