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- Strategic Plan
- Our goals focus on strengthening the public health system, promoting prevention to improve health and wellness, promoting health equity, and promoting healthy and safe environments. These goals support our core mission of providing statewide leadership in developing and promoting policies that prevent disease and improve and protect the public's health, for all people living in our state.
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- 2024 State Health Report
2024 State Health Report Overview
Informe sobre la salud estatal de 2024
- We are responsible for producing a State Health Report every two years that outlines health priorities facing the people of Washington. The report highlights strategic directions and high-level initiatives that deserve the attention of the Governor and state Legislators. The Governor must approve, modify, or disapprove the report, according to statute.
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- Keeping of Animals Report
- This report provides information about the Board’s Keeping of Animals rule. The report aims to reset and restart work on the update of the Keeping of Animals rule with fresh policy direction from the Board. The paper also lists additional policy ideas for other Board involvement in the issues.
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- Immunizations Screening Criteria
- We have authority to adopt rules establishing the immunization requirements for child care or school entry. The Board considers factors other than those considered by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to address the unique needs of our state. The Board approaches these decisions by using Board developed rationale and criteria outlined in the Immunizations Screening Criteria document.
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- Newborn Screening Criteria
- We have authority to adopt rules for the screening of newborns in Washington, including the list of conditions for which all newborns must be screened. In order to determine which conditions to include in the newborn screening panel, the Board convenes a technical advisory committee to evaluate candidate conditions using guiding principles and an established set of criteria outlined in the Newborn Screening Criteria document.
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- Oral Health Strategies
- In 2015 the Board adopted seven recommended oral health strategies. The purpose of this work was to promote strategies that improve the oral health of Washington residents and guide the Board rule and policy development activity. The Board’s oral health recommendations are based on a review of established evidence and best practice models, consultation with expert informants, and input from Washington state and National expert oral health review panels. The recommendations are not intended to be a comprehensive list of all available strategies but should be considered by communities, organizations, and agencies seeking to promote oral health in the State of Washington. More information on the Board’s recommendations, agency activities, and additional resources is available here.
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- Racism is a Public Health Crisis Letter
- The Board has a duty to look inward to identify and understand how our actions and our work contribute to and exacerbate systemic and institutional racism. We cannot do this work alone. The Board commits to listening to, learning from, and partnering with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led organizations to dismantle institutional racism and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within our Board. By collaboratively identifying a path forward, we will be better equipped to advance racial and social justice within our own scope of work.
