Massachusetts Health Officers Association
52nd Annual Educational Conference
The 2020 conference will be a virtual event that will take place on 3 consecutive Wednesdays in October.
2020 MHOA Virtual Conference
After careful consideration, MHOA has decided to move the 2020 MHOA Annual Education Conference to an all-virtual format. Given the uncertainty of the pandemic and the workload for all of our public health partners, we felt that having a virtual conference is the best way forward.
We are excited about the Conference and have an outstanding lineup of educational sessions planned. The Conference will be held on three dates in October; the 14th, 21st and 28th. On each day, there will be two 50-minute sessions as well as a 50-minute plenary speaker on the first day and the DEP/DPH Commissioners on the other days.
Conference pricing will be:
Members: $ 40 per day or $100 for all 3 days
Non-Members: $65 per day or $175 for all 3 days
Members, Retirees/Students: $30 per day or $75 for all 3 days
- Attending the full conference will have 9 contact hours.
- Emergency Preparedness funding has been approved for those attending the entire MHOA Conference.

Plenary Speaker Breakfast
“Stress Less with Humor and Optimism”
Loretta LaRoche
Internationally Acclaimed Stress Expert, Humorist, and Author
Loretta LaRoche is an internationally renowned author and stress-management consultant who advocates humor, optimism, and resiliency as coping mechanisms. She’s a favorite with viewers of her six PBS specials, as well as on the lecture circuit, where she performs an average of 100 talks per year.
October 14th 9:10am
During Day 1: Public Health Track
MHOA 2020 Conference Day 1
Day 1: Public Health Track
October 14th
3.0 CEUs
All sessions
RS, REHS, CHO and RN (requested)
Featured Event:
Plenary Speaker Loretta LaRoche
Public Health Track Agenda
8:45 AM | Log-in |
9:00AM | Welcome from MHOA President/Logistics -10 minutes |
9:10 AM |
Breakfast with Plenary Speaker, Loretta Laroche – 50 minutes "Stress Less with Humor and Optimism" |
10:00 AM | 10 Minute Break |
10:10 AM |
Science Journalism in a Pandemic Sarah Zhang, Staff Writer, The Atlantic Sarah Zhang, a staff writer for The Atlantic and winner of a 2018 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Silver Award, has been spending much of her time lately writing about the COVID-19 pandemic. She will speak about her role in reporting on COVID-19 and other areas of the pandemic. |
11:00 AM | 10 Minute Break |
11:10 AM |
Epidemiology Hot Topics Catherine Brown, DVM, MSc, MPH, State Epidemiologist and State Public Health Veterinarian, MA Department of Public Health Dr. Brown will discuss a selection of current issues including COVID-19, seasonal flu, other infectious diseases, tick borne diseases, MIIS and behavioral risk factors. |
12:00 PM | Thank you, Logistics, CEU Info |

MHOA 2020 Conference Day 2
Day 2: Food Protection Track
October 21st
3.0 CEUs
Commissioner Monica Bharel
RS, REHS, CHO and RN (requested)
Lisa Berger (2 sessions)
RS, REHS, CHO, CP-FS
Featured Event:
Rob Lynch, Micro Essential Laboratory
Sponsored By
Food Protection Track Agenda
8:45 AM | Log-in |
9:00AM | Welcome from MHOA President/Logistics -10 minutes |
9:10 AM |
Sanitation for Food Safety, Using Sanitizer Test Strips – 50 minutes Rob Lynch Participants will discover how to educate the food industry in food safety sanitation best practices, covering basic terms, the kits to use, and testing methods for locations/facilities that might require sanitizer solutions. Including frequency of testing sanitizers and how to use the kits correctly. |
10:00 AM | 10 Minute Break |
10:10 AM |
Plan Reviews in the Real World Lisa Berger, MPH, CP-FS Berger Food Safety Consulting (must sign up for both sessions) 10:10 AM- 11:00 AM and 11:10- Noon This double session will take participants through a mock plan review process from the point of receiving the required documentation to approval. The importance of the menu review, equipment and storage capacities, ware washing and hygiene facilities and other physical requirements will be discussed. In addition, options for pre-opening inspections in the COVID-19 world will be incorporated. Bio: https://www.servingsafefood.com/consulting/our-staff/lisa-berger/ |
11:00 AM | 10 Minute Break |
11:10 AM | Plan Reviews in the Real World (con't) |
12:00 PM | Thank you, Logistics, CEU Info |
MHOA 2020 Conference Day 3
Day 3: Wastewater Track
October 28th
3.0 CEUs
All sessions:
RS, REHS, CHO, SI, SE
Featured Event:
Breakfast with DEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg
Waste Water Track Agenda
8:45 AM | Log-in |
9:00AM | Welcome from MHOA President/Logistics -10 minutes |
9:10 AM |
Breakfast with DEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg – 50 minutes Bio: https://www.mass.gov/person/martin-suuberg-commissioner |
10:00 AM | 10 Minute Break |
10:10 AM |
Wastewater Treatment Plants 101 Kim Packard, Assistant General Manager Small Water Systems An overview of how wastewater treatment plants work, how they differ from traditional septic systems and a discussion on reporting. |
11:00 AM | 10 Minute Break |
11:10 AM |
Septic Tanks: Introduction to Concrete Solutions Eric A. Carleton, P.E., Director of Codes and Standards, National Precast Concrete Association This will be an introduction to precast concrete produced tanks for onsite wastewater solutions. The presentation will cover important concrete manufacturing production practices as it relates to precast concrete tank fabrication, testing, installation, and service life. (20 min) Nationally recognized septic tank standard ASTM C1227 will be discussed along with the structural design requirements related to different live loading conditions. (20 min) Lastly, the benefits to owners and agencies to assure precast concrete tank manufacturers to adhere to well documented written 3rd party plant quality certification programs. (10 min) Bio: https://tools.mhoa.com/speaker-bios/#eric-carleton-bio
|
12:00 PM | Thank you, Logistics, CEU Info |
Contact Us
dsibor@mhoa.com
Executive Director
MHOA
3 King Philip Path
Hingham, MA 02043
MHOA's New Check Remittance:
Massachusetts Health Officers Association
PO Box 177
Worcester, MA 01614-0177
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