PORT TOWNSEND — A new public health director stepped into her new position on Monday in Jefferson County.
Apple Martine, the former Jefferson County Public Health Community Health Division director, was promoted to director of public health after former director Vicki Kirkpatrick retired Friday.
Martine has been a nurse in public health for nearly 10 years, most recently overseeing many community and family health programs as well as COVID-19 response for nearly the past three years, said a press release from JCPH.
In 2018, Martine was hired as the director of the Community Health Division at JCPH.
Along with her top priorities in planning, organizing, directing and evaluating daily operations at Jefferson County Public Health, Martine plans to collaborate across JCPH divisions, county departments and community partnerships throughout the county, the release said.
Her goal is to support programming and collaborations that protect and enhance the health of Jefferson County residents.
As the Community Health Division director, Martine supported many programs across the clinical services, family health services and communicable disease teams, the press release said.
Kirkpatrick said she’s confident Martine will successfully lead JCPH through the pandemic and the years to follow.
“Apple has done a remarkable job in juggling multiple priorities while still keeping her finger on the pulse of her division to ensure ongoing support for the important programs that the community expects from JCPH — programs that provide services directly to the residents of Jefferson County,” Kirkpatrick said in the press release.
“All the while she also served as a central point person, support person, and decision-maker in the health department’s response to the global pandemic we are experiencing,” Kirkpatrick continued.
“I have absolute faith that Apple will lead this health department now and into the future to improve the public’s health, to protect the public’s health, and to reduce the impact of disease on the people of Jefferson County.”
In her former position, Martine was responsible for administering, planning, organizing, directing and evaluating Community Health Division programs, services and policies at JCPH.
During the past year, Martine was in a crisis-response role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the release said.
Martine began her nursing career in Pierce and Thurston County health departments, where most of her time was dedicated to maternal child health programs focused on prevention and health promotion in communities and through home visiting services.
She became a Nurse-Family Partnership Nurse Home Visitor, during which she nurtured long-term therapeutic relationships with clients and created partnerships with rural underserved communities.
She also serves as a Regional Care Facilitator for the Pediatric-Transforming Clinic Practice Initiative through the state Department of Health.
________
Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
