Skagit County health officials present community health assessment as budget cuts force ‘right‑sizing’ of services

Skagit County Public Health and the Population Health Trust presented a community health assessment (CHA) to the Skagit County Board of Health on Oct. 14, outlining a set of priority issue areas — housing, economic stability, behavioral health, health‑care access and children’s readiness for school — while interim Public Health Director Jennifer Johnson said the department must ‘‘right‑size’’ services as one‑time COVID revenues and other time‑limited funds end.

Johnson told the board: "we're facing a very difficult budget year. Going forward into 2026. We are kind of at this pivotal, situation where, our COVID revenue and a lot of 1 time, or time limited, different revenues are have come to an end." She said the department will prioritize foundational public health services — "foundational communicable disease, child and family health, prevention and environmental health" — and align the service model with essential local public health functions.

The CHA was presented by staff and partner representatives from the Population Health Trust, which reviewed about 180 indicators and distilled them into issue statements. Annalise Van Schaub of the Employment Security Department framed economic stability as a social determinant that intersects with other priorities, noting wage growth since the pandemic and persistent cost pressures. "For a…