April 15 — The Greater Burrows Partnership for Health Advisory Board voted to buy EpiPens for town vaccine clinics and authorized staff to procure nursing supplies without returning to the board for additional votes.

The moves are part of a larger effort to spend down remaining FY25 public health excellence funds. Staff said the partnership projects finishing the fiscal year with roughly $90,000–$100,000 available to allocate to supplies, translations, trainings and short‑term contracts.

On the EpiPens: the board approved purchasing seven two‑packs (14 doses total) of EpiPens, at an estimated cost of about $3,200, to have on hand at vaccine clinics in each town. A motion to buy the EpiPens carried; the transcript records affirmative votes from three board members present at the vote. Staff said Taylor (who will use a Henry Schein account) will work with staff to process the order.

On nursing supplies: members agreed to authorize staff to identify and purchase needed nursing supplies (sharps/needle boxes, gloves, clinic consumables) without calling a separate board vote for each item. The board passed a motion delegating procurement of those supplies to staff; staff will consult each town to create a consolidated order and report back on distribution.

Other procedural actions: the board approved the March 13 meeting minutes (three votes in favor, one abstention by a member who said they were not present for that meeting) and unanimously approved a motion to adjourn later in the session.

Context and limits: board members asked about buying AEDs and sunscreen but were told AEDs are not allowable under the Public Health Excellence Grant; AEDs had been allowable under the contract case‑investigation grant, but that grant is currently tied up in court. Staff said the state office was still considering whether sunscreen could be allowed as a one‑time expense under the public health excellence grant and that they were waiting for formal guidance. The board also discussed using funds for translating and printing outreach materials — a brochure, maternal health guide and food resource guide — and for trainings and conferences before the fiscal year ends.