Improving Health Equity
A key aim of the HealthConnect Hub is improving health equity and access to care for diverse communities throughout Southwest Washington. This means removing the barriers people often face when getting the support they need. Three crucial programs play an important role in creating access to this needed care.
HealthConnect Pathways - SWACH’s flagship program for care coordination. HealthConnect Pathways helps address the social determinants of health, the barriers and factors that influence or shape someone’s wellness. This program relies on a robust network of partners to help connect participants to physical and mental health providers, as well as social services.
CareConnect WA - This program was formed through a unique partnership between SWACH and the Department of Health (DOH) to help provide support to individuals with COVID-19.
Community Paramedicine - A partnership between emergency medical services (EMS), social workers, and SWACH, this program aims to reduce the usage of emergency rooms for non-emergency services by connecting individuals to the appropriate primary and specialty care services.
We have seen significant growth across HealthConnect Pathways since the end of 2021. CareConnect WA saw a decrease during that time, likely due to changes in COVID-19 positive test rates. We’ve also seen consistent numbers for community paramedicine during that same range. This data shows that we are providing innovative approaches to addressing health equity. The rapid growth of HealthConnect Pathways highlights our ability to increasingly connect people to the care they need.
We also look at the care risks across the social determinants of health, and medical and behavioral health. We’ve noticed a consistency between the needs identified and the needs met during 2022. This data reflects a similar trend, that there is an increasing need for services, and the HealthConnect is uniquely positioned to connect individuals to those services.
Creating health equity remains an essential aim of the HealthConnect Hub. The data is promising; as we continue to build our capacity and partnerships, we are able to connect an increasing amount of people to the care they need.
