Group Health Foundation

Programs: Quality of care and service -the partnership for innovation began in 2008 to promote non-proprietary and public domain innovation and research at group health. The plan aims to raise funds to support innovation, foster the culture of innovation, support ongoing efforts to innovate, support long-term strategic objectives, and assist in transforming strategic objectives. Group health foundation funds pilot tests, evaluations and dissemination. Innovation grants -supported a grant program where 8 new pilot tests were implemented, completed projects were evaluated for effectiveness and spreadability, and a video was produced to help disseminate findings from one completed grant. Enhancing medical care -enhanced care for group health patients by purchasing new equipment and supporting patient education materials, and increased the quality of care available in the community by funding healthcare-related scholarships, training and education.

childrens health -the campaign to increase immunization rates began in 2008 with strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and to increase access to free immunizations. In 2014, the foundation continued its immunization programs and added a focus on identifying and meeting adolescent health needs. Immunization -began the final year of a 3-year pilot to create volunteer parent immunization advocates in settings where parents gather and share information (schools, early learning centers). The program gave parents training, tools, resources and technical assistance to reinforce the value of a healthy community through immunizations, change local immunization policy practices and ultimately yield fewer immunization exemptions. Adolescent health -funded programs in three focus areas to improve the health of adolescents: 1) address dating violence by piloting a healthy relationship curriculum in high schools, 2) promote youth activity and fitness, and 3) improve teens access to their online medical records. Health education -maintained the health trek fitness and nutrition website serving over 900 unduplicated visitors per month during the school year. Maintained the blood & guts health education program where hands-on exhibits were loaned to community agencies 83 times in 2014 reaching over 12,000 people.

prevention and health promotion -piloted the silence whooping cough campaign in thurston county and developed a free public awareness toolkit for communities to adapt during disease epidemics. Began research to identify the current state of public and physician awareness of and openness to the human papillomavirus (hpv) vaccine.