KITSAP PUBLIC HEALTH DISTRICT PROMOTES EQUITY
Kitsap Public Health District is committed to promoting equity and dismantling racist systems that damage the health of Kitsap County residents. We believe all Kitsap residents should have equitable opportunity to live healthy and safe lives.
Equity is the guarantee of fair and just opportunity for all to achieve good health and well-being. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty and discrimination and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and healthcare. It also requires attention to health inequities, which are differences in population health status and mortality rates that are systemic, patterned, unjust, and actionable, as opposed to random or caused by those who become ill. (Public Health Accreditation Board).
Updates and resources related to our equity work will be posted to this page. If you have questions or suggestions, please email Erica Whares, Equity Program Coordinator, at equity@kitsappublichealth.org
Kitsap Public Health Board resolution "Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis"
On May 4, 2021, the Kitsap Public Health Board adopted a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. Resolution 2021-01 commits the Health Board and Kitsap Public Health District to taking specific, meaningful actions to address institutionalized and systemic racism. Learn more:
- July 2023 update to Health Board
- February 2023 update to Health Board
- Resolution 2021-01
- News release
- Recording of May 4, 2021 Health Board meeting (resolution adoption)
- Recording of April 6, 2021 Health Board meeting (draft resolution presentation)
Antiracism resolutions in the United States
Across the country, local and state leaders are declaring racism a public health crisis or emergency. These declarations are an important first step in the movement to advance racial equity and justice and must be followed by allocation of resources and strategic action. To learn more, and see a map of declarations in the United States, visit the American Public Health Association declaration page.
On March 28, 2019, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) issued Directive 19-01 reaffirming DOH's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and cultural humility.
On February 22, 2022, the Washington State Public Health Associated passed a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis.
Kitsap Public Health’s role in advancing equity
Kitsap Public Health’s mission is to prevent disease and protect and promote the health of all persons in Kitsap County. To help fulfill our mission, with an “equity lens” (i.e., focused on equitable outcomes for all persons in Kitsap), we compile, analyze, and share data on health outcomes and disparities; identify and communicate about barriers our residents experience that prevent optimal health outcomes; and partner with our community to address those barriers. These barriers include systemic racism, other forms of systemic discrimination, poverty, and homelessness.
Some other ways Kitsap Public Health promotes equity include:
- Implement and evaluate our initiatives as outlined in Board Resolution 2021-01, Declaring Racism as a Public Health Crisis.
- Build relationships with communities experiencing health inequities.
- Use inclusive language and communication methods to promote health equity within Kitsap Public Health and with our community.
We are currently working to create a process and assessment tool for reviewing our policies, procedures, and processes to ensure they promote equity and racial justice.
We have adopted definitions in the Public Health Accreditation Board’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism Glossary of Terms.
Kitsap Public Health District is a member of the Government Alliance for Race and Equity (GARE), a national network of governmental agencies working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all.
Community Events Calendar
This calendar includes upcoming events that support equity and celebrate diversity in our community. Click on an event to learn more. To submit an event for inclusion, please email equity@kitsappublichealth.org
June 2020 Letter to Community
Kitsap Public Health District leadership published an open letter to the community following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Read the letter here.
Health Equity Resources
- American Public Health Association
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Health Disparities
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Social Determinants of Health
- Washington State Department of Health
Racism and Health
- American Public Health Association
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Racism and Health
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation – Systemic Racism and Health Equity
For a list of additional resources (including research studies) on health equity, racism, and other related topics, click here.
Diversity within Kitsap Public Health District
Kitsap Public Health District is committed to employing a diverse workforce that reflects the communities it serves. The dashboard below compares demographics of the Health District employees with the county population as a whole.
