Focus on Employees

Celebrating King County Health Heroes

On any given day, more than 13,000 King County employees can be found working in hundreds of worksites, ranging from seaside to forest stream, from downtown office to maintenance facility, from patrol car to Metro bus. King County is a place of extraordinary diversity in the types of workplaces where we spend so much of our lives.

Since its inception in 2004, King County's Health Reform Initiative has been based on the idea that empowering employees to play a greater role in their own well-being is the key to making better healthcare choices — choices that ultimately control costs.

Video: King County Health Heroes — Building a Community of Wellness

On June 24, a 3-part video was shown to participants of the King County Health Leadership Forum. Managers were invited to"Meet inspiring employees from worksites throughout the King County government."

Part I: Dr. Emily Transue of the Polyclinic explains why health awareness in the workplace is essential for making a long term changes in behavior; meanwhile DOT employees are leading a fitness revolution that is changing attitudes from South Base, to the Director's office

Part II: A visit to Brightwater demonstrates the ingenuity of county employees embracing healthy habits in a rapidly changing construction environment; while at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center –a Superior Court Judge and Sheriff's Office detective find workplace support for their very different -- and deeply personal -- motivations.

Part III: DDES employees get it together on every floor of their busy Renton facility, with the timely help from management.

August 2008 Health Matters Newsletter - Celebrating King County Health Heroes

Below, we go in-depth with some employees. Click on the links and watch as each employee speaks of their own journey towards better health.

Executive Ron Sims Downtown Seattle Go in-depth; watch the video	Superior Court Judge Mary Roberts Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center, Kent Go in-depth; watch the video	Sheriff Detective Jessica Cline Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center, Kent Go in-depth; watch the video
Daisy Daily, Crew Chief DOT/Roads, Renton Go in-depth; watch the video	Craig Riggs, Case Manager DCHS / Workforce, Auburn Go in-depth; watch the video	Laurie Brown, Deputy Director and Harold Taniguchi, Director DOT, Downtown Seattle Go in-depth; watch the video
Steve Witkowski and Jim Pitts DNRP/Wastewater Treatment, Renton Go in-depth; watch the video	Dr. Emily Transue The Polyclinic, Seattle Go in-depth; watch the video	Mike "Bucky" Buchanan, DOT/Transit/Vehicle Maintenance, Central Base Go in-depth; watch the video
Laura McCollum Wallace, Desktop Support DDES, Renton Go in-depth; watch the video