Third annual free health clinic in Seattle/King County a success
KOMO news reported on how more than 900 individuals received free medical care at the clinic, which was held at KeyArena Thursday, October 27 through Sunday, October 30. The clinic relied on over 1,000 volunteers to provide free dental, vision and medical care for almost 4,000 people. Read more about this successful event in the article Massive effort to provide free health care gets underway at KeyArena, including a quote from King County Executive Dow Constantine. Image courtesy of KOMO news
From the Hip: Julie Wise, Director of Elections
Why you shouldn’t only vote this November I know for many of you it feels like this election has been going on forever, but here at King County Elections we’ve actually been preparing for years. For this election we will – Process about 100,000 additional voter registrations Send out nearly 1.3 million ballots to King County voters Field more than 27,000 phone calls from voters Count more than a million ballots At our headquarters in Renton we’ll have countless tour groups, party observers and media visitors. On Election Day, we’ll have more… Read More
Celebrating 105 years of combined service- and no regrets
Al Viray, Al Williamson, and Bryon Fauchald recently received a 35-year service award, as well as lunch with acting Wastewater Treatment Division Director Gunars Sreibers and Department of Natural Resources and Parks Director Christie True, to celebrate each employee and his incredible commitment to wastewater services for our region. Thank you to all three for their dedication to King County! On December 1, 1981 three men, Al Viray, Al Williamson, and Bryon Fauchald, reported for their first day of work at the West Point Treatment plant in Discovery Park. At that time,… Read More
King County employees reduce project lead times by two years through Lean
Crossposted from Lean in King County In September, King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) celebrated the hard work of hundreds of employees who have been streamlining how WTD operates the regional system and how it builds new facilities needed for our growing population. Employees explained to coworkers how they used Lean techniques to improve efficiency, standardize processes, and save time – thereby saving ratepayers money – during a four-hour open house. WTD has a long history of continuously improving our business using employee ideas. Over 1.5 million people in the region depend… Read More
Univision honors Metro’s Penny Lara during Latinx Heritage Month
Crossposted from Metro Matters The people of King County are fortunate to have Penny Lara. A longtime advocate for equity, Lara is a transportation planner at King County Metro focused on improving access to transportation for communities with special needs. Lara came from the Department of Public Health, Seattle-King County, where she played a key role in implementing ORCA LIFT –the reduced fare card for low-income riders — and building upon her experience leading efforts to enroll King County’s Latinx community in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Read more at… Read More
Q&A: Public Health takes on lead poisoning at work
Crossposted from Public Health Insider When we think about people at risk of lead poisoning, we may think about children exposed to lead-based paint, or those exposed to lead through certain hobbies. But did you know that thousands of workers in this country are exposed to lead at their workplaces – day in and day out? Alarmingly, the federal and Washington state worker health & safety standards to protect those workers are inadequate and are based on outdated science from the 1970s. In addition, workers of color in King County are at… Read More
Safety and security at work
Ensuring your safety and security at work is our top priority. Recently, King County hosted an employee Lunch and Learn with representatives from the Sheriff’s Office and the Facilities Management Division (FMD) Security Unit sharing information and resources. In response to employee requests, we now have a list of safety tips online. This information from the Seattle Police Department is designed to help you enhance your personal safety and avoid potential trouble. We have also launched a new online security incident report form. You can use this form to report non-emergency incidents… Read More
The Kitsap County Civilian Navy visits King County to learn about Supported Employment
In June 2016, King County hosted the Kitsap County Civilian Navy to share best practices about supported employment in order to assist them to grow and develop their own Supported Employment Program. During the Navy’s visit they toured the workplaces of three employees: Jennifer in DES Records and Licensing Division, Tony in DPH Financial and Administrative section, and Kirsten in DCHS Community Services Division, who showcased their work. Debra Wood, Kirsten’s supervisor, states, “It’s been wonderful to see Kirsten grow. [The Supported Employment Program] is a terrific! I want everybody who has… Read More
Kudos to Mario Bailey! Employee mentioned in local paper for great work coaching high school football and mentoring youth
A social worker in the Department of Community and Human Services, Mario Bailey was recently highlighted in The Seattle Medium, a local news outlet, for his stepping into the head coach position at Franklin High School. His coming forward allowed the students to play football this season, instead of possibly forfeiting after the original head coach had to step down. He is quoted in the article as saying: “When you’re a football coach you’re more than a ‘football coach,” says Bailey. “You’re like an uncle, a father, a best friend, a big brother – you’re… Read More
School based clinics in King County
Soon more school kids will be able to get medical care without missing school. King County’s Best Starts for Kids initiative will help fund more school-based clinics. View the video below to learn more about how we are changing the lives of children in King County.
Employee News 