On December 17, 2001, the Snohomish Health District entered into an agreement with Skagit and Whatcom Counties (Exhibit A) to grant temporary authority to serve as Acting Health Officer for a temporary period of time when the other local health jurisdiction’s Health Officers were physically unavailable or absent from the area. This was done to ensure that Health Officer advice and authority are available in the Local Health Jurisdictions during these periods.
During the 2021 Washington Legislative Session, the State Legislature directed the State Department of Health (DOH) to establish regional health offices to provide additional resources to better support local and tribal public health partners. These resources and services include:
- Assistance with unanticipated vacancies or workforce gaps
- Consultations with medical officer or regional liaison
- Support and resources for convening partners
- A point of contact to bring resources and support within DOH together as needed
- Additional people who know and care about the communities and want to improve the health of people in Washington by making sure the state is doing all it can to fulfill its role
Snohomish County is part of Region 4 along with Clallam, Jefferson, Mason, Grays Harbor, Pierce, King, Kitsap, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom Counties and earlier this year, Dr. Herbie Duber was appointed as the medical officer for this region. Staff are requesting to enter into an agreement with the Department of Health (Exhibit B) for these services, which will also cover Dr. Duber under the District’s malpractice insurance.