Comment: Community health groups key to health equity in state

By Leanne Berge / For The Herald

As a safety-net health care organization founded by Washington’s Community Health Centers to serve historically marginalized, low-income communities, Community Health Plan of Washington understands what is at stake as a result of the 2024 national elections.

If campaign rhetoric is to be believed, the state’s most vulnerable populations will require more support from local Community Health Centers, and frontline community-based organizations who provide a broad range of health and social services to these communities.

In health care, we see daily how social factors like housing insecurity, poverty, food scarcity, language barriers, race, ethnicity and immigration status, and sexual orientation and gender identity affect people’s health. Five years ago, Community Health Plan of Washington established our Advancing Equity grant program, which provides $250,000 in grants annually to support 25 community organizations who provide critical supports for communities experiencing these barriers and more in Washington state.

Several community-based organizations who are recipients of this year’s grants are trusted and safe harbors for those who may be most at risk in this uncertain time ahead. The International Rescue Committee and Thrive International are two of those, offering immigrants and refugees who are seeking asylum with culturally appropriate support as they recover and rebuild their lives in Washington. Some organizations reach across Washington providing needed support to both urban and rural communities, such as Entre Hermanos, which has served the Latino LGBTQ+ community in Washington for 35 years with critical health programs around HIV/AIDS, housing, and immigration services. Washington’s Lavender Rights Project provides direct legal services to Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as supports advocacy and policy initiatives.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-community-health-groups-key-to-health-equity-in-state/