Health equity

Health equity is a core value of the Health Care Authority (HCA). Together, we are working to make health care access, outcomes, and quality fairer for all people in Washington state.

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What is health equity?

To 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.

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

HCA's goal is to build a culture where we acknowledge health inequities and work together — with partners and the communities we serve — to share resources fairly.

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.

Current health equity work

HCA formally began our health equity work in 2021, before Executive Order 22-04: Implementing Washington State's Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) Plan & Playbook. Since then, our agency successfully implemented PEAR and created new health equity roles and opportunities that strengthen how we work together and with those we serve.

Impact

HCA is using a new health equity framework called Impact. This builds on our earlier PEAR work and evolves the intent of that work. Through Impact, we are strengthening how we share our goals, responsibilities, and progress, with a focus on results, accountability, and clear communication with communities.

Read our Impact Commitment Statement.

Impact workstreams

Select HCA staff serve on one of four priority health equity areas, called workstreams. This work supports Impact.

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 help them determine 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.

Equity Edition newsletter

The Equity Edition is HCA's external newsletter that provides information on our health equity and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts. It also shares past PEAR updates.

Sign up to receive the Equity Edition newsletter and other health equity-related updates.

Resources

Contact

Email: HCA health equity