Public Health Coordination

The School Public Health Coordinator works in partnership with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) to provide regional support to school districts in the NWESD region to support and inform statewide and regional prevention, preparedness, response, and recovering initiatives for COVID-19 and other emerging infections and conditions of public health significance. The School Public Health Coordinator works closely with the School Nurse Corps, Prevention and Intervention Services Programs, and Local Health Jurisdictions.

Services Include:

COVID-19 Response and Recovery (screening, testing, resources, models, contact tracing, reporting, best practices and supports to districts and schools)
Support pandemic and post-pandemic planning, and other public health concerns in response, recovery, prevention, and mitigation strategies.
Support proactive and reactive communications through various communications channels, in concert with state-level communications from DOH and OSPI.
Participate in a state-level learning collaborative to document learnings and elevate challenges and best-practices quickly.
Coordinate with State and Regional School Safety Centers and the School Nurse Corps to provide support with comprehensive safe school planning.

COVID-19 Response:

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has provided updated guidance to prevent and respond to COVID-19 for the 2023-2024 school year. Schools are required to continue reporting test results from tests administered by the school. DOH remains dedicated to providing COVID-19 prevention and response guidance based on existing science, strategies, and current health recommendations. All child cares and schools should establish infectious disease prevention strategies as part of everyday operations. Please note:

Updated COVID-19 guidance includes considerations for flu, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses.
K-12 schools and child cares should consider additional strategies- including masking, improving air quality and ventilation, and screening testing, – during outbreaks or cases of high absenteeism due to respiratory illness.
Recommended mitigation strategies are described in updated guidance to prevent and respond to COVID-19.