ANNUAL REPORT 2011 KITSAP PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT

ANNUAL REPORT 2011
KITSAP PUBLIC
HEALTH DISTRICT
THE
NEW
ROAD

THE NEW RO
PREVENTION IS PUBLIC HEALTH
2011 was another down year for the economy. To us in public health,
that means even greater stresses on the health of our community. That’s
because economic and social conditions are the true drivers of health.
Research shows that social conditions – the jobs we do, the schools we
attend, the neighborhoods we live in – are as important to our health as
our genes, our behaviors, and even our medical care.
Public health has made great strides in combating infectious diseases
and improving sanitation, but we’re increasingly dying early from
preventable causes following years of illness and disability. Chronic
diseases such as diabetes and heart disease --- resulting from tobacco
use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and other underlying causes --- are
not only cutting lives short, they are also greatly increasing our medical
spending. We can do better.
Health will improve most by preventing disease in the first place
rather than treating it after it’s occurred. This is the theme of public
health.
“Health will
improve most
by preventing
disease in the
first place
rather than
treating it after
it’s occurred.”
To respond, we must build a public health system that recognizes
health disparities, helps people adopt healthy behaviors, and assists
organizations and communities in encouraging healthier lifestyles. It also
requires that we help decision makers implement policies based on the
best available evidence to improve the conditions in which we all live.
As discussed in this report, our Strategic Plan and the Kitsap
Community Health Priorities Plan, both completed in 2011, address
these new realities and strive to improve age-old public health
responsibilities. The future identified in these plans requires that we use
our limited resources more efficiently and effectively. It also requires
that we forge new partnerships, and use technology smarter. By doing
this, we can shape a more effective public health system, and improve the
health of everyone in Kitsap County.
I would like to extend a sincere thank-you to all our staff at the Kitsap
Public Health District for their hard work on strategic planning and the
establishment of Kitsap County Health Priorities. The dedication of our
staff in this time of change has been an inspiration for me. I sometimes
hear less than favorable comments about public workers, but having
worked in both private practice and public health, I have never seen
people work as hard as the staff of the Kitsap Public Health District.
Sincerely,
Scott Lindquist, MD, MPH
Director of Health

AD THE NEW
STRATEGIC PLANNING
At no time in the District’s history has the need for strategic planning been more critical. Our
financial resources will remain limited for some time requiring us to prioritize their highest and best
use. In 2011, we completed a formal 10-year strategic planning process to do just that.
Our planning team --- composed of District staff, the District’s Board Chair, and a Health Officer
of a sister county health department --- met over seven months to craft our plan. Prior to making
decisions, we reviewed data describing the current and future environment for public health and
surveyed our staff and community stakeholders about their priorities for our work and their
assessment of our performance.
The following Guiding Principles informed our work:
• Prevention: Prevention is the most effective way to protect our community from disease and
injury.
• Partnerships: Work with others when collaboration will produce better and faster results.
• Effectiveness: Data-driven decisions and science-based practices produce the best outcomes.
• Equity: All Kitsap residents should have an equal opportunity to live healthy and safe lives.
• Quality: Continuously improving the quality of our services and systems will better serve our
community.
The 2011-2021 Strategic Plan represents our
public commitment to address the most pressing
public health needs in our community. To ensure
our success, we’re also developing a performance
monitoring and reporting system, and a continuous
quality improvement process. This will ensure good
stewardship of the resources entrusted to us, and
allow us to demonstrate our accountability to the
community we serve.
Our Strategic Plan contains the following
major goals:
• Strengthen our ability to prevent and control
communicable diseases.
• Decrease chronic diseases and their impacts in our community.
• Prevent and reduce environmental threats to public health from contaminated water, food,
land, and air.
• Promote healthy child development and health equity by ensuring all children have healthy
starts.
• Strengthen our financial and technological resources and ensure our workforce has the new
skills required in our changing environment.
The complete plan is available on the “About” page of our website at kitsappublichealth.org.

2011 Revenues
KITSAP COMMUNITY HEALTH PRIORITIES:
A shared vision of community health
Health is determined not only by health care, individual
behaviors, and genetics, but also by the social, economic, and
environmental conditions in which we live. To truly improve
the health of the community, these factors must be addressed
by everyone who has an interest in health --- quite simply, by
all of us.
“Any town that
doesn’t have
sidewalks doesn’t
love its children.”
Margaret Mead
The Kitsap Community Health Priorities (KCHP) process
was initiated to bring diverse community groups together
in a united effort to improve the health and well-being of
all residents of Kitsap County. The KCHP process involved
broad participation to set community health priorities, take
action on those priorities, and celebrate progress.
In late 2010, the KCHP Planning Phase was spearheaded
by Bob Cross, Executive Director of Strategic Planning for
Harrison Medical Center; Dave Foote, Executive Director of
United Way Kitsap; and Scott Lindquist, Director and Health
Officer of the Kitsap Public Health District. In 2011, this
“Sponsor Group” engaged a cross section of leaders from
community organizations --- called the “Charter Group”
--- to evaluate data on the health status of County residents
and use the data to identify potential health priorities.
Establishing meaningful community health priorities, and
involving the community in the work, is critical to achieve
success. Other community representatives joined the KCHP
process in May 2011.
In a series of three meetings, community representative
attendees 1) provided data and perceptions about local
factors affecting the health and well-being of Kitsap County
residents, 2) reviewed potential health priorities, and 3)
selected the final health priorities. Four of the five final
Community Health Priorities are being addressed by
community member Working Groups as part of the Action
Phase that began in 2012.
KCHP COMMUNITY PARTNERS
KCHP is lead by a three-member Sponsor Group:
• Harrison Medical Center
• United Way Kitsap
• Kitsap Public Health District
The Community
Health Priorities for
Kitsap County are:
• Ensure access to affordable
medical, behavioral health,
and dental care to all
residents.
• Make it easy for residents
to be physically active.
• Ensure all residents have
healthier food options.
• Ensure all children and
youth receive the support
necessary to be healthy
throughout life.
• Promote economic
development that provides
living wage jobs with
benefits. [This priority is
being addressed by other
groups in the County.]
The following KCHP Charter Group provided additional in-depth evaluation of community health data:
• City of Bremerton
• Holly Ridge Center
• Housing Kitsap
• Kitsap Community Resources
• Kitsap Mental Health Services
• Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council
• Olympic Educational Service District
• Peninsula Community Health Services
• Washington State Department of Social and
Health Services

FINANCIAL DATA 2011
Revenues
Contracts & Grants
$4,768,684
49.7%
Fees
$2,901,959
30.2%
Local
Government
$1,383,800
14.4%
State Public Health
Assistance Funds
$515,449
5.4%
Miscellaneous
$27,983
0.3%
Supplies
$313,283
3.3%
Expenses
Wages & Benefits
$7,336,611
77.2%
Professional Services
$629,553
6.6%
Other Operating Costs
$579,952
6.1%
Facility Costs
$587,169
6.2%
Capital Equipment/
Improvement
$63,202
0.6%
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
KITSAP PUBLIC
HEALTH DISTRICT
EMPLOYEES
(FULL-TIME
EQUIVALENTS)
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
COMMUNITY HEALTH
ADMINISTRATION
37
23
27
38
25
26
41
31
30
39
32
33
46
44
36
TOTAL
87
89
102
104
126
“Old Manette Bridge,” background photograph by Michael Drew

ROAD
CHRONIC DISEASE:
The public health challenge of the 21st Century
Both the District’s
Strategic Plan and the
Kitsap Community
Health Priorities include
an expansive strategic
goal that will require
a complete change in
community norms, and a
tremendous effort on the
part of the District and
its community partners:
the prevention of chronic
diseases.
Chronic diseases—such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes—
are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.
Almost 1 out of every 2 adults has at least one chronic illness.
Four modifiable behaviors—lack of physical activity, poor nutrition,
tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption—are responsible
for much of the illness, suffering, and early death related to chronic
diseases.
“The best way
to predict
the future is to
create it.”
Peter F. Drucker
Over the past few decades, we have witnessed a steep rise in
obesity, a risk condition that leads to chronic illness, in both adults
and children. In Kitsap County, approximately 60% of all adults are
either overweight or obese, a staggering statistic.
Additionally, the U.S. spends significantly more on health care than
any other nation on the planet, yet our average life expectancy is far
below many other nations that spend less on health care. Chronic
disease accounts for approximately 70% of these U.S. health care
costs, yet we invest only 1% of health spending on prevention, a
paltry sum.
Adopting healthy behaviors is much easier if we establish
supportive community norms and adopt a philosophy that embraces
health in all policies and settings. We must promote community-wide
approaches that support healthy living for individuals, families, and
communities.
Background photograph by Michael Drew

OUR PROGRAMS 2011
Clinical Services
We assure people have
access to immunizations
and reproductive health
care services, and we
monitor and control
communicable diseases.
Epidemiology and
Assessment
We collect, analyze, and
report a wide range of
data to ensure that our
services are based on an
accurate understanding of
the county’s health status
and needs.
Living Environment
We monitor safety at
water recreation facilities,
schools, and camps. We
enforce smoking in public
places laws. We provide
education about mold and
indoor air quality.
Public Health
Emergency
Preparedness and
Response
We work with community
partners to plan and
coordinate emergency
preparedness and response
activities in the event of a
public health emergency.
“Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can
get there unless everybody gets there.”
Virginia Burden
Food Safety
We lower the incidence
of food borne illnesses
through inspections at food
service establishments and
provide training on safe
food handling to all food
service workers.
Health Promotion
We develop and implement
outreach and education
that help people make
healthy and safe lifestyle
choices.
HIV/AIDS
We assure that HIV/AIDS
preventative, diagnostic,
case management, and
treatment services are
available.
Juvenile Detention
Adolescent Health
We provide health care
services to young people at
the Kitsap County Juvenile
Detention Facility.
Onsite Sewage
We ensure that onsite
septic systems are
designed, installed,
operated, and maintained
properly.
Parent Child Health
We promote the health of
families, pregnant women,
infants, children, and
children with special health
care needs.
Pollution Identification
and Correction
We monitor and improve
lake, stream, and shoreline
water quality to protect
you from waterborne
illnesses and contaminated
shellfish.
Solid and Hazardous
Waste
We protect public health
by ensuring proper
management of solid and
hazardous wastes through
effective permitting,
enforcement and education
and outreach. With other
stakeholders, we promote
pollution prevention, waste
minimization, reuse, and
recycling.
Drinking Water
We ensure reliable
quantity and quality for
drinking water sources.

2011 KITSAP
PUBLIC HEALTH BOARD
Charlotte Garrido
Chair
Commissioner, Kitsap County
Becky Erickson
Vice-Chair
Mayor, City of Poulsbo
Steve Bauer
Commissioner,
Kitsap County (January – March)
Josh Brown
Commissioner, Kitsap County
Lary Coppola
Mayor, City of Port Orchard
Rob Gelder
Commissioner,
Kitsap County (April – December)
Kirsten Hytopoulos
Council Member,
City of Bainbridge Island
Patty Lent
Mayor, City of Bremerton
Roy Runyon (alternate)
Council Member, City of Bremerton
Striving to make Kitsap County a healthy and safe place to live, learn, work, and play.
345 6th Street, Suite 300 • Bremerton, WA 98337
Phone: (360) 337-5235 • Fax: (360) 337-5298 • kitsappublichealth.org
The Kitsap Public Health District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, age,
religion, marital status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.