By Dave Somers, Nate Nehring, Cassie Franklin and Stephanie Wright / For The Herald
Public health has long been an important part of our lives. We have been very committed to improving the health of Snohomish County’s residents for many years. As such, public health is both a personal and policy priority for us.
For the past 28 months, our residents have been responding and adapting to the covid-19 global pandemic. Throughout that time, we have seen far too much death and disease but also an outpouring of selfless care for our neighbors. As we move into the next phase of recovery, we are pursuing steps to strengthen public health in Snohomish County.
In the first days of the pandemic, we chose to informally unite the Snohomish Health District with Snohomish County government as we jointly responded to the impacts of the pandemic. That decision has proven key to our success. To further build upon that progress, a number of members of the Board of Health, the Snohomish County Council, and other community leaders have been working to integrate the Snohomish Health District and Snohomish County.
By formalizing this partnership, we will be creating a unity of purpose to address and improve public health outcomes in our community. Public health is central to the work we do. This integration will clarify roles and responsibilities currently split between the county and the Health District to lessen the chance that there will be institutional conflicts when we respond to public health needs.
Integration of public health creates significant opportunities to strengthen our local and regional public health efforts, including:
• Restoring needed clinical and non-clinical services, improving access to care;
• Overdose prevention, including our response to the fentanyl, opioid and methamphetamine epidemic;
• Mental health services, including addressing violence;
• Consolidated sheltering efforts;
• Disease control and prevention;
• Strengthened environmental health, including joining efforts to help protect the health of Puget Sound and other local waterways;
• Addressing nuisance properties more efficiently;
• Consolidating diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; and
• Improving some permitting work that is currently done by separate agencies, making operations more seamless and efficient. Also, by working as one unified government, we can more easily leverage the county’s significant human assets in service to public and environmental health.
This discussion has been ongoing for many years. Our pandemic response alone has convinced us that the time for integration is now. An integrated system is the standard for large counties in our state, and as we continue to grow toward 1 million residents, it would serve us well to ensure the historic ups and downs of public health funding and reach are moderated.
The leadership for public health in Snohomish County will not significantly change. The Public Health Department will be led by a director, and a health officer, who is a medical doctor with expertise in health sciences; both would continue to lead public health efforts. Along with a health officer and qualified, dedicated public health staff, an integrated public health department will rely on guidance from a Board of Health and advisory groups.
Public health decisions have been guided by experts during the covid pandemic and that will continue to be the case. We have also committed to protect the workforce, since the current structure of the Health District would be integrated as a whole into county government. We know that Snohomish County’s residents expect us to plan for the long-term efficiency and efficacy of public health services. By integrating, we will ensure public health is one of the county’s highest priorities, serving our cities, towns, Tribes, rural areas, and everything in between.
We must strengthen public health to ensure Snohomish County is as resilient and healthy as possible, putting us in a better position to respond to the next possible threat to public health. Let’s make formal what has been informal — and successful — for the past 28 months. Let’s integrate the Snohomish Health District and Snohomish County.
Dave Somers is Snohomish County Executive. Nate Nehring is a member of the Snohomish Health District Board of Health and a Snohomish County Councilmember. Cassie Franklin is Mayor of Everett. Stephanie Wright is chair of the Snohomish Health District Board of Health and a Snohomish County Councilmember.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
