Southbridge Board of Health Joins Regional Partnership

Board of Health · Meeting of October 8, 2026

Southbridge's Board of Health joined a five-town regional health partnership and pressed the town manager over roughly $400,000 in unspent opioid funds. Board members voted to appoint shared staff from the South Central Mass Partnership for Public Health, including inspector Douglas Mercurio and epidemiologist Brianna Burnham, as town health agents, several by a 4-1 vote with one abstention. The board also voted down staffer Dan as its delegate to the partnership's advisory board after he recommended colleague Chris instead, who was then approved unanimously, with Dan named alternate.

Separately, member Nick pushed back on the chair for meeting with Town Manager Jack about the town's stalled substance abuse committee without including Vice Chair Malika, the board's designated representative, saying "there's also a lack of intent to include." Malika said a proposed recovery-coach position she championed was "diverted into another kind of position." The town manager is expected to announce a spending plan for the opioid funds in November.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,414 words

Source: the Board of Health meeting of October 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.