At a recent community celebration, Public Health – Seattle & King County unveiled an ambitious five-year strategic plan aimed at improving the health and well-being of our community.
This new roadmap is the culmination of extensive collaboration and input from nearly 100 community and public health system partners, as well as hundreds of Public Health staff members. Informed by the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and underscored by King County’s commitment to equity and the declaration of racism as a public health crisis, the plan charts a course toward a healthier, more equitable future for all residents.
The plan is built on a fundamental commitment to equity and anti-racism, reflecting Public Health’s mission: “To promote and improve the health and well-being of all people in King County by leading with racial equity and changing systems and structures that impact health.” We aim to dismantle barriers that have historically marginalized communities and to promote systemic changes by centering equity and anti-racism in program planning, incorporating community voices in decision-making, and using data to prioritize efforts in communities with the largest health disparities.
King County Executive Dow Constantine emphasized the importance of this strategic vision, stating, “For every person in King County to be able to thrive, everyone must have the best chance to be healthy, and that’s why a strong public health focus is so important. I am grateful for our community partners who helped build this plan and look forward to their collaboration in carrying it forward.”
Voices from the Community and Leadership
The plan was co-created by community members, Public Health staff, and partners.
Yordanos Teferi of the Community Health Board Coalition was one of many partners who played a significant role in the strategic planning process.
Yordanos shared her perspective on the plan: “Having taken part in some of the pandemic-response efforts through the work of the Pandemic and Racism Community Advisory Group and the Community Navigator program, it was welcome news to hear that Public Health would be undertaking a strategic planning process in the aftermath of the pandemic, which generally widened the racial inequities in health, education and the workforce. Notably, it is not just the idea of embarking upon a strategic planning process that was pivotal but rather the fact that Public Health aims, in its mission, to lead with racial equity in its goal of changing systems and structures that impact, health which is consistent with the declaration of ‘Racism as a Public Health Crisis.’”
King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, Chair of the King County Board of Health, highlighted the collaborative nature of the plan: “This strategic plan is a visionary plan with equity at its core. The collaboration with community partners, organizations, and individuals was essential to assuring that the plan reflects the goals and values of the people we serve, and that Public Health’s services meet community needs.”
Dr. Faisal Khan, Director for Public Health – Seattle & King County, echoed these sentiments, noting the transformative potential of the plan. “Our strategic plan will have wide-reaching impacts, driven by our commitment to modernize and transform our work to provide even higher quality public health services. The plan reflects our steadfast partnership with community to strive for a King County where health, well-being and racial equity are experienced every day by everyone.”
Themes and Strategic Actions
In addition to describing Public Health’s commitment to equity and addressing racism as a public health crisis, the strategic plan identifies five key priority areas that will guide our efforts over the next five years:
- Climate and Health and additional emerging threats to community health and wellbeing including gun violence prevention, overdose prevention, health for people experiencing homelessness, and youth behavioral health;
- Policy, information and partnerships: The plan emphasizes policy development, equitable communications, and strengthening partnerships, particularly with organizations serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Additional key components in the plan include modernizing data systems and making it easier for community organizations to work with Public Health;
- A stronger health department that provides equitable and effective everyday services: Supporting the current workforce, preparing for future public health emergencies, and promoting workforce well-being including a racially diverse workforce are essential to our success.
Each priority area is equipped with specific goals, objectives, actions, and measures to ensure accountability and track progress.
Looking Ahead
As Public Health implements this strategic plan, the community can expect a concerted effort to address the most pressing health challenges and to create more equitable health for all. Public Health is committed to transparency and accountability and will be building these vital systems to tracking progress and making necessary adjustments along the way.
Executive Constantine summarized our collective optimism and forward momentum: “This strategic plan sets a vision and lays out decisive action for making one of the nation’s best health departments even better.”
To learn more about Public Health – Seattle & King County’s strategic plan and its initiatives, visit the Strategic Plan website or view coverage of it on Runta News — one of our community media partners. The full press conference is also available to view on King County TV.
Together, we can work towards a healthier and more equitable future for all King County residents.
Originally posted 8/13/24