EJ grew up in Central Washington, where at an early age he became aware of rural poverty and inequities in opportunity. His commitment to health equity and access began while attending college at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, where he was later awarded distinguished alumnus in 2016. While there, EJ was the driving force in the establishment of a student health center at the university.
Read moreKate emigrated from Seoul, Korea to Olympia, Washington when she was 15 years old. “It was a drastic culture shock moving from a major urban city to a small town.” She says growing up in an immigrant family and multicultural environment helped her see the value of diversity and inclusion.
Read moreAs we begin to grow and build relationships with communities across Washington, we wanted to share a little bit about how this work is unfolding. Our commitment to center the lived experience of those most impacted by health inequities means we are making intentional decisions about the places we go and the people we meet.
Read moreBrenda grew up in Federal Way, and was shaped by her parent’s experiences and values. Her father emigrated from Bolivia to the United States in the 1950’s and her mother in the 1970’s. She says her father instilled in her a commitment to service, and her mother taught her about the importance of being involved in your community “to build the kind of world we all deserve.”
Read moreWilla joined Group Health Foundation last spring. She believes work is supposed to be about improving the world around us. “Growing up I always knew that whatever I ended up doing for a living, a big part of it would be contributing to the community.” She grew up in Alger, a small community of just over 400 people in Skagit County.
Read moreAt Group Health Foundation, we believe that communities know what they need to improve health, and we are dedicated to engaging the wisdom of communities to prioritize, design, and support collective approaches. Board member Seth Kirby draws upon his experiences working with identity- and place-based communities to talk about the Foundation’s endeavors.
Read moreGroup Health Foundation’s board and staff today welcomed Nichole June Maher as the Foundation’s new president and CEO. An expert in the field of health equity, Maher was selected to advance the organization’s aspirations for a vibrant, healthy future in communities across Washington state. Group Health Foundation is the third largest foundation in Washington and among the 50 largest in the United States.
Read moreAnn and Rosa are two of Group Health Foundation’s first employees. They recently shared how their stories and experiences have shaped their perspectives on health. Read what they shared.
Read moreGroup Health Foundation was created using the proceeds from Kaiser Permanente’s acquisition of Group Health Cooperative, with the goal of carrying on Group Health’s legacy of social impact. Porsche Everson, who served on Group Health Cooperative’s board for nine years and is one of four continuity members on Group Health Foundation’s board, shares insights on the formation and early days of the Foundation and how it’s shaped by Group Health Cooperative’s legacy.
Read moreGroup Health Foundation is honored to announce Nichole June Maher will become the new president and CEO of Group Health Foundation in October 2018, leading the organization in our bold pursuit of health equity for Washington State. Nichole brings visionary leadership, grounded in two decades of work dedicated to achieving a more equitable Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Read moreThank you for the incredible response to our call for proposals. We’re pleased to announce we awarded 85 grants to organizations and coalitions working in Washington State to share their insights and wisdom about engaging communities to advance health equity.
Read moreCommunity engagement is fundamental to Group Health Foundation’s mission of advancing community aspirations for a vibrant, healthy Washington. It is one of five key areas identified in our organizational learning plan to explore this year. Dr. America Bracho Perez, who serves on our board and is an expert in this area, shares her ideas about community engagement.
Read moreCarmen joined Group Health Foundation as our finance and administration director in December 2017. She has been enjoying getting to know the staff and board, and helping establish our financial and operational systems and processes.
Read moreCommunity engagement is one element of our learning plan for 2018. To inform how we think about and plan for community engagement, we’ve brought together a learning collaborative that includes people from across the state who have deep experience and expertise in organizing, mobilizing, and building partnerships.
Read moreWe recognize we will only be successful in achieving health equity if communities are at the center of our work – and we believe listening and learning are essential to achieving this goal. This spring, we are offering $7,500 grants to capture insights from local efforts to develop effective, equitable, community-based approaches to improving health.
Read moreSince the formation of Group Health Foundation’s board of directors last spring, we’ve been exploring the core values and principles that define our organization. Early on, equity emerged as a leading value for us. Read on for an excerpt from a Q&A with Board Vice Chair Dr. Ben Danielson about the early stages of the Foundation’s equity journey.
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