Doubling down on equity and social justice
Crossposted from Inside Transportation King County’s ambitious program to extend fairness and opportunity to all is rolling out to departments and agencies. First came the six-year strategic plan, adopted last year as a blueprint for putting equity and social justice (ESJ) at the heart of every county activity. Now each department is creating its own specific plan for meeting the goals the county has set. These fall into six areas (see box at left). This far-reaching program aims to transform the way we do business—both internally (hiring, promotions, training) and externally (customer… Read More
Remember Mother Earth when celebrating your mother
Crossposted from Go, Green Team! May 14 is Mother’s Day! Celebrate your mother and Mother Earth. Mother Earth has a place in many different cultures. The Greek version is Gaia from whom all live sprang and who personifies the interconnected ecosystems of Earth. The Earth on Turtle’s Back is a story from Native American tradition about a world of all water in which animals bring soil up from its depths that grew to become the Earth. Mothers, cultural histories, and healthy ecosystems, are all cause to celebrate. What better way than with… Read More
Nurses Week focus on good health for nurses, promotes resilience
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Burnout is a problem in many professions – and particularly in nursing. For National Nurses Week this year, the focus is on promoting good health for nurses themselves. Within Public Health – Seattle & King County, this fits squarely with many efforts to help people overcome the impacts of burnout and “secondary trauma” (which comes with providing intensive, compassionate care to vulnerable populations). At the core of this work is resilience – the capacity to recover from adversity. Anneleen Severynen, a Public Health Nurse with Health Care… Read More
Town halls in unincorporated King County offer residents a chance to engage with King County officials
Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter The 2017 Unincorporated Community Service Area (CSA) series of town hall meetings kicked off in April with well-attended meetings in Snoqualmie Valley and on Vashon Island. Residents received reports on local initiatives from their Councilmember, sheriff, assessor and other leaders from King County departments, and had the opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns about issues affecting their community. A few DCHS management members and Best Starts for Kids reps attended the meetings, hosting a DCHS table with information about DCHS programs. The CSA town… Read More
Monitoring the environment during West Point restoration
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories King County shared good news April 27 that West Point Treatment Plant is back online. Employees and contractors worked around the clock to restore critical mechanical and electrical systems that were damaged by severe flooding on Feb. 9. Whenever clean water infrastructure is affected, King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) gets in front of environmental monitoring. The scale of the West Point incident called for increased environmental monitoring and close coordination with the State Department of Ecology. King County knows how much people in our region care… Read More
Free military career Expo, August 9
King County is hosting the fourth annual “Working with Our Troops Career Expo” at the Washington State Convention Center on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Expo is free to both employers and job seekers and attracts 300-400 Veterans, transitioning Service Members and their spouses. There is space for approximately 130 employers. The deadline for employer registration is August 4, or until all spaces are filled. Here is the registration form. Each participating King County agency receives a: 10×10 booth space with an eight foot draped table, two chairs,… Read More
King County Archives receives the AKCHO 2017 Technology Award for its online exhibit, “Responding to AIDS”
Crossposted from Bytes and Boxes The King County Archives was chosen as winner of the Association of King County Heritage Organizations 2017 Technology Award for its online exhibit, Responding to AIDS: The Seattle-King County Department of Public Health, 1982-1996. The AKCHO Technology Award is “presented annually to an organization for an outstanding project that pairs technology with local history and provides an inspiration or a model for the heritage community.” We are honored to be among this year’s AKCHO award recipients, listed here: 2017 AKCHO Award Honorees. Read more at Bytes and Boxes
DCHS developing 5 enhanced shelters for homeless individuals, families
Shared from the DCHS Touching Base Newsletter The first of five enhanced shelters for homeless single adults and homeless families opened in March, and two more are moving forward! White Center – The Family Shelter at White Center operated by Mary’s Place is open and providing safe, temporary housing for about 30 people (parents and children), which is the current capacity. Thanks to the Evergreen Aquatics Center, additional shower capacity is available just a short distance away. Construction is currently under way at the site, including plumbing additional onsite showers. Once that… Read More
Puget Sound Starts Here at the Mariners, May 21
Baseball and clean water meet at the “Puget Sound Starts Here at the Mariners” event on Sunday, May 21 at 1:10 pm. Show your support for the environment and get an awesome Mariners/PSSH hat. Kids under 14 can get a Mariners gym bag, and a second-chance Mother’s Day tote bag. Get tickets at www.mariners.com/PugetSound! More benefits include: For the group that sells the most tickets: Five lucky ticket holders will have their picture taken with a Mariner! For groups larger than 19 people, call Elizabeth McCloskey at 206-346-4519. Tickets are $37 for a main level seat, a savings of at least $10… Read More
Looking for restaurant ratings online? We have a new search tool!
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Full inspection histories of all King County restaurants have been available online since 2001. For the past 16 years, inspection results could be searched on a website that, we admit, was starting to show its age. That’s why we partnered with King County Information Technology (KCIT) to create a restaurant inspection search tool to go along with our brand new Food Safety Rating System. We have always valued making information available to the public and this new search tool makes it even easier to find information to make informed decisions… Read More
Employee News 