- Equity in Action: Celebrating Community Voices -
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno joined to bring greetings on Wednesday morning at the annual Massachusetts Problem Gambling Conference held this year at the MassMutual Center here in Springfield.
The Massachusetts Problem Gambling annual conference, hosted by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, is an opportunity to learn about the many ways to limit and mitigate the harmful impacts of problem gambling and related issues on individuals, families, and communities. The conference provides a space for authentic discussion and dialogue, where individuals with lived experience and individuals with professional expertise can continue to advance the public health response.
Mayor Sarno was thrilled to welcome the attendees to Springfield this morning. The City’s “elegant and eloquent” Commissioner of Health and Human Services Helen Caulton Harris was also in attendance, along with Deputy Public Health Commissioner Ann Kissel, as well as Massachusetts Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, Director for the state Department of Public Health Office of Problem Gambling Services Victor Ortiz, State Representative Carlos Gonzales, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston Bisola Ojikutu, and Keynote Speaker Haner Hernandez.
Many of the featured speakers for the day-long conference include members of our own Health and Human Services Department and the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts.
The theme of the conference, Equity in Action: Celebrating Community Voices, will highlight a public health approach to problem gambling. The goal is to continue providing a space for authentic discussion and dialogue, where individuals with lived experience and individuals with professional expertise can continue to advance the public health response to problem gambling in Springfield and beyond.
Mayor Sarno states, “It is important to acknowledge and help spread awareness and make available the resources that are available for those who need it. We are proud to be part of the important dialogue around gambling, especially on-line gambling and prop bets that seem to be targeting out youths, creating negative and addictive behavior challenges. The City of Springfield’s Department of Health and Human Services, under the leadership of Commissioner Helen Caulton-Harris, and in partnership with the state Department of Public Health, Office of Problem Gambling Services and the Springfield Problem Gambling Coalition have been helping to spread awareness and just as important making the resources available to those in need of help. The COVID-19 pandemic opened our eyes to many challenges, but it also bolstered and reinforced the critical role of public health in our cities and communities. My administration is committed to working together with our state and local partners, with an emphasis on public health, as we continue to move our city of Springfield forward for the betterment of all our residents and business community."
