SHD Essential Newsletter

Mission

The Snohomish Health District’s mission is to spearhead efforts to protect, promote and advance the collective health of our community. It will continue to do this by focusing on activities that are grounded in a set of foundational public health services, which include: 

  • Communicable Diseases & Notifiable Conditions
  • Chronic Diseases & Injuries
  • Environmental Health
  • Maternal, Child & Family Health
  • Vital Records
  • Ongoing, Critical Public Health Issues
  • Access to Medical, Dental & Mental Health Care
  • Build a Sustainable Organization
Corgi Work

Remote Work Encouraged During Omicron Surge


Due to the Omicron surge, it is recommended to work from home when possible. If you need to come into the building or go out into the field, you will need to be tested.

What do you need to do if you qualify for testing?         

Go to The District office and check in with Ofa or Carri sitting at the screener desk. One of them will provide you with a bag of 8 tests. This will get you through a minimum of 4 weeks. We will be keeping track of who is picking up tests as we have a limited supply and want to make sure we have enough for those employees coming in.
  • If you work at the office or in the field 2 or more times per week – take 2 tests
  • If you work at the office or in the field 1 time per week – take 1 test

You can find more information on this from an email that went out from Pam on the 11th. 

Division Updates


Environmental Health


The name of the game in EH right now is hiring. Congratulations to Lucas Larson for his promotion to Land Use Supervisor!  Lucas has shown a lot of leadership in just the last couple of years. He’ll be taking over the nuts and bolts land use work from Annie, who will be focusing on ramping up the Septic Monitoring and Maintenance Program and the new permit techs. Congratulations to Lucas! We’re also very happy to announce that Aran Enger has been selected as the permanent Safe Environments EHSIII!  Aran has been in the position in an interim basis for several months now and has really brought the Solid Waste Program out of the neglect it experienced during the early days of COVID.  He’s been a true leader in the group. Congratulations to Aran! More positions are posted now and coming up in the future, so keep your eye out for more changes to come. 

Prevention Services


We’ve moved – and you moved – and everyone is moving!
Prevention Services has rearranged where almost everyone is sitting. So, where can you find people now? Well, our super cool STD Program is down in Suite 100. This allows for our clients to have easy access to services and our staff can have private conversations while they do case investigations. Our fun and fabulous Communicable Disease Crew and Assessment have moved into Suite 208. Our fabulous PHEPR Team is also in Suite 208. The amazing Healthy Communities and Health Literacy Teams are now in Suite 206. The amazing Maternal and Child Health, Vaccine Preventable Disease and Childcare Programs are now in Suite 202. Carrie Parker can now be found in Suite 208.  Our soon to be hired second Assistant Director will be in Suite 206, and Katie is still in her same spot now totally surrounded by EH staff. You can also find TB staff still in their same location. 
Come by and see our spaces!

A Note From Dr. Spitters


It can be challenging to keep up with the latest COVID-19 news. If you are looking for a good resource for COVID-19 information, check out Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center | CIDRAP (umn.edu).

Safety

Safety Committee


When Flooded . . . Turn Around Don’t Drown™

Dangerous Water

Realize the dangers of crossing flooded roadways and respect the barricades put in place by officials to protect lives. On average, nearly 100 people drown every year in floods - more than half are caused by motorists trying to drive through flooded roads. Many drivers overestimate their ability to navigate flooded roads, putting too much stock in their “heavy” vehicles. In reality, most motorists lose control of their vehicles, including SUVs, in just six inches of water, while 18-24 inches of moving water will force a vehicle off the road. When the buoyant force is greater than the vehicle’s weight, the vehicle will move with the moving water. Besides the buoyant force, erosion is another significant concern. Moving water is very powerful and can undermine the integrity of a road. A motorist will be unaware he is driving into a scoured out section of the road.

Follow these safety rules:

  • Monitor the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, or your favorite news source for vital weather-related information.
  • If flooding occurs, get to higher ground. Get out of areas subject to flooding. These include dips, low spots, canyons, and normally dry washes.
  • Avoid roads already flooded.
  • Road may be washed out under flood waters. Turn Around Don’t Drown™ when you encounter a flooded road.
  • If heavy rain is forecast or occurring, move your campsite and vehicle away from streams and washes.
  • Be especially cautious when driving at night when it is harder to recognize flood dangers.
  • For more information: FLASH – http://flash.org/video.php
 
Landslides - Warning signs and how to stay safe if you’re caught in one
Washington state is one of the most landslide-prone in the entire U.S. according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), there are hundreds, sometimes thousands of landslide incidents that occur each year.
Along with the potential for related deaths, landslides can cost millions in road repairs and property damage. The Washington State Department of Transportation annually budgets for about $15 million in landslide cleanup for highways alone.
These forces of nature occur when the integrity of the soil and debris on the side of a hill is broken down to not withstand the force of gravity, usually because of saturation or sudden movement within the land.
While landslides do occur naturally and are difficult to predict, there are warning signs residents and travelers can look out for, ways to reduce the risk of landslides and steps to take to survive landslides.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides a list of warning signs that could help Washingtonians recognize a landslide before it even happens.

The following is a list of things to look out for:
  • Any water or saturated ground in areas that are not typically wet, along with any broken water lines or other utilities
  • Cracks or bulges in the ground, street pavement or sidewalk, tilting or cracking in concrete floors or foundations and secondary structures like decks, patios or additions
  • Sunken roadbeds or leaning telephone poles, trees, retaining walls or fences as well as offset fence lines
Also, inside of a structure, doors and windows may begin to stick and visible open spaces in doorframes and window frames could indicate they are out of plumb and shifting.
In order to reduce the risk of landslides, the DNR has a robust list of practices that includes things like avoiding living in areas prone to landslides like steep hills, slopes, or areas that have experienced landslides before.
However, for those living in landslide-prone areas, there are actions to take during a slide that could help save your life.

Here’s what to do if you’re caught in a landslide:
  • Listen for loud or unusual sounds that could indicate an imminent landslide and quickly evacuate or move away from the origin of the slide.
  • Move inside of a smaller interior area like a bathroom or closet where you can be safely barricaded in.
  • Open any downhill windows or doors to allow any debris that gets caught inside the building or home to escape.
  • Avoid any heavy objects or furniture that could move and injure you.
  • Try to get to a second floor or elevated area to avoid being carried away by the shifting debris.

University of Washington professor Joseph Wartman, an expert on the deadly Oso landslide catastrophe of 2014, said even getting on top of a counter can make a difference between life and death.

The USGS said the areas considered the safest from landslides are on hard, non-jointed bedrock, relatively flat areas away from sudden slope changes and at the top or along the nose of ridges set back from any slopes. This is why even largely developed areas, like Seattle, face landslide danger with its steep hills and wet weather.

Nationally, landslides typically cost more than $2 billion in losses every year and an estimated 25-50 people die.

Health Literacy Corner


For the Advancing Health Literacy Team, the new year means the same goal, “decrease health disparities by identifying and implementing culturally appropriate and evidence-based health literacy strategies to engage racial, ethnic, and other populations most at risk of COVID-19 in undertaking public health recommendations for testing, contact tracing, vaccination, and other prevention measures.

We have teamed up with several different community organizations and institutions to work together towards achieving this goal. Our partners thus far are Bastyr University, Communities of Color Coalition, Edmonds College, Latino Educational Training Institute, Refugee and Immigrant Services Northwest, and Sno-Isle Libraries.

Together, we can bridge the informational gap between what we know as public health professionals, and what the public needs to know to make well-informed health decisions. You can help us on this journey by employing evidence-based practices into you work.

One best practice that you can implement into your health education is using plain language. This means avoiding jargon, favoring shorter words over longer, and using simple words and phrases. In the next few HLC’s we will be sharing more best practices that you can implement to help improve health literacy levels.

To learn more about using plain language, please visit the CDC plain language website.

A for Annual

Comms Corner


Do you know the ABC’s for strong, healthy kids? It starts with A- Annual well-child visits! Every other week this year, the Comms Teams will be rolling out a new letter in the ABC’s For Healthy Kids. For more info, visit our ABC’s For Healthy Kids page at www.snohd.org/healthykids.

Have a request to promote content on social media?
If you have any social media content you would like us to promote on social media, let us know at communications@snohd.org. We have previously promoted opioid and suicide prevention as well as SIDS Awareness Month campaigns. The Communication Team is always eager to help you promote the latest health information.

Are you following SHD?
Take a minute to hit like and follow on our social channels! You can find us on  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. This is a great way to keep up on the latest info on all things public health.

Welcome


The following new employees have joined the Snohomish Health District team. Please give them a warm welcome!

Tajel Mehta
Tajel is a Disease Intervention Specialist with the STD/HIV team.

JR Myers
JR is the new Assistant Director of Environmental Health.

News You Can Use

  • Can’t Get a Test Right Now? Here’s What to Do.
  • Working Together to Ease the Strain on the Healthcare System

Resource Section

  • List of COVID Testing in County
  • Safe Kids: The Road to Snowlympics Training
  • Find Your Booster Appointment

Upcoming Events

  • Holiday – 1/17
  • Board of Health Meeting – 1/18
  • Public Health Program Policy Committee Meeting – 1/20
  • Pay Day – 1/23
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Snohomish Health District
3020 Rucker Ave., Everett, Washington

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