We are in the background, every day, making sure our communities are safe and healthy. We also take an active part in helping you stay healthy and safe—by providing user-friendly and reliable information so you can use to make informed decisions.
We work with state, regional, and county community partners, agencies, and coalitions to improve the health and safety of Grant County residents and the entire North Central Washington Region (Grant, Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan Counties) by focusing on: injury prevention; emergency preparedness; nutrition & food safety; physical activity; oral health; youth marijuana & tobacco prevention among many other focuses.
Healthy Communities & Prevention Roles:
Many people know that public health protects them and the environment by:
- Monitoring the environment and enforcing regulations to prevent second-hand smoke and vapor, foodborne illnesses, contaminated water or toxic wastes from making people sick;
- Reducing the likelihood that you will get a disease or illness by ensuring you have places to go within Grant County for immunizations, HIV/AIDS services, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and tuberculosis (TB).
You may not know that an equally important way we help prevent illness and injury is to help you create a healthy and safe lifestyle by:
- Sharing information and resources with you so that you can make informed decisions about healthy lifestyle choices and avoid preventable injuries;
- Working with community members, organizations, and elected officials to create policies that make the safe and healthy choice the easy and affordable choice;
- Such as building more and linking existing bike and walking paths, making fruits and vegetables more available and less expensive (Farmers Market Match Program), supporting helmet and seat belt laws, and adopting vaping in public places ordinance to protect the air that we breathe;
- Developing community-based initiatives and coalitions to provide a healthy and safe environment for all kids in Grant County to grow up in;
- Working with our healthcare partners, emergency management, and first responders to develop plans for public health emergencies and disease outbreaks.