Whatcom County Council as the Health Board

## Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council convened as the Health Board on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at 10:01 a.m. in a hybrid meeting format at Council Chambers. Chair John Scanlon led the session, which brought together all seven county council members serving as the Health Board and 21 members of the Public Health Advisory Board (PHAB). This joint meeting marked the beginning of 2026 health governance with leadership elections and ambitious plans for community health initiatives, all shadowed by concerning news about potential state funding cuts to foundational public health services. The nearly two-hour session featured inspiring presentations from four community health organizations, demonstrating the grassroots innovation happening across Whatcom County. From veterans finding healing through farming to students advocating in Washington D.C. for drug prevention funding, the meeting showcased both the challenges and remarkable resilience of local health initiatives. The tone was one of cautious optimism tempered by fiscal uncertainty, as state budget proposals threatened to slash critical public health funding by a third. ## Reorganization: Leadership for 2026 The meeting began with the annual ritual of selecting Health Board leadership. Council Member Barry Buchanan nominated John Scanlon to continue as chair, a motion seconded by Kaylee Galloway. The vote was unanimous, with all seven council members supporting Scanlon's reappointment. The selection of a vice chair proved more interesting. This position had not existed previously, but Scanlon advocated for its creation to provide backup leadership and partnership. Ben Elenbaas nominated Mark Stremler, while Jessica Rienstra nominated Elizabeth Boyle. After Boyle seconded the motion to proceed with voting between the two candidates, the vote broke 5-2 in Boyle's favor. Buchanan, Galloway, Rienstra, Scanlon, and Boyle herself voted for Boyle, while Elenbaas and Stremler voted for Stremler. Scanlon noted the strategic value of having Boyle as vice chair, given her role chairing the Public Works and Health Committee. "I think it makes sense, Council Member, given that you're chairing the Public Works and Health Committee, I think it'll be a great way to coordinate on issues across those bodies," he said. ## Foundational Public Health Services Funding Crisis Health Director Champ Thomaskutty delivered sobering news about state funding that could fundamentally alter local public health capacity. The Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) program, established by the legislature in 2019, had been scheduled to receive $300 million across all jurisdictions in the 2026-27 biennium — roughly $150 million for the upcoming fiscal year. "The governor's proposed budget slashes that by a third, which is a significant amount," Thomaskutty explained. The cut would devastate local public health departments statewide, hitting core functions that don't have alternative funding sources. In Whatcom County, FPHS dollars support environmental health teams, communicable disease staff, organizational development including communications and epidemiology, and emergency preparedness programs. "It's our really only opportunity to fund these arenas," Thomaskutty said. The impacts would extend beyond health protection into economic development, as understaffed departments would face delays in permits for septic systems, food service, and other essential services. Four bills are currently percolating in Olympia to address the shortfall: Senate Bills 6129 and 6116, along with House Bills 2382 and 2439. The funding traditionally comes from vapor taxes, which have seen shortfalls. "We likely won't come out of this hole," Thomaskutty acknowledged. "We're hoping that the impact is mitigated by some or all of these bills." The director emphasized the interconnected nature of public health work: "Infectious disease, communicable disease doesn't recognize political boundaries, so we need strong teams in Skagit and San Juan and Island and Snohomish. And likewise, they need their neighbors to be robust as well." ## Federal Changes to Childhood Immunization Policy Dr. Amy Harley, one of Whatcom County's health officers, addressed recent federal changes that have disrupted decades of unified childhood vaccination policy. In January, federal officials released a decision memo "implementing major changes to the federal government's recommended vaccine schedule," dramatically reducing the number of vaccines recommended for all U.S. children. Harley described this as a departure from the traditionally "multidisciplinary, scientifically rigorous, transparent process that occurs in the public eye to develop the absolute best recommendations for the specific population in the United States." The unilateral decision bypassed the collaborative process that had previously guided vaccination policy. In response, at least 12 major medical societies representing more than one million healthcare professionals have endorsed an alternative schedule — the American Academy of Pediatrics Adolescent and Childhood Immunization Schedule. This has also been endorsed by the West Coast Health Alliance (Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii), the Washington State Department of Health, and locally by Whatcom County's largest healthcare organizations. "There is no debate around vaccine science with amongst medical providers," Harley emphasized. "These continue to be beneficial to vaccinate children against all 18 childhood diseases, and evidence is continually reviewed as new evidence comes on board, and vaccines are continuously monitored for safety as well." The timing is particularly concerning given ongoing measles outbreaks, peak influenza season, and continued high rates of pertussis (whooping cough) in communities. Harley noted the recent dramatic decline in RSV hospitalizations following implementation of RSV immunization, demonstrating the real-world impact of vaccination programs. ## Public Health Advisory Board: Expanded Membership and Ambitious Plans Joni Hensley, speaking for absent PHAB Chair Rachel McGarrity, welcomed the board's expanded membership and outlined an ambitious work plan for 2026. The advisory board now includes 21 members, representing a significant expansion of community voices in public health governance. The 2025 accomplishments were substantial. PHAB participated meaningfully in hiring the new health director, with members reviewing job descriptions and interviewing candidates. "We're really happy that Director Thomas Cuddy joined us. He's got quite a level of expertise," Hensley noted. The board also continued its health equity work, guided by the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships framework. All PHAB work is viewed "through the lens of health equity," as required by state law. Looking ahead to 2026, PHAB faces an extensive agenda organized around subcommittees to manage the large group effectively. The infrastructure committee will address bylaw updates and potential contingency planning if the Health Board reconfigures itself. A communications subcommittee will work on community engagement and website improvements. Budget review, training and education, and new member orientation will each have dedicated groups. The centerpiece of 2026 work will be planning a new Community Health Assessment — the first since 2018. "I can assure you there's been lots of changes in the community since that time," Hensley observed, referencing the pre-COVID baseline. This massive undertaking will require collaboration between PHAB members and health department staff to assess current community health needs and assets. ## Birch Bay-Blaine Thrives: Youth Leadership and Federal Advocacy The community presentations began with Birch Bay-Blaine Thrives, represented by Jeff Morgan, Penny Allsop, and remarkably, Adeline Hawley, a Blaine High School senior whose testimony proved to be one of the meeting's most powerful moments. Morgan provided historical context, tracing the coalition movement in Whatcom County back to 1987 with the STAR task force, through the formation of the Whatcom Prevention Coalition in 2009, and the eventual creation of Birch Bay-Blaine Thrives in 2018. Despite funding challenges, including the Drug-Free Communities grant being "put on pause or retracted three times" in 2025, the coalition has continued with support from WSU Extension, the county, and the Birch Bay Park District. Allsop emphasized the asset-based approach that guides their work: "What emerged wasn't a list of failures, but it was a path to understanding what was really happening in Blaine." Using Healthy Youth Survey data and a Drug-Free Communities Framework, they've built partnerships across all community sectors. Then Adeline Hawley took the microphone to share the speech she had delivered to Senator Maria Cantwell during a Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America conference in Washington D.C. Her words were raw and powerful: "Growing up, unfortunately, the sight of abused substances became a common occurrence for me. Witnessing loved ones or friends suffer will take a toll on anyone no matter their age, story, background, or education... I started my own temptations my seventh grade year." She continued: "Freshman year came in what felt like a blink and I went down the path I had seen growing up, skipping school, abusing substances, finding any escape possible to get away from my reality." But the story was one of transformation: "After many personal experiences with substances, I made it through with myself and my own self-education... I learned who I am and what I want to be for my community and how I want to use my story to make prevention possible." Her advocacy was direct and emotional: "Please keep funding Washington State. Without these funds, I would not be the person standing up here today. I'm standing up to the drugs, to my story, and I'm standing up for Washington State and the many teenagers and youth struggling with these problems that need these funds and more education." The impact of that D.C. trip on Adeline was transformative. "I think that trip for me kind of like I hadn't really spoken about my experience and like what I went through," she reflected. "Being able to stand up to someone so important like Maria Cantwell, it was like really eye-opening to me and I would never have had that experience without... Birch Bay-Blaine Thrives." ## Growing Veterans: Healing Through Agriculture and Community Cody Call, executive director of Growing Veterans, presented with board member Mike Hackett, a Vietnam combat veteran whose personal testimony added emotional weight to their presentation. Call, who has sustained two traumatic brain injuries from deployments to Africa and Afghanistan, read from prepared remarks to ensure accuracy. Growing Veterans addresses a critical gap in veteran mental health services — the space between formal clinical care and crisis intervention. "Veterans might qualify for VA or county health services, but they weren't getting the help that they needed and they weren't accessing them," Call explained. "Others were waiting weeks and months between appointments, or they were just disengaging entirely from the care system." The solution: "Dirt Therapy" — a community-based, peer-led, nature-anchored model. "What is more meaningful than getting a group of veterans to come together, work on their mental health while they're being outside, and growing organic produce that we then donate to the local food banks?" Call asked. In 2025, they donated 6,200 pounds of food to local food banks. The program operates Wednesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with plans to expand to include Saturdays. Fridays feature coffee check-ins from 9 to noon — group peer support sessions that transition into field work. "You get people to come in for the coffee and connection, and then they start working on themselves, and they start to open up and be transparent, and that's when the healing starts to happen." The model has scaled dramatically. In 2024, they had "a little bit over 200 people" visit the farm. In 2025, that number jumped to over 800 visitors, including more than 400 veterans. Unfortunately, funding challenges forced them to close their Green Bank farm, consolidating to one location in Whatcom County. Mike Hackett's testimonial was deeply personal: "When Growing Veterans started 13 years ago, I was part of the startup, and it saved me. I was pretty far down. I might have been under the freeway over here with a sign or dead or in jail. 25 years clean and sober, but I still was acting alcoholically." The program's crisis intervention capacity is informal but effective. Call reported that in the past year, "we've intervened with six people that had suicidal ideations. They're all still alive today." While not clinical providers, staff make themselves available for personal support and connect people to appropriate resources when needed. The financial challenges are significant. Call wrote 27 grants in 2025, receiving about 30% of them — "not enough to financially sustain us." The annual budget of $244,000 supports three staff members, rent, farm maintenance, and operations. With plans to serve over 1,000 people in 2026 and grow 7,000 pounds of food (potentially 10,000 with additional hoop houses), the program demonstrates remarkable efficiency: roughly $240 per person served annually. ## Ferndale Community Coalition: Data-Driven Prevention Rebecca Snearly from Whatcom County Health and Community Services and Kaatri Jones from Ferndale School District presented on the Ferndale Community Coalition, which engages "the community to promote healthy youth development by addressing equity, safety, and substance abuse issues." The coalition operates with over 70 active members across 12 community sectors, using the Strategic Prevention Framework to coordinate "community assessment, planning, and strategy implementation that builds upon existing strengths and efforts in the community." All strategies are data-driven and evidence-based. Snearly emphasized the interconnected nature of substance abuse prevention: "We are targeting risk and protective factors that overlap and influence a lot of different health and wellness outcomes for young people, in addition to substance abuse. So these risk and protective factors also influence violence, suicide, depression, anxiety, even teen pregnancy." The good news: substance use is trending downward in Ferndale, statewide, and nationally. Through Healthy Youth Survey data, they've identified protective factors "individually and collectively have large positive impacts on youth behavioral health in our community." Multiple protective factors are trending upward across all domains affecting youth: individual, peer, school, family, and community. ## Health Ministries Network: Faith-Based Healthcare Access The final presentation came from Ali de La Bruere, executive director of Health Ministries Network, and Rebecca Cavanaugh, a nurse and board member. Their "Ask a Nurse" program serves rural eastern Whatcom County, addressing significant healthcare access barriers. Operating twice monthly for five years, the program provides "limited healthcare screenings, referrals, and transportation vouchers" staffed by volunteer nurses "acting under their own licenses." The program has expanded to include partnerships with the Nooksack Valley Food Bank, Bellingham Goodwill, Eleanor Apartments, and other locations. The interfaith organization serves Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan Counties, fueled by "local grants, foundations, partners, and volunteers." They partner with Western Washington University's School of Nursing for research, data collection, and program improvement suggestions. Cavanaugh shared that "the most impactful stories from her work with the Ask a Nurse program are those from people who come back and let them know that they received the treatment they needed" — evidence of the program connecting people to care who might otherwise fall through cracks in the healthcare system. ## Public Comment: Alternative Vaccine Perspectives The public comment period featured Natalie Chavez, who provided an update on a "pro-con vaccine debate dialogue in Washington State" that had been rescheduled from an earlier date. Chavez attended the January 29th event and shared community feedback that was highly critical of the pro-vaccine panelists. She quoted community members describing Dr. Helen Chu from UW as being "outsmarted" and "outclassed" by vaccine skeptics, and criticized her responses to questions about "lipid nanoparticles with mRNA that produce spike protein in heart, brain, and other organs." The comments reflected deep skepticism about vaccine safety research and funding sources. Chavez concluded: "If there's funding that favors transparency, then there will be a steep decline in vaccine intake, more than there already is, and even more decline if there was funding for double-blind inert placebo vaccine trials." She suggested such studies would produce "results would be so horrifying that they would destroy vaccine manufacturers' credibility and profits." The comments provided stark contrast to Dr. Harley's later presentation about the medical consensus supporting vaccination, illustrating the challenging communication environment health officials navigate. ## Looking Forward: Resilience Amid Uncertainty As the meeting drew to a close, the themes that emerged were resilience, innovation, and cautious optimism despite significant challenges. Chair Scanlon announced that the afternoon's Committee of the Whole meeting would discuss councilmember projects, potentially including health priorities — suggesting continued attention to these issues. The community presentations demonstrated remarkable local capacity for addressing health challenges, from youth substance abuse to veteran mental health to healthcare access in rural areas. Yet all operate with precarious funding, heavy reliance on volunteers, and constant grant-writing cycles. The state funding crisis looms over everything. If FPHS cuts materialize, local health departments will face impossible choices about which core functions to maintain. Chair Scanlon committed to bringing forward a resolution supporting state funding, joining other counties in advocating for public health infrastructure. For PHAB, the challenge will be managing an ambitious work plan with 21 members while potentially having to help prioritize services if cuts occur. As Scanlon noted, "I think what might be helpful would be to hear from PHAB and our community on priorities. I think that'll help inform the council and likely the executive branch on where the priorities ought to be if we do have to cut." The meeting adjourned at 11:54 a.m., having demonstrated both the vitality of community health initiatives and the fragility of the systems that support them. The coming months will test whether local innovation and advocacy can maintain momentum in the face of state-level budget pressures that threaten to undermine decades of public health infrastructure development. ## Closing and What's Ahead The meeting captured a moment of transition in Whatcom County's public health landscape. New PHAB leadership and expanded membership bring fresh energy and diverse perspectives. Community organizations continue demonstrating innovative approaches to persistent health challenges, often achieving remarkable results with minimal resources. Yet uncertainty shadows these accomplishments. Federal policy changes on vaccination, potential state funding cuts, and ongoing challenges with clinical workforce and infrastructure create a precarious environment for public health work. The presentations revealed a common thread: the power of community connection and peer support in addressing health challenges. Whether veterans finding healing through farming, students advocating for prevention funding, or nurses providing care through faith communities, the solutions emerging from Whatcom County emphasize relationship, resilience, and local knowledge. As Health Board members and PHAB representatives left the meeting, they carried both inspiration from community innovations and responsibility for navigating the fiscal and policy challenges ahead. The work continues, rooted in the conviction that public health is fundamentally about community — and that communities, when supported, can create remarkable solutions to even the most persistent challenges.