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Public Health – Seattle and King County 2024-2029 Strategic Plan

Public Health – Seattle & King County's 2024-2029 Strategic Plan builds on input of community and our staff (2.4 MB). This plan provides a roadmap for the department over the next 5 years. We are at a pivotal moment to define our vision, mission, and values as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic emergency response and focus on the health needs in the communities we serve.

Short URL: kingcounty.gov/health/strategicplan

Download the full report
Public Health – Seattle & King County 2024 - 2029 Strategic Plan (3.2 MB)


Public Health – Seattle & King County 2024 - 2029 Strategic Plan screenshot of coversheetSummary Report in multiple languages

Vision, Mission, Values

Vision

  • Health, well-being, and racial equity – every day for everyone in King County.

Mission

  • To promote and improve the health and well-being of all people in King County by leading with racial equity and changing systems and structures that impact health.

Values

  • Fully incorporating equity, anti-racism, and trauma-informed actions throughout department culture, systems, practices, and behaviors.
  • Providing leadership in public health innovations, data, systems change, communications, and policy stances that influence the region.
  • Convening and fostering collaboration internally and with organizations across King County to address public health issues.
  • Restoring, building, and maintaining community partnerships to collaboratively identify issues and co-create solutions.
  • Holding ourselves accountable to rigorous, high standards and communicating transparently about what we do and how we do it.
  • Working upstream to address social determinants of health and root causes of health inequities.

Our strategic plan describes how we will address threats to community health, including racism, gun violence, and overdoses. It also describes how we will change the way we work to support staff and strengthen partnerships. Equity and anti-racism will continue to be the foundation for everything we do.

Climate and health icon

Climate & Health

  • Goal: Create the necessary conditions to prepare for, adapt to, and influence the impact of climate change on health, in partnership with other King County departments, communities, and additional partners.

Emerging Threats to Community Health and Well-being

Health of People Experiencing Homelessness

  • Goal: Health issues including preventable injury, illness, and death are no longer a consequence of homelessness in King County.

Gun Violence Prevention

  • Goal: Prevent and reduce gun violence in King County.

Overdose Prevention and Well-being for People Who Use Drugs

  • Goal: Make evidence-based, culturally appropriate services accessible for every individual who uses drugs while reducing stigma around substance use disorders and reducing overdose deaths.

Community Well-being and Youth Behavioral Health

  • Goal: Apply public health approaches to advance programs, policies and systems to promote emotional well-being and improve the overall health, sense of connection and belonging of children, young people, and their communities.

Information, Impact & Innovation

  • Goal: Serve as a bold leader in policy development and change.
  • Goal: Lead in data and informatics by using data that is timely, relevant, and meaningful to communities.
  • Goal: Lead with accurate, effective, and collaborative health communications that center communities.

Partnerships

  • Goal: Build, strengthen, and sustain responsive community partnerships, with a focus on Black, Indigenous and people of color partners.
  • Goal: Lead in internal and external cross-sector partnerships to advance community health and well-being and undo racist health impacts.

Workforce & Infrastructure

  • Goal: Support a racially just workforce and learning culture workplace that is reflective of the communities we serve and centers racial justice, equity, and well-being.
  • Goal: Strengthen Public Health's internal collaboration and infrastructure so programs and internal processes work collaboratively and seamlessly.
  • Goal: Public Health can provide necessary services, resources, and information to promote the health of the most impacted communities during emergencies.

Public Health – Seattle & King County's Anti-Racism Equity Tree

As we implement our strategic plan, we are committed to holding ourselves accountable. We will be reporting on our progress. Please come back to this website in coming months to learn more about our work.

Our public health challenges are complex. We must work across different sectors to address these challenges. Importantly, the plan emphasizes that we need to continue and deepen our work with community and partners. We are excited to work together with you to advance our vision of health, well-being and racial equity every day for everyone in King County. 

Supplemental information

November 2023
Strategic Planning Engagement Report (2.4 MB): We thank all the individuals, organizations, and partners for their input to inform Public Health’s Strategic Plan. This report summarizes what we heard in the Summer of 2023 from Public Health staff, community based organizations and community partners. This information serves as a foundational piece to the development of Public Health’s new Strategic Plan.

June 2023
Our first step was to examine the current work of Public Health. The Current State Report (945 KB) builds on over 160 existing documents shared by every division across the department, and identifies seven key points that describe Public Health's activities and challenges.

Learn more

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