LWVSJ Observer Corps | Board of Health March 19, 2025

||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS |||

The Accountable Communities for Health (ACH) is seeking a new CEO. County representatives are part of the search team. The Medicaid 2.0 funds were released and received in early January. A request for proposals is out for grants to community health projects. The North Sound Behavioral Health organization is trying to stop the state from taking back funds listed as reserves, but in practice are committed to existing contracts. The organization depends heavily on Medicaid funding and cuts could devastate services. Legal developments mean more opioid settlement money could be coming.

Ellen Wilcox presented the Youth Community Health Assessment. Youth and adults mostly agreed on local strengths; that this is a safe, supportive community with lots of outdoor activities that supports education. Wealth gaps and the number of youths living in homes with poverty and adults juggling multiple jobs and the lack of childcare create the most challenges. The biggest needs identified by youth were mental health education and support; adult support in limiting social media/ screen time; and more, better, and earlier reproductive health education. In its absence kids are depending on often unreliable online sources. There have been big drops in substance abuse in line with state-wide trends, but mental health has not improved here as it has elsewhere.

The director of the Orcas Island Health Care District updated the board. They run a local clinic in partnership with Island Health in Anacortes. In 2024, they had over 11,000 appointments and served 3700 unique patients. They provide primary care, acute care and after-hours care, and have some specialty care available in person such as an OB/GYN once a month as well as telehealth access to specialists. They are to expand on their property to provide dental care. They will be seeking a levy lid lift to finance expansion. Board members encouraged them to focus on outreach in explaining the levy proposal.

Mark Thompkins introduced Dr. Amy Harley, a pediatrician who currently shares the job of county health officer with Whatcom with another doctor, and who is the candidate to also become the San Juan County Health officer, taking over from Dr. Duber. Dr. Harley met with county council members earlier and a lunch with Health Board members and county health department staff was scheduled after the board meeting. A contract with Dr. Harley is likely to be approved soon.

Mark Thompkins gave a brief overview of the County Health Roadmap which can be found at countyhealthrankings.org. San Juan County ranks at the top of state and national ranks of healthy communities and is one of the few places where life expectancy improved during the pandemic.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization encourages informed participation in government. The Observer Corps attends and takes notes at government meetings to expand public understanding of public policy and decisions. The notes do not necessarily reflect the views of the League or its members.