At its June 9 meeting, the Board of Health requested that the topic of race and its nexus within public health be brought to the Public Health Program Policy Committee for discussion, with the intent to draft a resolution for the full Board’s consideration.
At its June 18 meeting, the Program Policy Committee reviewed the draft resolution and asked staff to include additional information and citations in the recitals section related to health and equity statistics. The committee moved to forward the updated resolution to the Administration and Executive Committees for their meetings the week of June 22, with the intent to send a final resolution to the full Board for adoption at its July 14 meeting. Both committees moved to forward it to the full Board.
One additional request from Board member Dunn was to consider using terms consistently when referring to African American and Black. Staff attempted to align language while remaining consistent with sources, so both references remain in the final, updated resolution (Exhibit A).
The impetus to this discussion and resolution is the recent and unjust killing of George Floyd, along with the unjust deaths of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color across our nation, reminds us that racism and racial inequities exist. With each death there is an increasing level of anger, frustration, and outrage. We in public health have a responsibility to recognize that racial inequities and social injustices within our communities exist and to ensure everyone in Snohomish County is provided equitable access to its public health resources.
As stated in the 2020 Snohomish Health District Strategic Plan, its mission is to spearhead efforts to protect, promote, and advance the collective health of our community. The District does this by embodying one of its values: being driven by diversity, equity, and inclusion. The plan goes further, stating that, “We are open to different opinions and ideas, inclusive of everyone, and committed to understanding the inequities that are barriers to healthy lives and living. We adapt to changes in the community, its composition and demographics, its needs and concerns, and strive to provide services equitably. The organization celebrates and respects the uniqueness of cultures, communities and diverse ideas, and strives to reflect the community’s demographics.”
The 2018 Snohomish County Community Health Assessment repeatedly shows the disproportionate health impacts that communities of color bear and calling focused attention to American Indian and Alaska Native disparities. Currently, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color in Snohomish County are disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 at a rate double that of White residents. Factors that contribute to these disparities are the conditions in which we are born, live, play, work, and age. Racial inequities impact all these factors.
Tools frequently used in the practice of public health to change health outcomes is naming the issue, listening to and learning from impacted communities, convening, and ultimately leading change. Taking concrete steps to change and improve the systems and conditions that uphold and perpetuate health inequities is the role of the Snohomish Health District.