Elsa Zhao

Department: Public Health
Email: [email protected]

Biography:

Elsa joined MAPC in 2023 and works as the Lead Public Health Trainer for the Eastern MA Public Health Training Hub (EMPHTH) hosted by MAPC. EMPHTH has two of ten statewide local public health training hubs (LPHTH) funded by the MA Department of Public Health (DPH). The goal of the LPHTHs is to help standardize public health inspections throughout the state and provide trainings, resources, and other information to the local boards of health within the hubs.

Prior to MAPC, Elsa worked as a Public Health inspector in the City of Malden. Her main responsibilities were with the retail food establishments, where she conducted inspections and foodborne illness investigations and prepared plan reviews for all the food establishments in the city. As an inspector, she has also conducted and enforced public health regulations regarding housing, pools, and rec camps. Along with the rest of the department, she also worked to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by contact tracing, enforcing regulations, and coordinating vaccine clinics and test kits distribution. Elsa can also speak Cantonese (fluently) and Mandarin (conversationally) and has assisted other departments in Malden City Hall and other local health departments within the Mystic Valley Regional Public Health Coalition with these language skills.

Elsa holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Science from UMass Amherst.

Areas of Expertise: Federal, State & Local Regulations for Retail Foods, State and Local regulations for Housing, Pools, and Rec Camps