Born and raised in Danvers, Chris O'Shea grew up in a family of medicine.

Her father, longtime Danvers doctor Dexter Gilligan, her mother, a registered nurse, as well as her brother Mark, all have at one time or another, been a part of the field.

And a few weeks ago, after about 19 years as a registered nurse, O'Shea joined the Danvers Board of Health, as the town's Public Health Nurse.

Stationed at the Senior Center on Stone Street, O'Shea has been settling into the position concentrating on the impending flu season and offering blood pressure and flu clinics. "I love it," she said. "Having the opportunity to give back to the community I was born and raised in is terrific."

As O'Shea gets more settled into her new position, she'd like to implement programs of interest based on the wants and needs of the town.

A graduate of University of New Hampshire and later North Shore Community College, O'Shea first dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, but changed her plans to comply more with her other dream of raising children. "I really think it was the best move I ever made," she said. "You never stop learning because there are so many different disciplines."

At home, O'Shea is the wife to husband, George, and mother to their three: one at Danvers High, one at Holten-Richmond, and one at Great Oak.

O'Shea's office is located at the Danvers Senior Center.