My name is Melissa Braga and I am excited to announce my candidacy for the Tewksbury Board of Health. I have chosen to run for the Board of Health because as a registered nurse, I have seen the impact that is possible by moving beyond the bedside to help serve in a broader, more far-reaching capacity. I want to be able to impact the health of this amazing town through community-building and health promotion.

My husband Steve and I have grown to love the town of Tewksbury and the people in it since it became our home in 2017. I have worked in healthcare since 2009 and became a registered nurse in 2017. I have been fortunate to work in different areas of healthcare including urgent care, family practice, behavioral health, pediatric long-term care, medical-surgical and cardiac floor, Home Health, and as a school nurse. I have since found my passion in holistic functional medicine. The combination of both my experiences in traditional western medicine and holistic functional medicine makes me uniquely qualified for the Board of Health candidate seat. As a nurse and business owner, I have the strong leadership qualities along with the healthcare knowledge and skills to look out for the the interests of our community, from our precious youth to our respected seniors and everyone in between. I want to continue to keep this community safe and healthy with educational resources on improving health along with maintaining our restaurants and businesses safe and clean for the wellbeing of Tewksbury.

Tewksbury deserves someone on the board that will listen and communicate to the community’s concerns. If fortunate enough to be elected, I would like to work alongside other departments to improve community issues. I would like to collaborate with both the police and fire department on hoarding issues as this is not often discussed among the community, but does cause health concerns as it creates unsanitary conditions in which the elderly and children can be susceptible to. I would like to work alongside the family services officer to create a plan of action in which the board of health can better assist on this issue along with other mental health components that can lead to increased public safety concerns.

I know I can be a great asset to the Board of Health and for our town not only because of my vast medical background, but also because I care about people. I am a hard worker and in my current role, I spend my time identifying underlying causes of poor health, toxicities, and deficiencies, treating the root cause of illness — not just the symptoms — to achieve optimal health. I promise to listen to the concerns of the town, communicate, and provide educational resources to efficiently, effectively, and safely meet the basic health needs of the community.

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1205450356926880/
Or email me at: Melissa.t.braga@gmail.com

I will be hosting a meet & greet fundraiser night on Wednesday, February 23 at 7pm at TJ Calahans in Tewksbury. I hope to see and meet many of you there!

Thank you,
Melissa