Mason County Board of Health approves updated schedule, elects officers and OKs acting health officer agreement; staff outlines clinics, mobile unit and $200,00

Mason County Board of Health members voted on routine governance items and heard an extended report from health department staff at their Jan. 28, 2025 meeting.

The board approved changing its meeting frequency from quarterly to every other month and elected Darren Moody as chair and Peggy as vice chair. The board also approved minutes for Aug. 13, Sept. 17 and Oct. 22, 2024, and authorized an interlocal agreement for acting health officer coverage with Washington State and the Washington State Department of Health.

Board business mattered because the schedule change increases oversight and gives the department more frequent policy touchpoints. The acting health officer agreement formalizes how a regional Department of Health medical officer would serve as a temporary health officer for Mason County if the county’s health officer is indisposed.

Health staff gave an extended operational report. On infectious disease, staff flagged avian influenza in wildlife and at a local sanctuary that lost roughly 20 of about 36 large cats in an outbreak; staff also noted a recent positive harbor seal test in a neighboring county. Staff said they were monitoring limited human spillover: one poultry-worker transmission has been reported in Washington state, and seasonal influenza and COVID-19 indicators are lower than in prior years.

On state relations, staff said an interim Washington State Secretary of Health, Jessica Jodorovic, will meet with health officers and department directors soon; a visiting clinician, identified in materials as Dr. Kroeger, will work with staff next week.

Staff presented three strategic priorities: opening a family-planning clinic, procuring a mobile medical unit, and launching a pilot behavioral-health/syringe-exchange technology program.

Family-planning clinic: staff reported they are evaluating electronic health record (EHR) vendors for interoperability with major regional hospital systems (Athena, Epic, Cerner) and for billing capabilities including Medicaid, private insurance and sliding-fee schedules. Kitsap and Jefferson counties use Nightingale Notes; Kitsap recently upgraded to Nightingale Notes Gold. Staff said Nightingale Notes appears to meet many needs and would be the least expensive near-term option, while the state is developing a long-range EHR for public-health and correctional settings that could take multiple years.

Staff said clinical services planned for the clinic include contraceptive counseling and provision (including long-acting reversible contraceptives such as IUDs), medication provision and routine family-planning services. Staff emphasized the clinic would not provide abortion services or referrals for abortion. Staffing needs discussed included an ARNP/PA credentialing step, a clinic manager position and billing capacity.

Mobile medical unit: staff described a custom motor‑home–style vehicle with an exam room, reception area and IT/billing integration. Procurement staff are evaluating whether to issue a request for bids, a request for proposals, or split procurement for vehicle build and services/support (IT, maintenance). Staff intend a single vehicle pilot with potential leasing to local partners.

Pilot behavioral-health / syringe-exchange technology: staff presented a proposed 90‑day pilot with United We Care, a San Francisco–based vendor that uses a smartphone app and AI-assisted triage to connect clients to a live counselor or certified listener. The pilot budget is $200,000, proposed to be paid from the county’s treatment sales tax fund balance. Staff said the vendor will cover users exceeding initial projections at no additional cost. The planned enrollment target is 2,500 people (cost approximately $80 per person over three months). Staff said they will finalize integration and workflow details with local behavioral-health partners and hospitals before executing contracts and will collect usage, demographics and visit‑reason data for legislative outreach and potential ongoing funding.

Transparency and inspection database: staff previewed an Inspect-to-Go food-inspection database set to go live with the county website in February; the tool will make food-service inspection records and photos searchable online.

Facilities, outreach and community concerns: staff reported completion of a community-health building with permanent signage, a communications/recording room and expanded counter space for public records and certificates. Board members and staff discussed community outreach items including distributing medication lockboxes and Narcan at community events and a “turn in your meds” campaign. A public commenter asked the board to discuss increasing county funding and enforcement to improve septic and watershed compliance; staff said the topic could be scheduled for a future agenda with backup materials.

Votes at a glance: all actions listed below carried unanimously by voice vote unless otherwise noted.

• Approval of meeting agenda as presented — motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved.

• Motion to adopt a bi-monthly meeting schedule (meet every other month instead of quarterly) — moved and seconded; outcome: approved.

• Election of Darren Moody as chair — nominated by Commissioner Trask, seconded; outcome: approved.

• Election of Peggy as vice chair — moved and seconded; outcome: approved.

• Approval of minutes for Aug. 13, Sept. 17 and Oct. 22 — moved and seconded; outcome: approved.

• Approval of interlocal agreement for acting health officer coverage between Washington State and the Washington State Department of Health — motion made and seconded; outcome: approved.

What the board directed next: staff said they will return with more detail on EHR options, the ARNP/PA recruitment and credentialing steps, the mobile-unit procurement approach, and finalized contract/integration details for the United We Care pilot before signature and spending. Staff also said they will reach out to tribes, hospitals and syringe-exchange partners to meet the 2,500-person enrollment target for the pilot.

The board adjourned after public comment.