The Great Meadows Public Health Collaborative, a seven-town public health shared services partnership of which Bedford is a member, hired its first Substance Use Prevention Coordinator, Olivia Dufour, MPH. Olivia’s expertise in public health, health equity, and substance use prevention will play a key role in strengthening regional efforts to improve health outcomes and create lasting, positive change as it pertains to substance use prevention. Bedford and the other member communities committed a portion of their opioid use settlement funds to support this regional position. Olivia will spearhead community outreach and intervention services to ascertain the substance use prevention needs of our community and help guide the community conversations around the best use of the settlement funds in region over the next two decades. The Bedford Health and Human Services (HHS) Department is the liaison department to GMPHC and services provided by Olivia so residents are encouraged to reach out to HHS at 781-275-6507 with any questions.
Olivia’s Bio
Olivia holds a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Research from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. Prior to joining the Collaborative, Olivia managed the MetroWest Tobacco Control Program for the City of Framingham, MA. Olivia also earned a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from Smith College in Northampton, MA, where she is a proud women’s college alum.
Olivia’s public health interests include health equity, substance use prevention, and program evaluation, particularly exploring how these areas intersect to both prevent substance use and improve health outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders. Olivia believes that communities are the experts of their own experiences and is dedicated to engaging with community members to identify their greatest needs and develop culturally relevant solutions.
Outside of work, Olivia enjoys following cookbook recipes to the letter, crocheting, and spending time with her two rescue cats, Piper and Birdie.
