Office of the Director - Public Health

MASON COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

VISION: A healthy Mason county MISSION: Promote health in Mason County through education, prevention, protection and preparedness

Welcome to the Mason County Public Health and Human Services (MCPHHS) website:

As defined by the Institute of Medicine, three core functions of public health include:

Assessment: Monitor environmental and health status and investigate/diagnose health problems of the community
Policy Development: Educate on health issues, mobilize community partners, and develop policies that support individual and community health
Assurance: Enforce health regulations and laws; link people to needed health services and programs; ensure a competent public health and personal health care workforce; evaluate personal and population-based health services; and research new solutions to health problems

Washington State and the Nation are further refining the core functions of public health into what are being called Foundational Public Health Services and Foundational Public Health Capabilities. These are services and capabilities that should be available to every resident of Washington State regardless of where they live, work, and play. To ensure access to all residents, a core package of services and programs are provided at each health department. The foundational services and capabilities are displayed below:

As you can see, public health has many different roles. Not only does public health promote the use of vaccines, but it supports other health areas such as mental health, low income housing, preservation of clean water sources, and safe food handling practices. It advocates for policy change to better the quality and accessibility of health care services as well as to address the behavioral and social factors that shape as much as 70% of our health. It ensures emergency preparedness and monitors trends and incidence of communicable diseases. Public health affects all of us on a daily basis and in so many different ways!

Even with so many different roles, MCPHHS can’t improve the county’s health alone. We are fortunate in Mason County to have an extensive variety of community members, organizations and other partners that are all invested in our community’s health and are willing to work together to find creative and effective solutions. MCPHHS has the opportunity to work with many wonderful people and community partners to align our resources and capacity towards the common goal of greater health and well-being.

Public health affects each of us on a daily basis. I invite you to join us in our work towards improving the health of our community. The staff here at MCPHHS is always happy to address concerns, questions, or feedback that you may have, so never hesitate to get in touch.

Organization of Mason County Public Health & Human Services:

The 2010 Census population of Mason County was 60,699 people. Between 2000 and 2010, the overall population growth rate for the county was 23%, making it the fourth fastest growing county in the state. Along with a growing population, the county is also experiencing shifts in the racial and ethnic make-up of the community. To support accessible and quality health care for all community members, Mason County Public Health & Human Services consists of two divisions, the Environmental Health and the Community and Family Health divisions. These two divisions often need to work together to resolve an issue, whether it’s a leaking septic system that’s contaminating water and causing human illness, or an animal bite case in which a concern for rabies needs to be addressed. By working together and combining their areas of expertise, these two divisions are better able to protect and improve the health and well-being of our community.

Housing, mental health, and chemical dependency have all been identified as significant health areas that require support in Mason County. As a result, Human Services has become a third area of focused commitment and development within the department. The broader role of a Human Services division or department is to address programs and services that help meet the basic needs of our community members and to promote improved quality of life. To ensure that basic needs are met for our community’s residents, programs and services are particularly geared towards vulnerable populations such as children, individuals with low income, domestic violence victims, seniors and those who are homeless. By committing expertise and resources to this third division, the department can more fully address the basic needs of our community and work to ensure that all community members receive the support and health services that they deserve.

The expertise within each of the divisions here at MCPHHS strongly complements one another. With the collaboration that takes place across all three divisions, and with the dedicated commitment and work of all of our community partners, we are better able to support Mason County residents in achieving independence, success and greater quality of life.