Island County Health Leaders Outline Priorities, Actions Through 2027

Island County public health officials gathered at the end of December to review a busy year and set a clear agenda through 2027. The Board of Health and the Community Health Advisory Board each held 10 meetings over the past year, passing resolutions aimed at consistent operations and assistance for local businesses, and advancing initiatives designed to build healthier communities.

Public Health Director Shawn Morris highlighted the boards efforts on advocacy and planning. The county updated the fee schedule for its food safety program in 2025, reducing fees for many local restaurants. The Board also approved a procedural change to permit the mayor of Oak Harbor and the WhidbeyHealth Hospital Commissioner to appoint alternates to serve during absences, a step intended to improve continuity in decision making.

Morris pointed to a string of advocacy letters as part of the year s work, focused on consistent state funding for public health services, maintaining access to outpatient services, raising concerns about proposed Medicaid cuts, and supporting inclusivity efforts by local school boards. A central initiative is the Community Health Improvement Plan, known as CHIP, which the county describes as a road map to move from identifying health problems to taking coordinated action.

The 2024 Community Health Assessment established three top priorities that will guide county activity. Those priorities are access to health and behavioral health services, housing affordability, and support for seniors. Planned actions tied to those priorities include a sanitary code update for on site septic permitting that will affect permitting procedures for rural properties, the launch of a new resource directory in 2026 to help residents find services, and preparations in 2027 for safety protocols and certifications to enable back to school childhood immunization clinics.

For Island County residents, the fee reductions for restaurants may ease costs for small business owners while helping sustain food safety inspections. The septic permitting changes could affect homeowners and developers in unsewered areas, and the planned resource directory aims to centralize information on health and social services. The immunization clinic preparations are intended to improve access to required vaccinations for school aged children and to streamline school entry procedures.

Officials said the work completed this year and the near term plans are intended to strengthen local health infrastructure, protect vulnerable populations, and position the county to respond to both routine and emergent public health needs.