What we love about 2018

We’re nearing the end of 2018, and that means it’s time to look back at our department’s hard work with partners throughout the year for a healthier community.

Just a few things that made us proud this year

Protecting family planning:

Addressing opioid use disorder:

Supporting TB locally and statewide:

  • Thanks to Foundational Public Health Services funding, our TB Control Program was able to mobilize outside of King County and support a large investigation in Spokane.

Screening and treating for hepatitis C:

  • The Hepatitis C ‘Test and Cure’ Program markedly improved HCV screening and treatment at coalition partner sites, resulting in a tripling in the number of baby boomer patients screened and greater than tenfold increase of those treated.

Making data powerful and accessible:

Educating parents, teachers and partners about tobacco and marijuana:

Preventing firearm injury and death:

Preventing lead poisoning in children:

  • The Community Toxics program, funded by Best Starts for Kids and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), partnered with King County Medical Society to pass a resolution on childhood lead poisoning The resolution, which subsequently passed the Washington State Medical Association, calls for more consistent childhood blood lead screening and more robust lead poisoning prevention activities.

Training a more diverse workforce:

  • Emergency Medical Services (EMS) launched the region’s first Future Women in Fire and EMS Academy, which is one piece of the Division’s approach to increase emergency medical technician (EMT), paramedic and EMS Division workforce diversity. And, with help from a federal grant, the Office of Nursing has helped train the next generation of ambulatory care nurses.

 

Updated on March 1, 2019