KING COUNTY, WA - Today, the King County Board of Health commended several area health plans, health care organizations, and hospitals for collaboratively funding three community programs aimed at helping local residents with asthma, diabetes, and cervical cancer. These three health conditions have shown worsening trends in King County over the last decade, and they have particularly affected minority and low-income residents.
Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health, pointed out that King County is unique in having a collaborative fundraising process for community health programs. "In most cities, the health plans and hospitals hardly talk to each other. Here, we have seen them come to the same table and act in a meaningful way to fund programs that will improve the health of King County residents. I am grateful for this, and congratulate them."
Nearly $50,000 Has Been Pledged. These collaborative projects were researched and selected by the King County Health Action Plan, a coalition of public and private health care providers acting to improve the health status and health system performance in King County. Together, the following organizations have (thus far) pledged nearly $50,000 for initial first year funding: Aetna U.S. Healthcare, Community Health Plan of Washington, FirstChoice Health , Group Health Cooperative, Group Health/Kaiser Permanente Community Foundation, PacifiCare of Washington Inc., Regence Blue Shield, and Swedish Health Services.
The health plans and hospitals reviewed sobering local data on asthma, diabetes, and cervical cancer, which motivated them to fund the intervention programs. They have committed to focusing on these three for at least three years so that programs and funding do not disappear before measurable improvements can be made. If successful, efforts will continue and expand to assure that community needs are addressed.
Children with Asthma. One project targets children who end up in the emergency room frequently for asthma attacks. The children and their family are connected with both a pediatrician and an outreach worker from the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic. The intensive clinic and home visits the children receive cost less to provide and improve the child’s health more than the unscheduled emergency care. Adequate treatment and home environment changes can prevent emergency room visits almost completely for children with asthma.
African Americans with Diabetes. The health plans and hospitals are also funding specific programs targeting African Americans with diabetes. African Americans with diabetes have an approximately three times higher mortality rate than the overall diabetes population, and diabetes has an increasing overall mortality rate over the last 10 years.
Cancer Screening for Vietnamese Women. Vietnamese women are much less likely than other women to obtain breast and cervical cancer screening tests. Whereas in King County as a whole 75% of women had a recent mammogram and 88% had a timely Pap smear, only 18% and 7%, respectively, of Vietnamese women had received these cancer screenings. Latina, Chinese, Filipina, and Korean women also have lower than average women’s cancer screening rates.
