2018 Health Champion Award Recipients to be Recognized

EVERETT, Wash. – The Snohomish Health District is wrapping up National Public Health Week with an open house to celebrate its 60th anniversary and the 2018 Health Champion Awards. The free event will be from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 on the 1st floor of its headquarters located at 3020 Rucker Ave, Everett, Wash. The awards presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m., with light refreshments afterward.

The Snohomish Health District was officially formed as a special purpose district on January 1, 1959. This followed more than a year of discussions to consolidate the City of Everett Health Department and the Snohomish County Health Department into a new entity.

The original Board of Health in 1959 was composed of three county commissioners, three city commissioners and a member-at-larger from the community. Staff included 28 employees: a health officer, 12 public health nurses, 5 sanitarians, 5 clerical staff, a clinic nurse, a public health social worker, a dental hygienist, a part-time tuberculosis consultant, and a part-time pediatrician.

Today, the Health District has 134 employees serving the 805,000 residents and thousands of businesses in Snohomish County. The Board of Health is a 15-member board composed of local county and city elected officials, overseeing policy and the budget of the Health District.

To commemorate its 60th Anniversary, the community is invited to the open house to learn more about the Health District. Displays and activities will be set up for the public to learn more about, like perfecting your hand washing with Glow-Germ, learning how to bat-proof your home, or walking through a mock teen bedroom to look for signs of potential drug use. Staff will also be on hand to answer questions, including a “Talk with the Doc� table featuring its health officer, Dr. Mark Beatty.

Staff and the Board of Health will also being recognizing individuals and organizations in its 2018 Health Champions ceremony. Six local businesses will be presented with Food Safety Excellence Awards. These awards recognize those in food service who not only meet minimum standards, but typically stand out within their industry. The recipients by category are:

• Limited Menu: Gourmet Latte #20 located at 16831 Smokey Point Boulevard in Arlington
• Fast Food: Jacksons #607 Deli located at 1331 - 164th St SW in Lynnwood
• Full Service: Imperial Wok located at 22833 Bothell Everett Highway, Suite 101 in Bothell
• Large Grocery Chains: QFC #879 located at 27008 92nd Ave NW in Stanwood
• Schools/Industrial/Institutions: Marysville Pilchuck High School Cafeteria located at 5611 - 108th St NE in Marysville
• Temporary Food Service: King’s Riders based out of Snohomish

In addition to the Food Program Excellence Awards, there are six awards that celebrate people and organizations in the county that go above and beyond minimum requirements to promote the health and well-being of families, employees and the community they serve. The recipients are:

• Debbie & Mike Warfield and Cathi & David Lee, from Everett, for being champions for change in the opioid crisis;
• Sue Waldin, Verdant Health Commission, for being a maternal-child health champion;
• Sno-Isle Libraries, for being an emergency preparedness champion;
• Alyssa Campbell & Lyn Lauzon, Henry M. Jackson High School, for being suicide prevention champions;
• Mara Marano-Bianco, Edmonds School District, for being an oral health champion; and
• Representative June Robinson will be presented with the Donna Wright Champion for Public Health Award for her work as an elected official advocating on behalf of key public health issues.

The Snohomish Health District works for a safer and healthier community through disease prevention, health promotion, and protection from environmental threats. To read more about the District and for important health information, visit www.snohd.org.