NAHANT — Nahant native Anna McNicholas has been appointed the town’s new assistant public health nurse.
She will aid Public Health Nurse Deb Murphy with COVID-19 contract tracing and vaccine distribution in the Nahant community.
“I’d been looking to give back by helping give vaccines to the community now that I’ve been vaccinated through work, and (this position) popped up at the right time,” said McNicholas. “Nahant is obviously a community that is near and dear to my heart, so I thought it was a great opportunity.”
A graduate of Salem State University’s School of Nursing, McNicholas, who now lives in Beverly, will split her time between her new role and her full-time position as a nurse on the pediatric and neonatal critical care transport team unit at Tufts Medical Center.
Before joining Tufts, she worked in the pediatric intensive care unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
“It’s been (hectic), but it’s also been really great working with the team from Lynn Community Health Center over at Lynn Tech, where I’ve been helping (distribute vaccines),” said McNicholas. “They’ve done such a wonderful job organizing everything and getting everything to run smoothly.”
“Contact tracing and vaccine distribution has increased the demand on our public health department exponentially,” said Town Administrator Antonio Barletta. “It is clear the town needs additional personnel to ensure a level of service that prioritizes the health of our residents. We are extremely excited to have Anna join our team, and her experience and professionalism is going to benefit our community.”
The town is still considering applications for an additional assistant public health nurse. Those interested are encouraged to check the town website, nahant.org, for more information.
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
