About the Boston Public Health Commission
Boston Public Health Commission is an independent public agency. We offer over 40 services and programs. Learn about our history, mission, and work below.
As the nation's oldest health department, with roots dating back to 1799, the work of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has evolved from the needs of then to the needs of now, providing and supporting accessible, high-quality community-based health services and programming, education and resources to build a thriving Boston.
Through our policies, programs, and services, we strive to eliminate health disparities based on race, ethnicity, income, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and neighborhood. A seven-member Board of Health governs the Health Commission. The Mayor of Boston appoints the Board of Health Members.
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Contact or visit us:
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1010 Massachusetts Ave.
6th Floor
BOSTON, MA 02118 -
For media inquiries and directions to our campuses, click the button below.
Glossary
- Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. – World Health Organization
- Public Health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private communities, and individuals. - CEA Winslow
- Social Determinants of Health are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. – World Health Organization
Our Mission
To work in partnership with communities to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, especially those impacted by racism and systemic inequities.
We achieve our mission by providing and supporting:
- Accessible high quality community-based health and social services
- Community engagement and advocacy
- Development of health promoting policies and regulations
- Disease and injury prevention
- Emergency services
- Health promotion
- And health education services
The social determinants of health, including where we live, work, and play shape our health and well-being. Like individual behavior, genes, and health care access are important for good health, inequities in housing, education, environmental exposure, public safety, employment, and income are just as important. In the United States, racism plays a significant role in creating and perpetuating health inequities. It is important to understand how factors within our lived environments, combined with experiences within the individual and community context, differ by race.
Social inequities have origins in discriminatory laws, policies, and practices. Historically these have denied people of color the right to earn income, own property, and accumulate wealth. The distribution follows patterns of racial segregation and poverty concentration. Today there are still differences in health outcomes between residents of color and white residents that are systemic, avoidable, unfair, and unjust.
At BPHC we work to understand and address the many factors shaping our individual and collective health. Our work aims to provide all residents with fair access to the conditions that promote the best possible health.
Our Vision
The Boston Public Health Commission envisions a thriving Boston where all residents live healthy, fulfilling lives free of racism, poverty, violence, and other systems of oppression. All residents will have equitable opportunities and resources, leading to optimal health and well-being.
We commit to the following core values:
Equity:
- Equitable redistribution of resources
- Challenge multiple forms of oppression
Transparency:
- Transparent communication practices
- Use best available data to inform decision-making
Anti-Racism:
- Commit to anti-racism as an action
- Value and support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
People-centered:
- Invest in our employees
- Build a culture of belonging
Collaboration:
- Authentic and inclusive partnerships
- Engage multiple partners, practice teamwork, and value everyone
Health Equity
At BPHC, all our work contributes to promoting health equity. Our Live Long and Well Agenda shares our commitment to improving health outcomes across the City. In order to do this, we must focus on the leading causes of premature mortality in Boston, including:
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Cardiometabolic diseases (including diabetes, heart disease, and other related disorders)
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Screenable Cancers (including prostate, breast, colorectal, lung, and cervical)
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Unintentional drug overdoses
Our population health equity agenda also includes commitments to promote health across all stages of life for our residents (including infant and maternal health, and older adult health), and to improve mental and behavioral health throughout.
Our Anti-Racism Policy
The Boston Public Health Commission sets an expectation that all staff and leadership commit, individually and as part of the BPHC team, to hold ourselves accountable to establishing a culture of anti-racism and advance racial equity and justice through each of our bureaus, programs, and offices.
In June 2020, Boston declared racism a public health crisis. We then worked with residents to learn what a Boston free of racism would look like. From that input, we established our Anti-Racism Policy. This policy guides our work to identify and dismantle institutional racism embedded within polices, practices, and cultural norms.
Our History
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In 2024, BPHC announced Boston’s Live Long and Well Agenda, a health equity agenda to improve life expectancy, reduce racial and ethnic health disparities, and help all residents live longer and healthier lives.
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In 2023, BPHC updated its mission statement to reflect a commitment to anti-racism.
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Also in 2020, the City of Boston declared racism a public health crisis.
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In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified BPHC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Massachusetts.
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In 2017, BPHC was awarded national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).
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In 2013, The NeighborCare initiative, launched by Former Mayor Thomas M. Menino with hospitals, health centers and health plans, developed guidelines to help transition patients who are treated in Boston’s emergency departments back to their community health centers and improve communication between all providers in order to expand and improve access to community health centers, and to reduce the use of emergency departments for non-emergency care.
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In 2012, former Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced a $1 million investment from Partners HealthCare, Inc. to implement a social and emotional learning curriculum for 7,000 students in 23 Boston Public School elementary and K-8 schools.
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Also in 2011, former Mayor Thomas M. Menino banned the sale, advertising, and promotion of sugary beverages on city-owned property, while BPHC launched a hard-hitting public awareness campaign to get residents to reduce their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
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In 2011, the Racial Justice and Health Equity Initiative launched. BPHC adopted a racial justice and health equity framework to guide their work.
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In 2009, BPHC launched a unique public awareness campaign that mixed street outreach, digital media, and traditional media in an effort to halt the rapidly rising spread of sexually transmitted infection among young people in Boston.
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In 2008, BPHC founded the Center for Health Equity and Social Justice as a part of the city’s ongoing commitment to improving the health of communities of color.
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In 2006, Boston became the first city in the nation to address racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, serving as a leader of work being done in replicated cities across the nation.
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In 2003, BPHC’s “Clean Air Works” Workplace Smoking Regulation bans smoking in Boston workplaces, bars, and restaurants.
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In 1996, the Boston Public Health Commission was founded, following the merger between Boston City Hospital and the Boston University Hospital to become Boston Medical Center.
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In 1995, the Boston Public Health Act laid the groundwork for the creation of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) as it is known today.
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In 1906, Boston established the Consumptive Hospital which would also serve as a day care center for children diagnosed with tuberculosis and people who may have been in contact with someone diagnosed with tuberculosis.
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In 1902, the Boston City Hospital Relief Station was established at Haymarket.
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In 1877, The Boston City Ambulance Service was established, known as Boston Emergency Medical Services (EMS) today.
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In 1864, Boston City Hospital opened. The hospital was managed by the Boston Board of Health.
BPHC is the United States’ oldest health department, with roots tracing back to 1799 when the Boston Board of Health was established. Paul Revere was Boston’s first health officer, serving as the first president of the Boston Board of Health.
Transformational Community Engagement
We are committed to practicing transformational community engagement as an approach to co-creating a Boston where all residents live well and long.
Our Transformational Community Engagement Policy guides all bureaus, centers, and offices, and partners to involve community members in at least one operational, funding, or policy decision-making process at least once each year.
Our Strategic Plan
2024 - 2027 Strategic Plan
Strategic plans help us achieve our mission. This plan focuses on Workforce and Infrastructure; Equity and Anti-Racism; Data and Innovation; and Community Engagement and Partnerships.
2019 - 2023 Strategic Plan
A bold and action-oriented map that the Boston Public Health Commission used to advance its mission.
Accreditation and Awards
RecognitionsIn August 2024, the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) granted Boston Public Health Commission reaccreditation.
PHAB works to improve and protect the health of the public. It focuses on improving the performance of governmental public health agencies. Accreditation means that the Health Commission continues to meet community needs. The CDC and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supports this program. These two organizations set the standards for program and service improvements for public health departments.
In 2024, CityHealth awarded Boston Public Health Commission an overall Gold Medal for the seventh year in a row. This award recognizes Boston as a leader in health-promoting prevention-oriented policies that support community health. CityHealth is an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.
In 2019, the Boston Public Health Commission was a 2019 National Association of County and City Health Officials Model Practice Award recipient. The Boston Public Health Commission won for its innovative quality improvement program.
In 2022, Commissioner Ojikutu and Mayor Wu received the Catalyst for Justice Award from the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA), championing transparency, reliance on clear data benchmarks, and a commitment to health equity in the response to COVID-19. They were honored for their focus on achieving more equitable health outcomes by working to improve the social conditions in which Boston residents live, including access to healthy food and stable affordable housing.
Meet the Commissioner
Meet the Director
Related Resources
Who's Involved:
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Contact or visit us:
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1010 Massachusetts Ave.
6th Floor
BOSTON, MA 02118 -
For media inquiries and directions to our campuses, click the button below.
