Washington Association for Community Health

Washington Association for Community Health To Strengthen & Advocate for Washington's Community Health Centers as They Build Access, Innovation & Value.

The Washington Association for Community Health (the Association) is a non-profit organization, formed in 1985 to advocate on behalf of the low-income, uninsured, and underserved populations of Washington State served by community health centers. The Association represents 27 Community Health Centers that provide comprehensive services including medical, dental, and mental health care, nutrition,

social services, counseling, health education, WIC, Maternity Support Services, transportation assistance, and other essential services to patients in rural and urban areas. The Association is one of 51 State or Regional Primary Care Associations (PCAs) whose members are comprised of the over 5,000 community health centers located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

We were honored to celebrate Peninsula Community Health Services (PCHS), CEO Jennifer Kreidler-Moss, and her team today ...
08/11/2026

We were honored to celebrate Peninsula Community Health Services (PCHS), CEO Jennifer Kreidler-Moss, and her team today at their ribbon cutting for the Willow Center, a medical respite center aimed at giving short-term support to adults who need a safe place to recover and manage their health needs. This recent housing initiative includes 22 temporary housing units tailored to individuals in need of recovery from acute conditions with consistent onsite staff.

A big congratulations to PCHS for opening such an important resource for your community. We appreciate all the funders and supporters involved with making this project happen and are so excited to see how the Willow Center will expand access to care for our most vulnerable.

Today, we celebrate the many partnerships that are so crucial to the success of WACH and our community health centers. F...
08/07/2026

Today, we celebrate the many partnerships that are so crucial to the success of WACH and our community health centers. From hospitals to schools, businesses to government leaders, food banks to public housing, these partnerships are core to caring for our communities.

We are also grateful for the partnership with our Governor, Bob Ferguson, who proclaimed this week officially as Health Center Week in our state. His signature was key in passing SB 5981, which protects critical 340B savings and helps ensure continued access to life-saving integrated care. We are also grateful to Sen. Cleveland and Rep. Thai for their leadership in this legislation.

Without our partners, CHCs would be on an island. Our partners make so much of our work possible. Thank you!

Community health centers are the primary care safety net for communities in Washington and across the country. They offe...
08/06/2026

Community health centers are the primary care safety net for communities in Washington and across the country. They offer comprehensive medical, behavioral, dental, and wraparound care to all, regardless of ability to pay. Around 14% of health center patients are uninsured, and health centers offer sliding fee scales to patients based on income level.

Rising health care costs, changes to public insurance options, and increased complexity of patient needs are all contributing to an increase in uncompensated care at CHCs. Today, we want to highlight core ways to give to your local community health center to continue to support key community-informed programs that ensure all can thrive. To give to a health center you can:
- Find your local health center at https://na2.hubs.ly/H072_fF0
- Use our website https://na2.hubs.ly/H072-VL0 to find links to every CHC website
- On your local CHC's website, find ways to contribute to the overall mission of the center whether through time or donations

Give to a health center today to help your community weather uncertainty and emerge stronger in this tumultuous time.

Community Health Centers (CHCs) serve all populations across rural and urban communities. From mothers and children to v...
08/06/2026

Community Health Centers (CHCs) serve all populations across rural and urban communities. From mothers and children to veterans, older adults, agricultural workers, and individuals experiencing homelessness, CHCs provide care tailored to the unique needs of each community. Today, we recognize the unwavering commitment of CHCs to deliver quality, accessible health care to all.

One of our recent innovation reports highlights how International Community Health Services (ICHS) established a geriatric focused primary care program to meet the needs of their growing elderly patient population. ICHS believes geriatric care is crucial as people age as access to specialists are often limited for resource poor or non-English speaking patients. Read the innovation report (https://na2.hubs.ly/H070y6w0) here.

Seattle Indian Health Board recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Vashon Island for their Thunderbird Treatment Center (TTC), a new 92-bed inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center, the largest of its kind in King County. Residents have access to behavioral health professionals, individual and group counseling, Traditional Indian Medicine practitioners, outdoor activities, and a range of comprehensive support services. Learn more about the TTC (https://na2.hubs.ly/H070wWm0) here.

This work reflects how CHCs continuously adapt their services to meet the evolving needs of the communities they serve. We are proud of how all the CHCs throughout the state show up to serve their communities.

We enjoyed taking part in last night's Patient Town Hall, hosted by Neighborcare Health. The event brought Medicaid Mana...
08/05/2026

We enjoyed taking part in last night's Patient Town Hall, hosted by Neighborcare Health. The event brought Medicaid Managed Care health plans, the health center, and patients together to discuss the many changes coming to Medicaid and how it impacts their coverage. WACH was there supporting continued advocacy for CHCs and the primary care safety net.

We so appreciate Neighborcare's work in hosting and the health plans for their efforts in keeping people covered.

Today, we celebrate the critical role CHCs play in addressing acute and chronic conditions through prevention, early det...
08/05/2026

Today, we celebrate the critical role CHCs play in addressing acute and chronic conditions through prevention, early detection, education, and treatment. CHCs are on the forefront of ensuring patients manage their chronic diseases to help them live their best lives.

For example, One Community Health offers their Salud Diabetes Care Program that supports patients at risk for or living with diabetes. The program offers core education through 1:1 and group classes, meal planning and nutrition classes, and exercise classes to support patients in managing their diabetes.

It is these special chronic disease programs that keep our patients and community members healthier for longer. We so appreciate our health centers for their tireless efforts.

Thank you to Seattle Roots Community Health for giving WACH staff the opportunity to visit your Patient Appreciation Day...
08/04/2026

Thank you to Seattle Roots Community Health for giving WACH staff the opportunity to visit your Patient Appreciation Day! We appreciated being able to support your event and see the dedication your team brings to patient care today and every day.

Today, we celebrate and thank the 1.3 million patients that trust our community health centers to provide care. Patients...
08/04/2026

Today, we celebrate and thank the 1.3 million patients that trust our community health centers to provide care. Patients are at the core of everything a CHC does. At least 51% of every CHC board is made up of patients, ensuring that key decisions about services, priorities, and programs are guided by the people who depend on them the most.

CHC patients include:
- 367,507 People best served in a language other than English
- 25,115 Veterans
- 117,356 Agricultural workers
- 118,890 People experiencing homelessness
- 703,266 People enrolled in Medicaid
- 16,228 People served at School-Based Health Centers

Check out events happening this week at CHCs across the state: https://na2.hubs.ly/H06-p-q0

At WACH, we are proud to work alongside Washington's 28 community health centers (CHCs) who serve approximately 1.3 mill...
08/03/2026

At WACH, we are proud to work alongside Washington's 28 community health centers (CHCs) who serve approximately 1.3 million people, around 1 in 6 Washingtonians. Deeply rooted in the communities they serve, CHCs are governed by patient-majority boards and are committed to providing affordable care. In addition to providing essential medical, dental, and behavioral services, CHCs develop programs and provide wraparound services that meet the unique needs of their communities.

During National Health Center Week (NHCW), organized by the National Association for Community Health Centers, we celebrate Washington's CHCs along with the over 1,400 CHCs nationwide who provide affordable care to tens of millions of people across the country. Read our blog to find out more about NHCW.
https://na2.hubs.ly/H06_yl70

It's National Health Center Week! Today we're honoring our staff and the staff at community health centers (CHCs) across...
08/03/2026

It's National Health Center Week! Today we're honoring our staff and the staff at community health centers (CHCs) across the state for Staff Appreciation Day.

To our team: thank you for the essential work you do to support Washington's community health centers. Through education, policy, and workforce development, you provide indispensable services to CHCs and their communities.

To the staff who are employed by our member CHCs: thank you for your daily dedication. From keeping health centers running to providing care to patients regardless of their ability to pay, you remain on the front lines of community health.

Quick fact: Washington state's CHCs are staffed by 13,455 full-time positions, including doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacy staff, all committed to keeping essential services available to the communities that need them.

Follow along this week as we continue celebrating NHCW, and take a moment to thank someone you know who supports CHCs or works for one!

Address

101 Capital Way N
Olympia, WA
98501

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15099451264

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Washington Association for Community Health posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Washington Association for Community Health:

Shortcuts

Share

Category