Idaho's legislative is session more than half over

Resources help with legislative tracking

Feb 26, 2024

Things are moving quickly in the Idaho Legislature. This session is more than half over, and it’s heading toward a self-imposed deadline to adjourn sine die on March 22.

A record number of bills have been introduced on a range of topics, including those near and dear to our public health hearts. As a result, some may be skeptical about that end date, but we can all keep our fingers crossed they hit that date! (Adjourning sine die means they have adjourned with no set date to gather again, so it’s the official end of session.)

If you’re struggling to keep track of it all, there are a couple of resources that will help. To see the proposed legislation that division leadership is tracking, you can visit our 2024 Legislation Tracker, which is an internal tracker managed by the division. You’ll find links to the bills and other information.

For a full list of all the bills introduced so far this session, visit a page on the Idaho Legislature website called 2024 Legislation by Bill Number. Select the link in the bill number and you’ll get information on the proposed legislation, as well as where it is in the process.

🏛️ Weekly POLL | This week’s question is: When do you think the Idaho Legislature will adjourn sine die this year?

Highlighting staff news, achievements, and milestones.

👋 Welcome Josh Vance! The Idaho Immunization Program welcomes Josh as a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health advisor. While with CDC at the California Department of Public Health’s Immunization Branch, he worked to implement the state’s mpox (formerly monkeypox) response: Josh built and maintained vaccine-related data visualizations, vaccine ordering & immunization systems, and federal grant management. With a background in epidemiology, statistics, and computer science, Josh holds master’s degrees in education and public health from Boston University.

Josh writes, “I love to trail run and visit state/national parks, so I’m excited for springtime here. I appreciate the warm welcome I’ve already received from many of you and look forward to meeting more of you in the coming days and weeks!”

👋 Welcome Kate Tippery! The Idaho Immunization Program welcomes Kate as a data quality and interoperability coordinator for the Immunization Information System section. Formerly the research analyst, sr. with Surveillance and Analytics, Kate continues to prepare weekly public-facing mpox & COVID-19 immunization data and monitor IRIS Data Exchange messages. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychological Sciences from the University of Arizona, where she worked as a research assistant in a lab focused on implicit biases and nonverbal behavior.

Kate writes, “I love being creative through working with data systems, developing codes, and creating data visuals. I love to learn new skills and am beyond thankful to be working amongst peers who are so knowledgeable and welcoming.”

👋 Welcome Jeremy Woods! StateComm welcomes Jeremy as a new emergency communications officer for Idaho State EMS Communications Center. Originally from Ontario, Oregon, Jeremy moved to Idaho as a child and joined the U.S. Marine Corps as a communications technician with Air Traffic Control, eventually being promoted to an instructor position. After experience working with the U.S. Postal Service and remodeling project management, he landed at the State Communications Center.

Jeremy writes, “I am very excited to show what I’ve got and help the public through my work.”

👋 Welcome Gina Gould! The Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics welcomes Gina as a Temporary OS2 in the Customer Service Unit. She worked for the County of Riverside for 24 years in various roles, most recently corrections administration.

Gina writes, “I was born and raised in Southern California, but don’t let that scare you!” Her family moved to Idaho last summer and their youngest children are twin daughters in their first year of college at Boise State and Idaho State. Her favorite things are spending time with family and tending her farm. Gina also loves traveling and cooking. She looks forward to exploring Idaho and making new friends here: “It has been a very nice experience coming to work for the vital statistics team. I thank the team for being so welcoming.”

👋 Welcome Leslie Callahan! The Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics welcomes Leslie as a Temporary OS2 in the Customer Service Unit.

Leslie writes, “Outside of work, I am building a new home in Oreana that takes up much of my time on the weekends. Some of my hobbies are making stained glass windows and riding in the Owyhee mountains. I am excited to be a part of the vital statistics team and look forward to working with everyone.”

👋 Welcome Caroline Drake! The Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics welcomes Caroline as a TRS1 in our Registration Unit. She grew up in Boise and worked at Micron for 14 years in the logistics department with receiving, shipping, inventory, records, and procedures. Caroline is married with two boys and enjoys time at home with her family. They consider themselves homebodies but love to fish and go for long walks. She hopes to do a lot of traveling once her kids are grown. She is a cat mom of three spoiled babies.

Caroline writes, “I am excited to be a part of the Vital Statistics team and continue working with this amazing group of people.”

👋 Welcome Chris Herrera! The Bureau of Community Health welcomes Chris as a Health Program Specialist for our Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Program. Born in Gilroy, California, and raised in Waco, Texas, Chris moved from Texas to Idaho in 2005 and holds a master’s degree in Public Health (MPH).

Chris writes, “I wanted to be a medical doctor growing up, but as I got older, I realized that that lifestyle was not for me. However, I have always cared about the wellbeing of others, whether it be friends, family, or even strangers. I believe that in order to get the most we can out of life, we must do our best to make sure we are happy and healthy — both mentally and physically. I speak Spanish and English fluently, can hold a conversation in American Sign Language, and know some Portuguese as well.”

👋 Welcome Hayden Falkner! The Bureau of Equity and Strategic Partnerships (BESP) welcomes Hayden as the health program manager for the Suicide Prevention Program (SPP). He is a skilled organizational leader with 15+ years of experience in public health, health education and training, behavioral health, pharmacy economics, and public-private partnerships. In 2021, Hayden served as a public health program manager 2 at Central District Health (CDH). He has extensive experience managing diverse public health programs and holds a bachelor’s degree in Physiological Psychology from the University of Idaho.

Hayden writes, “My passion remains behavioral health & wellness and understanding the biological, psychological, and social determinants of mental health that impact the well-being of individuals and communities.”

👋 Welcome Daphne Stanford! The Office of Policy, Performance, and Strategy welcomes Daphne as our Health Education Specialist Sr. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Reed College and a Master of Arts degree in teaching in Secondary English Education from University of Iowa. Daphne’s intro to rural Idaho was as an English teacher in Riggins at a school with 85 students! After relocating to Boise, she worked for the Boise School District and Boise Public Library before leaving briefly to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Oregon. Daphne also has eight years of professional content marketing experience.

Daphne writes, “In my spare time, I enjoy writing, hiking the Boise Foothills, and hosting ‘The Poetry Show!’ on KRBX. I am excited for my new role in public health and look forward to working with the team here.”

👏 A little more healthcare help for rural areas! Fifty nurses throughout the state were awarded, and have accepted, Rural Nursing Loan Repayment Program (RNLRP) grant awards. Amber Campbell, Health Program Manager, is working to draft letters of notation for each awardee.

Interesting health-related topics to catch up on.

📖 READ | 🎧 LISTEN | Read or listened to any great public health related articles or podcasts lately? Send them to Niki.Forbing-Orr@dhw.idaho.gov and we’ll consider them for use in future newsletters.

Learning and growth opportunities. ☑️ Internal / ✅ External / ⭐ Idaho

☑️ Preparing for a return to the office? DHW ITSD has prepared some guidance:

✅PLAN AHEAD | The Mini Public Health Improvement Training (PHIT) conference, May 20 to 21, in New Orleans | Listed below are the workshop content areas to give you an idea of what will be presented:

Change Management: Processes and tools to lead change management application among teams and organizations
Communications, Engagement, and Partnership Building: Developing effective communications and community engagement strategies, and building multi-sectoral or cross-jurisdictional partnerships
Community Health Assessment or Health Improvement Planning: Innovative and best practice approaches to conducting community, state, and tribal health assessment and improvement planning processes
Health and Racial Equity: Integrating health and racial equity principles into performance improvement
Performance Management: Guidance on assessing needs, designing and implementing performance management systems
PHAB Accreditation or Reaccreditation: Guidance and lessons learned from real accreditation process examples as well as engagement strategies for staff and leadership
Quality Improvement: Building a culture of quality, building and enhancing QI infrastructure and a QI plan, and applying QI models, tools, and techniques
Strategic Planning: Innovative and best practice approaches to develop, implement, and evaluate organizational strategic planning
Workforce Development and Resource Management: Innovations in workforce development, recruitment, and career pathways, including diversity, equity, and inclusion in workforce development, as well as acquisition, retention, and management of fiscal resources
LEARN MORE

✅ PLAN AHEAD | The National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) for the 2024 Annual Conference, May 21-23, New Orleans | This year’s conference, Building Pathways to Improve Public Health, will provide space for participants to make connections, learn from colleagues, develop skills, and obtain actionable takeaways to bring back to their communities! Content will include discussions and presentations on impactful programs in rural health, cross-sector partnerships, climate & crisis preparedness, community engagement, health and racial equity, and innovations in workforce development and training. LEARN MORE