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About Us

About Us

Beverley Chang, PA-C MPH

headshot Beverley 2023Beverley Chang, PA-C, MPH

Date Appointed: July 15, 2024

Term Expires: December 31, 2029

Peekskill Representative

Beverley Chang joined the Board of Health in July 2024 as a representative of Peekskill. A Physician Assistant for the past twenty years, Ms. Chang has been employed since 2005 at New York Health and Hospitals Kings County in Brooklyn, where the majority of her experience has been in critical care.

Ms. Chang is a member of the Peekskill NAACP, where she has chaired the Health Committee since 2021. Through this role, she has developed relationships and collaborated with key community organizations and partners to educate, inform, and promote health prevention and improvement for Peekskill area residents.  Under her leadership, the health committee has received grant funding from the NYSDOH to address Covid-19 health disparities.

For this work to promote public health through the Peekskill NAACP, the Westchester County Board of Health awarded Ms. Chang the Dr. Harold Keltz Distinguished Public Health Service Award in March 2023.

Ms. Chang has continuously maintained certification as a practicing Physician Assistant (PA-C). She is an active member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA); the New York State Society of Physician Assistants (NYSSPA); and the New York Public Health Association (NYPHA).

A member of the Westchester Black Women’s Political Caucus, Inc. Greater Peekskill Area Chapter, since 2022, Ms. Chang currently serves as its vice president. She was selected as a Her Honor mentor for the 2024-2025 year. Ms. Chang has volunteered with the NYC Medical Reserve Corps; Volunteer New York; and New York Cares.

Ms. Chang graduated as a Physician Assistant and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Downstate College of Health Professions in 2004. In 2019, she earned a Master’s in Public Health degree with a concentration in Community Health Sciences from SUNY Downstate School of Public Health. She is the mother of two adult children and a resident of Peekskill, where has lived with her partner since 2017, after relocating from Brooklyn. 

Resources

Know Better Live Better Resources
 
          Primary health care services and information


         Free or sliding scale healthcare services

         
          LGBTQ - friendly resources

          Long COVID-19 information and services

          General COVID-19 information and services

           Identifying health misinformation and disinformation

           Tobacco education and smoking cessation resources

  • American Lung Association is the oldest voluntary health organization in the United States, with a national office and constituent and affiliate associations around the country. Founded in 1904 to fight tuberculosis, ALA today fights lung disease in all its forms, with special emphasis on asthma, tobacco control and environmental health. Its website provides information on latest research on environmental and health topics as well as educational programs, and news on related fronts.

  • POW'R Against Tobacco is a four county coalition that was founded in 1992 to reduce the risk of tobacco-related diseases by lowering the prevalence of tobacco use in Putnam, Orange, Westchester and Rockland Counties.
  • NYS Smoker's Quit Line provides free starter kits of nicotine patches, gum or lozenges for eligible NYS smokers, trained quitline specialists offering help with quit plans, information about local stop smoking programs, informational taped messages, tobacco trivia, secondhand smoke facts.

Know Better, Live Better

know better live better
What is this program about?

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. ” - Maya Angelou

Know Better, Live Better is an initiative to promote community well-being and reduce health disparities in Westchester County. The program takes an evidence-based “trusted messenger” approach, which relies on a group of trustworthy Westchester residents to open discussions about disease prevention, finding health information, and accessing health services. 

Who are Trusted Messengers?

We work with partners to identify Trusted Messengers, who are individuals who are passionate about community wellness and enjoy working collaboratively toward health equity. In addition to learning about the health topic of focus, Trusted Messengers learn how to moderate discussions among people of different backgrounds who bring diverse opinions to the table. After the training, Trusted Messengers will receive support to lead health information discussions in the communities they know best.

Rabies and Pets

Rabies and PetsKeep your pets immunized against rabies. In New York State and Westchester County, the law requires that all dogs, cats and ferrets receive their first rabies vaccination by the time they are four months old. A second rabies shot must be given within one year of the first vaccination with additional booster shots given every one or three years after that, depending on the vaccine that was used. Owners who fail to get their pets vaccinated and keep the vaccinations up-to-date may be fined up to $2,000. The Heath Department sponsors free rabies vaccination clinics to assist in having pets immunized.

Wear gloves when handling your pet during and after an encounter with a wild or suspect animal. If you or your pet is exposed to a potentially rabid animal, if possible keep that animal in sight until the police or a Licensed - Registered Trapper arrives. A vaccinated pet that is exposed to rabies must receive a rabies booster dose within 5 days of the event to be protected. An unvaccinated or overdue pet exposed to rabies must be placed in a strict quarantine for 6 months or euthanized.

Protect Your Pet:

  • Keep cats indoors and dogs on a leash and never unsupervised outdoors.
  • Spay and/or neuter your pets.
  • Never feed your pet outdoors to avoid attracting strays and wild animals.
  • Train your dog and avoid playing aggressive games to reduce the chance that he/she will bite someone.
  • If your pet bites or scratches someone, confine your animal and contact the Westchester County Department of Health immediately at (914) 813-5000.
  • Keep your pets rabies vaccinations up-to-date.

Keeping the Public Informed
To prevent deaths from rabies, the Health Department issues health alerts to the public about rabies and its prevention, offers free rabies vaccination clinics for cats and dogs three times a year, facilitates the testing of Ferretsuspect animals, and provides round-the-clock response and follow-up for every potential rabies incident in the county.

Rabies testing in Westchester County:

  • In 2014, 35 animals were confirmed rabid out of 611 tested (5.7%).
  • In 2015, 41 animals were confirmed rabid out of 605 tested (6.7%).
  • In 2016, 22 animals were confirmed rabid out of 448 tested (5%).
  • In 2017, 18 animals were confirmed rabid out of 419 tested (4%).
  • In 2018, 18 animals were confirmed rabid out of 424 tested (4%).
  • In 2019, 16 animals were confirmed rabid out of 318 tested (5%).

In each of the above years, less than 7 percent of the animals submitted for testing were positive for rabies. Each year more than 1,200 animal bites are reported to the Westchester County Department of Health.

Animal Bite/Contact Forms (Rabies)

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