Population Health Trust Advisory Committee

WHO WE ARE

The Population Health Trust (PHT or Trust) is a community advisory committee to the Skagit County Board of Health. We are composed of a broad spectrum of community leaders who have the commitment, capacity, vision, and knowledge to establish and implement a common agenda in support of community health. Our mission is to work together to improve health for ALL.

Together we build trust, momentum, and synergy to achieve strategies and actions to improve the overall health of all community members. For more information, please click on “Our Work.”

OUR APPROACH

To work towards creating a healthier and more equitable  community, we need to know and understand the state of health and wellness in  Skagit County. How do we do that? We use a combination of qualitative data collection  (surveys, interviews, focus groups) paired with quantitative data (rates of  disease, demographic data, and other indicators of health) to get a clear  picture of health and wellness needs. This is all collected and composed into Community Health Assessment  report that is released every five years. For more information, please click on "Our Work."

OUR IMPACT

The impact of Trust’s work is collective across agencies and our community. Through our work we see changes in policies, creation of programs, increases in funding, and training. The trickling down of these impacts are improvements in overall population health.

STATEMENT ON HEALTH EQUITY

Our Vision for Health Equity in Skagit County
Health Equity means that everyone in our community has a fair and just opportunity for healthy living.  This requires that we address and remove barriers to individual and community health that arise from poverty and discrimination (whether based on race, education, gender identity, sexual orientation, job status, housing status, or disability) that result in compromised health and powerlessness, and are often derived from lack of access to:

• Good jobs with fair pay
• Quality education
• Healthy housing
• Nutritious foods
• Safe environments and active lifestyles
• Quality healthcare

We are especially committed to eliminating disparities in health for excluded or marginalized groups within our community.

2025 Reflections

For more information about our work, please contact Kristen Ekstran at kekstran@co.skagit.wa.us or call 360-416-1500.

Recent Publications

• Child Care Advocacy Brief (October 2024)
• Population Health Trust Food Security Report | Español (November 2023)
• Skagit County Food Security Data Report | Español (August 2023)
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Conversations, Insights and Resources (March 2023)
• Skagit County COVID Recovery Plan (March 2022)
  The COVID Recovery Plan is the follow-up to the 2020-21 Community Health Assessment. It is intended to bring the community together in focused efforts that will help us deal with the pressures the pandemic placed—and continues to place—on individuals, families, organizations, and systems within our County. En español.

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