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Applicants sought for Grant County Health Commission seat

CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 months, 1 week AGO
by CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | June 16, 2025 3:00 AM

MOSES LAKE — Applications are being accepted from qualified people for one commission position and two alternate positions on the Grant County Board of Health. Vice chair Matt Palach said the job involves overseeing an agency with wide-ranging responsibilities, from birth and death certificates to infectious disease investigations.  

“Public health touches everything,” Palach said. 

The main job of the eight commissioners is to oversee GCHD finances and ensure the organization’s mission is being fulfilled, Palach said.  

The open position is for a Grant County resident who has experience with public health programs, including behavioral health or substance abuse treatment, housing or homelessness support and programs like WIC, according to a GCHD press release. Board member Jessica Poulos announced her resignation in May; the term expires in 2026.  

One of the two alternate positions is for the public health consumer role. 

The second alternate position is for a healthcare professional, including medical providers or professionals from a healthcare or public health organization. Alternate members can attend BOH meetings and are asked to fill in when the commissioner is unavailable. Meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month, usually at the GCHD office in Moses Lake.  

Applications are available on the GCHD website, www.granthealth.org. Applicants are asked to include information about their experience, how they would contribute to the board and service on any other boards or commissions. Applicants also must include three references. 

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