Our new collaboration aims to advance equitable access to care in WA.
Many experience barriers to good health
Advancing health equity in Washington means making care accessible to all. It requires allies to fight against the barriers that prevent individuals from achieving their greatest health. Some of these barriers are often referred to as, “social determinates of health,” which are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.
“Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care.” – The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
New collaborative addressing barriers to health in WA
To reduce these barriers, Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW) is investing in partnerships that share our same mission: increasing health care access and reducing health disparities in our communities.
We are delighted to share that 15 federally qualified community health centers (CHCs) throughout the state are receiving funding for projects focused specifically on breaking down barriers to good health. These CHCs will receive a total investment of $750,000 – $50,000 each as part of the Equity Learning Collaborative Grant Program, which aims to address health disparity issues across the state.
“I really want to acknowledge CHPW for the development of this Advancing Health Equity initiative and investment in the CHCs. This is allowing us to build trust, develop programs, learn, and create better health outcomes in the communities that we serve. Healthpoint appreciates this opportunity to learn more from our communities, and it will allow us the flexibility to improve our approach to care delivery.” – Sherry Williams, vice president of community engagement and external relations at HealthPoint
Each CHC has identified innovative solutions to remove barriers and advance equitable care within the unique communities and populations they serve. These efforts will help advance equitable access to care with focuses on member experience and access, pregnancy care, depression management, and/or management of other chronic conditions. Our 15 CHC partners in this work are:
- CHAS Health (Spokane County)
- Community Health Care (Pierce County)
- Country Doctor Community Health Centers (King County)
- Family Health Centers (Okanogan County)
- HealthPoint (King, Pierce and Snohomish counties)
- International Community Health Services (King County)
- Moses Lake Community Health Center (Grant County)
- Neighborcare Health (King County)
- Peninsula Community Health Services (Kitsap County)
- Sea Mar (Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Franklin, Grays Harbor, Island, King, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston and Whatcom counties)
- Tri-Cities Community Health (Benton and Franklin counties)
- Unity Care NW (Whatcom County)
- Valley View Health Center (Lewis, Thurston, Pacific counties)
- Yakima Neighborhood Health Centers (Yakima County)
- Yakima Valley Farm Workers (Benton, Franklin, Spokane, Whitman, and Yakima
counties)
The power of community is evident in how each CHC is working to address individuals’ unique needs in their own communities, while also working together to share learnings and advance equity across the state. Together and within our communities, we can find sustainable solutions that will better support the health and well-being of more Washingtonians.
Learn more
- Watch this video to hear more about our partners’ work
- See the announcement to read more about the investment and collaboration
- Check out #the4thbox for a way to challenge how we think about existing barriers