Grant helps Dartmouth Police prioritize heart health

Dartmouth has received a $25,000 grant to support the health and wellness of its first responders, thanks to a new initiative by the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association Health Benefits Trust.

The funding comes from the association's recently launched Public Safety Grant program, which provides advanced cardiovascular and metabolic health screenings for public safety employees in participating communities. Dartmouth will use the grant to offer in-depth health assessments for members of the Dartmouth Police Department.

The screenings are part of the Full Onsite Metabolic Screening Program, which goes beyond traditional wellness checkups by including biomarker testing, cardiovascular imaging, stress testing and personalized consultations with clinicians and nutrition experts. The program is delivered in partnership with Sigma Tactical Wellness and Quest Diagnostics.

Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque said the screening has already proven valuable for the department.

“It has been recognized that public safety employees suffer cardiac-related illnesses at a far greater rate than the general public, making this screening important for our officers' health and well-being,” Levesque said. “I am very grateful for MIIA’s commitment to officer wellness.”

The screenings are designed to catch early signs of heart disease and other serious conditions that often go undetected in standard risk assessments. Courtney Hernandez, Wellness Manager at the insurance association, noted that typical wellness screenings may not be sufficient for high-risk populations like law enforcement.

“Our goal is to give communities like Dartmouth the tools to change that trajectory through preventative care using clinically advanced methods that go far beyond typical wellness screenings,” Hernandez said.

The new program aims to improve long-term health outcomes for first responders who face unique physical and emotional demands on the job.

“Public safety professionals face demanding, often stressful conditions in service to their communities,” said Stan Corcoran, executive vice president of the insurance association. “At MIIA, we believe it’s essential to support their health and well-being with evidence-based tools. This program is one way we can help reduce risk and give these individuals the same care and protection they provide to others.”

The MIIA Health Benefits Trust serves over 130 Massachusetts cities, towns, and public entities, and Dartmouth is among the first communities to take part in the new grant initiative.