Community Health Plan of Washington Donates $250,000 to Support Equal Access to Care

The Advancing Equity Fund, distributed to community-based organizations across Washington state, has provided $730,000 in grants over three years

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW), the not-for-profit offering Apple Health (Medicaid), Medicare, and Individual & Family plans on the health exchange, announced today a $250,000 Advancing Equity Fund grant to be shared among 25 community-based organizations (CBOs) directly serving people from minoritized communities in Washington state. The investment aims to support these organizations’ work addressing all aspects of health, including systemic social drivers of health*, and improve health outcomes.

The Advancing Equity Fund, now in its third year, aids community-based organizations providing care and support systems for people from communities of color, Indigenous and Native communities, as well as immigrants and refugees, and those experiencing the greatest barriers to their best health and well-being. Distributing these funds aligns with CHPW’s mission and dedication to ensure all people — regardless of race, ethnicity, immigrant status, disability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, or income — have access to quality support and resources to meet their needs. Importantly, the organizations provide services ranging from housing for youth and families, to parenting classes, to mental health services, and language and cultural support for immigrants and refugees.

To date, the fund has provided a total of $730,000 split among 43 community-based organizations. CHPW provides these as unrestricted grants because it believes each organization can decide how best to apply them to serve their specific communities.

“While the pandemic most recently brought inequities in health care specifically experienced by people of color to the forefront of our national consciousness, CHPW has been working side-by-side with our community health centers, other providers, and community-based and partner organizations to advance health equity for 30 years,” said Leanne Berge, CEO of Community Health Plan of Washington and its parent Community Health Network of Washington. “This funding, born of a need to support already under-resourced organizations on the front lines of the Covid-19 response, allows us to continue supporting work focused on bridging gaps in health on a local level.” CHPW has earmarked funding to continue to support these types of grants in the future.

"We are so thankful and grateful for the work Community Health Plan of Washington continues to do to bridge the gaps between minority groups and adequate health,” said Mary Kasagga, Pacific Northwest Uganda American Association (PNUAA) Secretary. “With these funds, PNUAA will continue to serve its members by promoting and fostering cultural, social, economic and political awareness, thus decreasing and/or preventing inequalities faced by minority groups in the USA.”

The following community-based organizations will each receive $10,000 from Community Health Plan of Washington in 2022:

1. Carl Maxey Center (Spokane County — Spokane)
2. Cocoon House (Snohomish County — Everett) **
3. Communities of Color Coalition (Snohomish County — Everett)
4. Communities Rooted in Brilliance (King County — Seattle)
5. Ethnic Support Council (Cowlitz County — Longview)
6. Family Education & Support Services (FESS) (King County, Pierce County, Kitsap County, Mason County — Shelton, Thurston County — Tumwater)
7. Foundation for Youth Resiliency and Engagement (FYRE) (Okanogan County — Omak)
8. Interfaith Works (Thurston County — Olympia)
9. Kitsap Immigration Assistance Center (Kitsap County — Bremerton) **
10. Korean Women's Association (Clallam County – Port Angeles and Sequim, Clark County – Vancouver, Cowlitz County – Longview, Grays Harbor County – Aberdeen, Jefferson County – Port Townsend, King County – Federal Way, Kitsap County – Bremerton, Lewis County – Centralia, Mason County – Shelton, Pierce County – Tacoma, Snohomish County – Lynnwood, Thurston County – Lacey, Whatcom County – Bellingham) **
11. La Casa Hogar (Yakima County — Yakima) ** ***
12. Latino Educational Training Institute (LETI) (Snohomish County — Lynnwood) ** ***
13. Latino Leadership NW (Clark County — Vancouver)
14. League Of United Latin American Citizens (Washington state — Vancouver)
15. Mother Africa (King County — Kent) ** ***
16. Mother Nation (Washington state — Seattle)
17. Multi Service Center (King County — Federal Way, Kent)
18. NATIVE Project (Spokane County — Spokane) ** ***
19. Nuestra Casa (Yakima County — Sunnyside) ** ***
20. Pacific Northwest Uganda American Association (PNUAA) **
21. Refugee Women's Alliance (ReWa) (King County — Kent and Seattle) **
22. Refugee and Immigrant Connections Spokane (Spokane County — Spokane)
23. TC Futures (Benton County, Franklin County — Kennewick)
24. Tri-Cities Immigration Coalition (TCIC) (Benton County, Franklin County — Richland)
25. United Indians of all Tribes (King County — Seattle)

To learn more about CHPW, visit chpw.org.

*Social drivers of health, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “are conditions in places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health and quality-of-life risks and outcomes. To learn more about this, visit the CDC’s website.

**The organization was also a recipient of CHPW’s 2021 grant, which totaled $250,000.

***The organization was also a recipient of CHPW’s 2020 grant, which totaled $230,000.

About CHPW

Community Health Plan of Washington is a community-governed, not-for-profit health plan founded in 1992 by a network of community health centers (CHCs) in Washington state. CHPW is a managed-care organization that connects members to various physical, behavioral and social support services, and reinvests surpluses back into the community to help advance health equity and improve access to high quality care for all people. CHPW serves approximately 300,000 members through Medicaid (income and asset-based program called Apple Health in Washington), Individual and Family Plans (available on the Washington health exchange), and Medicare (age and disability-based program) across the state. Its parent, Community Health Network of Washington, serves nearly 1 million individuals across Washington through its federally qualified member community health centers. To learn more, visit chpw.org or connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.