The new Washington County Public Health director has had a busy couple of weeks leading up to her first day on the job next Monday.

Emily Houston’s hire by the Washington County Board of Health was approved this month, though she is now Emily Tokheim as she got married a couple days ago. Tokheim received her Master’s degree in public health at the University of Iowa this past spring where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in the same program in 2020. Originally from Panora, Tokheim says an aspect of public health she is passionate about is health policy, which was a focus of her Master’s program, “Kind of coming with that realization that the policies that really affect our daily lives have a huge impact on our health outcomes even if those policies aren’t specifically related to health. So I am really passionate about ensuring that the policies that impact the way we live every single day are designed and implemented really thoughtfully.”

Tokheim looks forward to connecting with the residents that Washington County Public Health impacts. Her first priorities will be getting to know the staff and programs that the department currently offers, and learning what other resources are offered in the county to benefit community members’ health and wellbeing. An open house is being held for the public to meet Tokheim from 1-3 p.m., Wednesday, December 1st on the fifth floor of Federation Bank. You can hear more from her in today’s Halcyon House Washington Page on air and at kciiradio.com.