OLYMPIA—Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson appointed current Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham as Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH) Secretary effective July 7.
“Dennis Worsham is well positioned to lead the Department of Health,” said Governor Ferguson. “His decades of experience and broad skillset will help chart a new vision for public health in Washington state.”
Worsham brings with him more than 32 years of experience in governmental public health in the State of Washington and has been an innovative public health leader at the local, regional, and state level. Prior to serving as Snohomish County Health Department’s Director, his most recent job was as interim Director of Public Health – Seattle & King County.
His career includes executive leadership roles at local and state levels, including Deputy Secretary for Health at DOH and Interim Director of Public Health – Seattle and King County. His experience at Public Health – Seattle & King County includes roles as Deputy Director, Chief of Policy, Community Partnerships and Communications, Regional Health Officer, and TB Control Program manager.
“As Washington’s Secretary of Health, I am honored to serve and deeply committed to upholding and strengthening a public health system that is not only resilient, but also more just. It is critical that we continue to build a system that earns the trust of communities and strives for every person to have equitable access to the care and resources they need to thrive,” said Worsham. “Public health is not just about addressing illness and injury—it’s about preventing them. It’s about preparing for the unexpected, addressing root causes of health inequities, and investing in systems that protect people before a crisis begins. We must ensure health and wellbeing is not a privilege but a shared foundation for all.”
Worsham’s love for the mission of public health blossomed while working for the Snohomish County Health District in the 90’s and early 2000’s. When he joined the team in 1993 his focus centered on AIDS and HIV prevention.
Worsham followed former Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters down to King County to manage its tuberculosis program. He worked his way through various leadership roles until climbing his way to Interim Director during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Worsham returned to Snohomish County, to be its newly formed Health Department’s first Director in 2023. Since then he has helped open a new STI clinic, launched mobile health services, and grew the Health Department after decades of chronic underfunding of local public health.
“I want to congratulate Health Department Director Dennis Worsham, who is soon to be the new Secretary of Health for Washington State. I am deeply grateful for Dennis’ skill, compassion, and commitment during his time as Director of the Snohomish County Health Department. He took on the role at a time when there were many new opportunities and challenges – the former Health District had just integrated into County government as a new department, and public health was in the midst of a long response to a devastating pandemic as well as ongoing epidemics like the drug crisis,” said Snohomish County Executive Director Dave Somers. “Dennis has never wavered in his support of local public health and the talented team that works to keep our county healthy. From his early career in health education at the Snohomish Health District in the 1990s to his excellent leadership as Department Director since January 2023, Dennis’ dedication to making our communities healthier, safer, more resilient, and more inclusive has been invaluable.”
Somers added that Worsham will be missed as Director of Snohomish County’s Health Department, but he looks forward to working with him in his new role moving forward.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
