Health equity

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What is health equity?

To the Health Care Authority (HCA), 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. Health equity is a core value of HCA.

Our language is based on Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's definition of health equity.

Why does health equity matter?

We all have a part to play in advancing health equity. When we recognize that health inequities exist, we can work to address them.

What is HCA doing to advance health equity?

Our vision is that HCA employees embody a culture in which we openly recognize health inequities and are empowered to work together, and with the people we serve, to reduce inequities through fair and equitable distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources.

Current health equity work

Workstreams

Select HCA staff serve on one of four priority health equity areas, called workstreams:

Leadership Operations and Services
We are working to advance health equity practices and systems at all levels of state government through transparent, accountable organizational development, adaptive leadership, and change agents.

Data Strategy and Reporting
We are developing a data strategy and reporting process that supports Washington’s health equity organizational development. This will help ensure we’re focusing on the areas where the needs are greatest.

Engagement and Community Partnerships
We are committed to ensuring our communities, employees, and partners collaborate to develop and inform Washington’s health equity efforts. We are working on building HCA’s partnerships and resources and increased capacity to amplify community voice.

Workforce Equity
We are investing in a health equity focused organization and culture. This means we build a racially diverse and culturally responsive pipeline for state employees at all levels. We are creating opportunities for each person to bring their full self to work and feel welcomed, supported, and valued.

Health equity liaisons and committees

Health equity liaisons play a key role in advancing health equity at HCA. They serve as a bridge and help connect our health equity work across the agency.

Applying a health equity lens

Applying an "equity lens" means to evaluate the impacts of our job functions, policy, or program by considering things like race, ethnicity, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disabilities, income levels, education, housing status, residential locations, and language abilities.

Here are some examples of how we're applying a health equity lens to our work:

  • In 2021, HCA adopted an equity policy that requires all staff position descriptions to have this language: HCA employees will apply an equity lens to their work, which may include but is not limited to all analyses of core business and processes.
  • Since 2023, all HCA divisions apply a health equity lens to their legislative bill analysis.
  • Staff apply a Health Equity Lens Toolkit to their work, which them think through how a program or policy impacts communities, eligibility, access to health care, and much more.
Health Equity Spotlight

The Health Equity Spotlight recognizes a person, program, or effort at HCA that is advancing health equity. We share our spotlights on HCA Connections and other platforms.

Resources

Contact

Email: HCA health equity