Patel Updates Board of Health on Immunization Rules, Food Security, Grants and Public Health Initiatives

Nicholas Mistretta

MONTGOMERY, NJ — Montgomery Township Health Officer Devangi Patel delivered a wide-ranging report to the Board of Health at its Sept. 9 meeting, outlining changes to state immunization requirements, new enforcement guidance for hemp-derived products in food and beverages, ongoing work on food insecurity and traffic safety, grant funding, community health programs and efforts to improve how the Health Department reports information to the board and the public.

Patel began with an update from the department’s Performance Management and Quality Improvement Subcommittee, which has been reviewing how information is presented to the Board of Health. She said the goal is to move beyond basic activity reports and provide information that better allows board members to evaluate trends, workloads, outcomes, emerging concerns and compliance with state requirements. The subcommittee is also reviewing the Health Department website and related township pages to make health and social-service information easier for residents to find. Patel said the department is also developing clearer financial reporting covering grant funding, expenditures, fees and revenue generated through permits, licenses and applications. “Ultimately, this is about transparency, consistency, accountability,” Patel said, tying the work to the department’s accreditation efforts and the board’s governance responsibilities. 

Plan for Health Moves Into Community Outreach
Patel said Montgomery’s Plan for Health New Jersey initiative is moving from identifying community issues toward gathering more direct evidence from residents. Among the areas being examined are mobility, walkability, housing, traffic safety, access to recreation and essential services, and access to health care.  Residents are being encouraged to participate in a community survey and attend upcoming listening sessions. Patel said a virtual session is scheduled for Sept. 22, followed by an in-person session on Oct. 8. Student representatives serving on a Plan for Health Youth Leadership Council are also assisting with outreach, data collection and efforts to make sure concerns from different neighborhoods are reflected in the information being gathered.

Septic Management Program Under Review
The township’s septic management program is also under review. Patel said a Board of Health member with wastewater expertise is reviewing the existing ordinance, with additional discussions planned before any recommendations are brought back to the board. Among the issues under consideration are public health protection, regulatory compliance, administrative feasibility, costs and equity among septic-system owners, as well as the Board of Health’s regulatory responsibilities.

State Immunization Changes Affect Local Audits
Patel also briefed the board on changes to New Jersey childhood immunization regulations and the effect those changes will have on local health departments. The Health Department is responsible for conducting immunization audits at schools and child-care centers, and Patel said revised state rules affect how compliance will be evaluated. Among the changes she highlighted, Tdap and meningococcal vaccine requirements are moving to seventh-grade entry, while the influenza vaccination deadline for children in child care is moving to Nov. 30. Patel also noted an influenza vaccination requirement for children six months and older attending child-care centers. The state is also working to ensure that school and child-care staff have access to the New Jersey Immunization Information System, which will be used along with in-person audits to review compliance. Patel emphasized that recent changes at the federal level do not supersede New Jersey’s requirements for the local implementation of school and child-care immunization audits.

New Guidance on CBD, THC and Hemp-Derived Products
Another regulatory update involved CBD, THC and hemp-derived ingredients in food and beverages. Patel said new state guidance gives local health departments clearer enforcement authority when such products are being sold through establishments regulated as retail food businesses. Under the guidance described by Patel, local health officials may take action involving products deemed adulterated, including prohibiting sales, placing products under embargo, confiscating them and recommending voluntary destruction. She estimated that approximately three or four establishments in Montgomery may be affected by the new requirements. Patel stressed, however, that the department’s approach would include education, communication and training for businesses rather than immediately moving to enforcement. “We would make sure that they have a chance to be informed,” Patel said, adding that the department would also coordinate with the Police Department where appropriate.

Youth Traffic Safety Program Planned
Patel also reviewed several grant applications and youth initiatives. The township has submitted a Municipal Alliance grant application of approximately $6,800, which is awaiting final approval. The funding would support public education and outreach involving substance-use prevention.  Through the Somerset County Youth Services Commission, the township has also sought support for several programs, including the Youth Action Board, the school district’s Hope Squad suicide-prevention initiative and a new Youth in Motion traffic-safety program. Patel said Youth in Motion was developed in response to concerns involving young people riding bicycles and e-scooters around town, including reports of riders crossing Route 206 without helmets and increased activity associated with the opening of Montgomery Promenade. The proposed program would focus on pedestrian, bicycle and traffic safety and would be developed with student representatives, the Montgomery Township Police Department and the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association. Patel said the program is youth-led but intended to have a community-wide reach, including adults who rely on bicycles for transportation to work. The department hopes to replicate a recent neighborhood bike rodeo held at Montgomery Crossing, where agencies provided bicycle safety education, equipment checks and access to bicycles for children who did not have one available.

Grant Funding Supports Public Health Operations
Patel said the township also has a Public Health Infrastructure Grant worth approximately $119,000, which is being used in part to offset staffing costs, support accreditation-related work and fund technology improvements, including the digitization of environmental health inspections. She said outside public-health funding has played an important role in helping Montgomery retain staff and modernize its systems over the past five years. Patel cautioned that the department is receiving less grant funding this year than it has in recent years and said longer-term discussions may be necessary if those outside funds decline further. The township also administers opioid settlement funds. Patel said the account currently contains a little more than $100,000, with funding requests involving police opioid-response training, a high school substance-use and overdose-prevention assembly, the ARRIVE Together program and the Strengthening Families program.

Food Insecurity Remains a Growing Concern
Food security was another major portion of Patel’s report. She said the township had previously identified several hundred families affected by reductions in SNAP benefits and that earlier assessments had already indicated unmet food-security needs within Montgomery. Patel also noted that the school district has begun offering free breakfast at two schools after data demonstrated sufficient need for the program. She distinguished between the Health Department’s emergency-preparedness responsibilities and the broader issue of routine food insecurity. During emergencies, Patel said, public health officials have a role in identifying vulnerable populations, anticipating disruptions and coordinating access to food and other essential resources. Ongoing food insecurity, however, often requires more intensive social-service and case-management support, meaning the Health Department can be a partner but cannot serve as the only agency addressing the issue. 

Students Taking Larger Role in Public Health Projects
Patel also praised Montgomery students and recent graduates who have assisted the Health Department with research and community projects. The township’s Youth Leadership Council has shifted to a project-based model, with students assigned to initiatives including Youth in Motion and Municipal Alliance programs. Other student work has included neighborhood “windshield assessments,” a traffic-incident heat map and development of an emergency food plan that will help inform the township’s broader food-security work.

Blood Pressure Screenings, Flu Clinics and Blood Drive
The Health Department’s monthly blood pressure screening program continues to grow, Patel said, now averaging close to 40 senior participants. She credited the late Patricia Scully, a former Board of Health member who died earlier this year, with helping establish the program. The screenings were originally EMS-led, later taken over by the Health Department and are now again being conducted in partnership with EMS while the department operates with a nursing vacancy.  The department also recently partnered with the school district and several community organizations on a back-to-school resource fair at Montgomery Crossing, providing school supplies, backpacks, library information, fresh produce and other resources to families. Patel reported that Montgomery’s June blood drive collected 62 units of blood, continuing what she described as annual growth in participation. The township’s 2026 flu clinics are also beginning, with appointments available and walk-ins accepted. September programming additionally includes outreach for National Preparedness Month and Suicide Prevention Month.

Health Department Marks Reaccreditation
Patel concluded her report by noting that Montgomery’s Health Department has been reaccredited for another five years. She thanked the Board of Health for its support and noted that Montgomery remains one of the smaller health departments to hold accreditation.

The department is also continuing to recruit for a 21-hour-per-week graduate public health nurse position.

During discussion following Patel’s report, board members asked how the township could improve awareness of health programs beyond its website and weekly electronic bulletin. Patel acknowledged that reaching residents across different neighborhoods remains challenging.

She said Montgomery’s new public information coordinator, Grace Reduzzi, will work on expanding and maintaining community contact and distribution lists in an effort to improve outreach to different groups throughout the township.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com