North Shore Practice Safe Skin Collaboration

A collaboration between the City of Salem, seven other North Shore cities and towns, and IMPACT Melanoma, a national non-profit organization dedicated to skin cancer prevention and education, will provide free sunscreen this summer at more than 70 locations, including parks, playgrounds, beaches, and outdoor work sites.

The North Shore Practice Safe Skin Collaboration is a two-year initiative funded through a state Public Health Excellence grant that supports regional collaboration between local public health departments.

The program provides comprehensive sun protection for the region, including in neighborhoods where economic challenges and climate change are exacerbating the impacts of sun and heat exposure.

“I’m grateful to IMPACT Melanoma, our region’s public health leaders, melanoma activist Christopher Fay, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for making this partnership possible,” said Mayor Kim Driscoll. “The Collaboration plan includes measures to help reduce the likelihood of melanoma and skin cancers through equity-focused actions that will help protect our most vulnerable from sun hazards.”

Salem Health Agent David Greenbaum, who had his own recent skin cancer scare, said the new program goes well beyond previous sun-safety education efforts in the region: “This is definitely more proactive—now we’re offering free sunscreen dispensers and placing them in specific locations not just for residents and beachgoers, but also for people who work out in the sun all day long.”

“Lynn is very fortunate to be part of this IMPACT Melanoma project,” Lynn Public Health Director Michele Desmarais said. “Sun protection can be costly, and many Lynn residents might not be able to afford it. So, making it available at our parks, splash pads, and recreation fields is an important benefit.”

To determine sites for the dispensers, planners took multiple factors into account, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), which is based on 15 factors including poverty, housing density, and access to transportation. Adequate sun protection is critical in these areas in part because socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity are associated with decreased access to dermatology care and with patients who have more advanced skin cancers at diagnosis.

A second phase will provide shade structures in areas of need. Studies have shown that high SVI areas are often “heat islands” that have fewer trees and less access to shade. “As we navigate increasing temperatures due to climate change, we want to make outdoor activity safer and more comfortable for everyone,” said IMPACT Melanoma Executive Director Deb Girard.

The program will officially launch at a kickoff event in Salem on July 21. Skin cancer experts as well as municipal government and health officials from the participating communities will be on hand. The effort is being coordinated by UMass Chan Medical School student Christopher Fay, who became passionate about sun safety after his father, Michael, was diagnosed with melanoma.