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December 11, 2015

Population Health Trust hosts listening session December 15 in Mount Vernon

SKAGIT COUNTY – If you have opinions to share regarding vital elements of a healthy community, members of the Skagit County Population Health Trust invite you to share them at a community listening session next week in Mount Vernon.

This December 15 public session, 5:30-7:45 p.m. at the Mount Vernon High School Cafeteria, follows in the wake of publication of a 100-page “quality of life” report from the Population Health Trust. This report was written for the Skagit County Board of Health after surveying more than 1,500 local residents.

In October a group of 90 community and Trust members participated in a data analysis event known as a “Data Carousel.” The result of this work yielded 12 health concerns that will be the primary focus of the three listening sessions.

Sponsors of the survey were the 28 volunteer members of the Skagit County Population Health Trust Advisory Committee, established in January 2015.

Skagit County Community Health Analyst David Jefferson notes that the survey represented a “giant first step” in an ongoing campaign to present community leaders with “credible, actionable information” about local challenges.

Jefferson and Population Health Trust members are eager to hear firsthand from Skagit County residents about the health issues they see as priorities. Those in attendance will be asked to weigh in on the question of whether the 12 priority health concerns cited in their summary report covers citizen concerns about possible threats to a healthy community. They will also be asked to identify their “top three” priorities.

Similar sessions were held recently in Anacortes and Sedro-Woolley. The Mount Vernon forum will include Spanish interpreter services.

RSVP is not mandatory but helpful as food and beverages will be served: www.surveymonkey.com/r/PHTCommunityForums.

See www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/PHTAC for more information about the Population Health.