Submitted by Thurston County
New group aims to bring state health dollars to South Sound, coastal communities
Stakeholders and community partners from 10 counties gathered Wednesday, May 21 in Tumwater to form the new Cascade Pacific Action Alliance—a coalition of private and public organizations that is working to improve community health, and working to get more state healthcare dollars invested in South Sound and coastal communities.
Thurston County Commissioner and Board of Health Chair Cathy Wolfe released the following statement at the conclusion of the meeting:
The rollout of our state’s Affordable Care Act programs is an incredible opportunity for local jurisdictions like Thurston County to re-engage our local leaders and local stakeholders on issues like healthcare access, better integration of the health systems in our communities, and improving community health for our residents. Forming the Cascade Pacific Action Alliance is a big step forward for those efforts, but it is just the first step of many where we can walk hand-in-hand with our partners to bring those goals to fruition.I am very pleased with the progress we’ve made in such a short period. I think we have structured the alliance for success, and I think this coalition that we’ve formed will be very competitive when it comes to winning grant funds to support the many programs and services our jurisdictions already have in place.I think Thurston County has laid a fantastic foundation and has set an example of the kinds of strides the alliance can make with our Thurston Thrives initiative. We’ve worked tirelessly over the last year to not just talk about better integration or better access to healthcare, but develop practical, boots-on-the-ground action agendas.What we learned from others at the Cascade Pacific Action Alliance meeting shows that we have a lot in common. I look forward to working together to achieve concrete, measurable successes when it comes to building healthier communities and getting better health outcomes for our residents.
