Virtual Tick Talk: Prevent the Bite!

View recording of this event:

https://vimeo.com/1109408521

The Vineyard Haven Library is pleased to welcome public health epidemiologists Lea Hamner and Stephanie Barth for a virtual tick talk entitled, “Prevent the Bite.” This virtual event will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, August 8th via Zoom. This program is being held in collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Tick Program. Click here to register on Zoom.

“Prevent the Bite” will focus on how community members can protect themselves and their loved ones from tick bites and the diseases they can carry. Participants will learn how to identify local tick species, understand the risks, and get practical tips on prevention, from permethrin to repellents to tick checks. The presentation will be led by Lea Hamner and Stephanie Barth, public health epidemiologists working with local health departments across the Cape & Islands to prevent, track, and respond to tick-borne diseases.

Lea Hamner is an epidemiologist for the Inter-Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative. She focuses on infectious diseases of public health significance and supporting data-informed decision-making to support healthier communities. The Inter-Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket is a project funded by the Massachusetts Department of Health to fortify local public health monitoring and delivery. The initiative is led by the joint Boards of Health on Martha’s Vineyard along with Island Health Care and the Town of Nantucket.

Stephanie Barth holds both a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from Old Dominion University. Before transitioning into public health, she worked as an oral surgery assistant, gaining valuable clinical experience. Originally from New Hampshire, Stephanie has lived in various regions across the United States and abroad, and she now resides in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Her diverse background and passion for population health have helped guide her work and interest in communicable disease prevention and surveillance, including a focus on vector-borne illnesses such as tick-borne diseases.

This event will be held via Zoom. Interested patrons may register on the library’s event calendar at www.vhlibrary.org to receive the Zoom link. For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.