Health Reform Project
The purpose of the Health Reform Project is to promote health care reform that will significantly improve individual and community health. A well-functioning and well-funded public health system is essential to effective health care reform.
Background King County, which includes the City of Seattle, faces a health crisis like other metropolitan areas in the United States. Despite our significant health infrastructure, the demand for public health services is far greater than our capacity to meet it. Our health safety net is under extreme strain, and, in some cases, is no longer able to help many of our needy residents. Nearly 200,000 (of 1.8 million people living in King County) adults and children lack health insurance, and another estimated 435,000 have insufficient insurance. We must have health reform if we are to address these significant problems and meet the needs of our community. Given this crisis, we have taken concrete steps to address the problem on both a policy and funding level. Last September, we adopted a Board resolution that included six health reform principles. They reflect the Board's interest in promoting health systems that are designed to improve the health of all residents of King County – and the entire United States. Our principles do not focus on financing mechanisms. And, they don't focus on whether a plan is provided by the private sector or the government or by a combination of both. Although they too often do, we believe those factors should not drive health care reform or health system design. Health outcomes should. Our principles require that:
- health care services be accessible and available to all United States residents
- care must be of high quality and patient-centered
- health care financing be sustainable over the long term, and include sufficient funding for public health infrastructure and programming so that services are cost and health effective
- services encourage patients to be engaged in their care
- the system emphasize primary care, preventive care, and healthy lifestyle choices, and
- the system track health disparities and be designed to reduce them to the greatest extent possible.
- King County Board of Health, Health Reform Principles
Understanding that the federal and state governments would be addressing health care reform, and with our principles in hand, the King County Board of Health adopted a health reform project this year in order to actively communicate about and advocate for health reform that incorporates them. Our project activities cover four areas:
- Community outreach about the principles and the project
- Advocacy with state and federal lawmakers
- Application of the principles to a Department program
- Collaboration with other health departments
Since April 2009, the King County Board of Health has focused on three major initiatives:
- Analysis of the health plans under consideration at the state level and the Obama Administration's health reform principles
- Communicating information about the principles to the public through presentations to health, business, non-profit, government, and community groups. These communications include:
- Business groups - Lake Forest Park, Kent, and Renton Rotaries, Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Rainier Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Community groups – 33rd & 36th District Democrats, Providence Point Communi-veristy
- Health groups - King County Medical Society, PATH, Mary Mahoney Professional Nurses Organization, King County Nursing Association, University of Washington School of Public Health
- Government groups - Suburban City Association, Des Moines City Council
- Advocating for incorporation of the principles into state and federal legislation
- Meetings with:
- Federal lawmakers – Senators Murray & Cantwell; Reps. Inslee, McDermott & Reichert
- State lawmakers: Senators Keiser & Pflug, Reps. Cody & Pedersen
- Board of Health press conference (YouTube streaming video)
Seattle, August 11, 2009 Hosted by the King County Board of Health and co-sponsored by Clark, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties
- Local Boards of Health call on Congress to pass health reform this year, Seattle/Local HealthGuide.com
- Health officials: Stop the theatrics, pass reform, KOMO Newsradio
- Local public health workers push congress for health reform, KIRO News/Talk 97.3 FM
- Counties support health reform, The Columbian (Vancouver)
Frequently Asked Questions about health reform issues Articles in papers and newsletters: Communications and Talking Points: Resolutions and reports:
- The Maternal and Child Behavioral Health Pilot: An Analysis Using The King County Board of Health's Health Care Reform Principles
- BOH Resolution #08-10: Adopting principles for health care reform
- BOH Staff Report, September 17, 2009
- BOH Staff Report, March 19, 2009
- BOH Staff Report, April 16, 2009
- BOH Staff Report, May 21, 2009
- BOH Staff Report, June 18, 2009
- BOH Resolution #09-08: Urging the 111th Congress of the United States to enact comprehensive health reform in 2009. Includes staff report from the July 16, 2009 BOH meeting.
- Motion 13039: Urging the 111th Congress of the United States to enact comprehensive health reform in 2009.
- Monthly Board of Health meetings: Project updates by Roz Solomon, BOH consultant (streaming video, Windows Media format):
- August 20, 2009 -- Click on "Meeting Body" drop down menu, select Board of Health then press Search button. Click on link to video for July 2009 meeting.
- August 11, 2009 -- BOH news conference
- July 16, 2009 -- Click on "Meeting Body" drop down menu, select Board of Health then press Search button. Click on link to video for July 2009 meeting.
- June 18, 2009 -- Health Reform Project discussion starts at time sequence, 2:14:30 -- 2 hours, 14 min., 30 seconds
- May 21, 2009 (1:35:45)
- April 16, 2009 (1:40:30)
- March 19, 2009 (0:50:00)
- Herndon Alliance presentation
Activities in other counties |
County Boards of Health resolutions "Urging Immediate Passage of Comprehensive Federal Health Reform Legislation":
Community Health Reform events |
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