Urban Indian Initiative
The Washington State Department of Health is committed to improving the health outcomes of Urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities in Washington State. The WADOH Urban Indian Initiative is the only initiative within the department that specifically focuses on the health equity of Urban Indian Washingtonians. The Urban Indian Initiative assists in building community capacity for long-term COVID-19 recovery and resilience to better position Washington's Urban Indian communities for future public health emergencies. Under the Urban Indian Initiative, DOH has invested a total of $4 million dollars utilizing a braided funding approach into 5 Urban Indian-serving organizations located throughout the state who have projects aimed at ameliorating COVID-19-related health disparities. Notably, DOH has partnered with the Seattle Indian Health Board to pilot a data equity project that promotes Indigenous health and data sovereignty. Below is more information on our Urban Indian Initiative community partner organizations.
Seattle Indian Health Board — Seattle, WA
Seatle Indian Health Board (SIHB) is developing a pilot project titled 'Data Equity for Indigenous Health' to improve the collection, reporting, and dissemination of COVID-19 surveillance data and other population health data using cloud technology. The objective of this data modernization project is to create a comprehensive informatics system that will bridge individual and population-level COVID-19 data to situate medical care within the broader social determinants of health, while also improving surveillance data available at the local level and building the data infrastructure for monitoring other chronic and infectious diseases in the future.
Chief Seattle Club — Seattle, WA
Chief Seattle Club is a 501(c)(3) registered organization dedicated to physically and spiritually supporting American Indian and Alaska Native people. At our Day Center in the Pioneer Square district of downtown Seattle, we provide food, primary health care, housing assistance, legal services, a Native art job training program, and opportunities for members to engage in cultural community-building.
Northwest Washington Indian Health Board — Bellingham, WA
The Northwest Washington Indian Health Board (NWWIHB) is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Corporation, incorporated in the State of Washington for the purpose of providing public health support services to Native American communities in Northwest Washington State. The Indian Health Board’s mission is to provide public health service and health advocacy through health education, health assessment, and community health control and evaluation.
American Indian Community Center — Spokane, WA
The American Indian Community Center (AICC) is a non-profit founded in 1967 as a social gathering place for American Indians and has since evolved into a multi-use service organization. The AICC’s mission is to provide comprehensive social and economic development services for all racial groups in our community encouraging individual and family self-sufficiency while protecting and preserving the cultures and traditions of Indian people.
American Indian Health Commission — Statewide
The American Indian Health Commission is a tribally-driven non-profit organization working on behalf of the 29 federally-recognized Indian tribes and two Urban Indian Health Organizations in the state of Washington. Our mission is to support and protect tribal sovereignty, and to improve the health and cultural well-being of American Indians and Alaska Natives through convening, advocacy, public education, and technical assistance.
See also
DOH's Initiative to Address Health Disparities Across Washington State – Communities of Focus
Community Partner Page Resources – In partnership with over 200 community-rooted organizations, the Washington State Department of Health and Desautel Hege have compiled a bank of COVID-19 and public health resources, campaign materials and partner assets for use in community-driven public health outreach efforts.
Building Community Capacity for Equitable COVID-19 Recovery
COVID-19 Community-Driven Outreach program