The department-wide strategic planning kicked off in late April, with an anticipated timeline for having a final plan envisioned at about six months. As conversations unfolded with the Board of Health, staff and external partners, timelines and processes were modified to lead with and reflect department principles and values --- transparency, improvement, and engagement.  

Since the August board retreat, staff and leadership been engaged in iterative conversations moving through the priority areas. The iterative process has resulted in six priority areas, 18 goals, over 60 potential strategies, and more than 150 potential or preliminary outlines for objectives. All the work identified is needed and of value to moving public health forward in Snohomish County. At the same time, in order to be successful, the department must prioritize its efforts.

Based on and in consideration of the valuable conversations and feedback received to date, eleven potential areas of focus for initial efforts and further prioritization into either Wave 1 or Wave 2 have been short listed. These eleven areas are:

• Building and workspace environment improvements
• Childhood and adult vaccinations
• Continuous improvement
• Data transparency
• Diversification of revenue
• Employee satisfaction & engagement survey
• Financial accountability & transparency
• Fostering community partnerships
• Policies and procedures
• Readiness
• Water quality protection

Prioritization of the eleven areas into waves with a final plan is planned for an early to mid-January release.

Questions for today's briefing:

• Feedback on the initial eleven areas
• Which potential strategies from the list of eleven would the BOH want to engage and work closely with health department staff