Community Health Improvement celebrates first anniversary

Celebrating One Year of SWACH’s Community Health Improvement

The beginning of 2025 marks the first anniversary of the Community Health Improvement (CHI) department at Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH). Over the past 12 months, the CHI team has worked extensively to make a meaningful impact on our communities, addressing pressing health needs and building stronger connections across the region.

CHI Director Ashley Gaffney, who began at SWACH in Jan. 2024, looked back over the past year with pride, saying a highlight has been the department’s successful growth.

“It’s gone from just me full-time and Sashila part-time to having three full-time staff members,” Gaffney recalled. “We were able to create a logic model for department work and use that to create a position, a job description and hire another staff member.”

First-Year Achievements

The department’s achievements in its inaugural year have been both innovative and impactful. Among the highlights is the expansion of SWACH’s naloxone vending machine program. These machines, placed in accessible community locations, have made life-saving Narcan readily available, empowering individuals to respond to opioid overdoses and reduce harm across Southwest Washington.

“We secured funding to support our naloxone vending machine program,” Gaffney said. “We’re also planning on releasing our first request for proposal (RFP) on strengthening rural health in January 2025, really a year from when the department started.”

Mistuik reflected on the groundwork laid over the past year, emphasizing the importance of long-term planning.

“We really created the vision of what this department is about and then mapped out our main strategies. While we’re focusing on two- and five-year plans, some of the projects—like the naloxone vending machines—are setting the stage for work that could carry forward for 10 years or more,” she said.

In addition to these projects, the CHI team played a vital role in sponsoring this year’s Fentanyl Prevention and Overdose Awareness Day. This event brought together community members, health professionals, and advocates to raise awareness about the opioid crisis, share resources, and provide education on how to prevent overdoses. It was a day of connection, learning, and hope that showcased SWACH’s commitment to harm reduction and community health.

The Team

Led by Gaffney, the department’s growth over the past year has been evidenced by CHI Program Manager Sashila Mistuik and CHI Specialist Janyce Richardson.

Richardson, who started in September, said she was grateful to have joined such a dedicated team.

“One of the most rewarding parts of my role is seeing the tangible impact we have on the communities we serve,” Richardson said. “Whether it’s hearing from a partner about how our harm reduction strategies are making a difference or knowing that our efforts are helping to improve health outcomes in rural areas, I am continually inspired by the work we do.”

Mistuik highlighted the importance of gathering information from the community they serve, as well as their partners.

“We’ve worked hard to prioritize our focus areas by gathering information from our partners and going to rural meetings to find out what the community needs are,” Mistuik said. “It takes a little bit of time but now feel grounded and have a clear path for the work ahead for the department.”

Looking ahead to the next year, Richardson shared excitement about the direction of CHI. “There’s so much more to come, and I’m eager to continue making a positive impact as we shape our future together.”

Looking Ahead

As the CHI department enters its second year, the team is focused on building on this momentum. Plans include expanding the vending machine program, increasing community engagement opportunities, and continuing to address health disparities with innovative solutions.

Mistuik expressed enthusiasm about the future of the vending machine program, outlining plans for a regional network.

“I’m excited to take the naloxone vending machine initiative to the next level by creating a Southwest Washington vending machine network,” she said. “We’re working to bring partners together quarterly to share information, create a common agenda, and learn from one another. This is about centering the community and building something sustainable.”

With one year down, SWACH is proud of the successes of the CHI department and the team’s commitment to advancing health equity and fostering healthier communities. We look forward to another year of impactful and transformative work.

“I think this is the start of a really good foundation that has developed over the year,” Gaffney said. “Now with this foundation, we’ll be able to move forward over the next year with some of our strategies and priorities, so I’m just really looking forward to what happens a year from now.”