Panhandle Health District

                                                              8500 N. Atlas Road         Hayden, Idaho  83835

www.phd1.idaho.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      Date:     March 25, 2011                         

Contact:                                                                        Released by: Lora Whalen, Director                     

Cynthia Taggart

Public Information Officer

(208) 415-5108

(208) 818-7288 (cell)

Jai Nelson Elected to Board of Health

Hayden – Kootenai County Commissioner Jai Nelson joined the Panhandle Health District Board of Health Thursday, replacing Chris Beck, who’s served on the board as a Kootenai representative since 1996.

              The Panhandle Health District serves the five northern counties. The Board members are appointed by county commissioners from each of the five counties. The Board of Health has seven members—two from Kootenai County, two from Bonner County and one each from Shoshone, Benewah and Boundary counties.

              Nelson, a Registered Nurse, was elected to serve as a commissioner last November. She earned her degree in nursing from North Idaho College and a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the University of Idaho.

              She worked in the Advanced Cardiac Care Unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center for five years prior to taking her new post as commissioner. She also has managed her own Interior Design Consultant business since 1994.

              Nelson serves on boards for the Kootenai County Emergency Management Services System, Lutheran Academy of the Master and Region 1 Adult and Children’s Mental Health and is on the Region 1 Advisory Committee on Substance Abuse.

              She will finish Beck’s five-year term, which ends June 30.