The Health System “Village” on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula: A PECC Project for ECDHS
Written by Lauren Lesser, Swordfern Consulting
The Washington Department of Health, via its Early Childhood Development Health Systems (ECDHS) initiative, supported an assessment of the prenatal-to-three health system on the Olympic Peninsula. As a member of PECC (Peninsulas Early Childhood Coalition – covering Kitsap, Clallam & Jefferson Counties) and a local childcare workforce development coalition, I’d already seen the data and presentations showing the importance of the first few years of a child’s life for their long-term health and development. Any opportunities to maintain or improve strong prenatal-to-three health are a win for kids, families, and our shared future. Over a quick project period of about 10 weeks, our project team spoke to PECC members, local families, care navigators, child-focused organizations, and health organizations about the strengths and opportunities of our prenatal-to-three health system. You can find the full report here: PECC ECDHS Report
What is a health system, exactly? A system is a set of elements that interact together in a way that produces an outcome. For this project, the health system included medical as well as social determinants of health. Partners we spoke to often quoted the rule of thumb that around 20% of medical care happens in a doctor’s office, and social determinants of health make up the rest. Similar to the familiar saying “it takes a village” to raise a child, the pieces that come together to make up a health system is a village full of dedicated people working hard for healthy children and families.
In asking about strengths, a finding everywhere we looked was the importance of connected people – in doctor’s offices, daycares, nonprofits, parent groups, etc. – in making the system work. A culture of collaboration and coordination to make sure people could “connect the dots” to getting the care they need came up again and again. Many of the opportunities identified related to ways to support the people in the system via continued collaboration, leveraging trusted messengers to make connections, and empowering family and community independence.
There were also specific system and data improvement opportunities identified. Efforts are already in place to get information “in one place,” such as Olympic Connect and other community resource directories, as well as efforts to help clinicians and support staff track patient care more effectively. More details can be found in the full report, but the key takeaways come back to getting information to the right people in the system in order to keep it working strong.
So, what happens next? PECC leadership is exploring possible next steps including early learning connections, improving ways to engage with busy parents, and funding opportunities that could support future projects. While we’re a rural area on the Olympic Peninsula, we’re fortunate to have resourceful, collaborative, passionate people in our health system village.
Thank you to those that dedicated time and provided input into this project. Your efforts have inspired PECC leadership to explore the following next steps:
Engage with networks to explore early learning connections and promote collaboration
Document existing gatherings to better meet families where they are
Engage Early Achievers coaches on the topics of health and early child development
Keep a pulse on funding opportunities to move closer to our health system vision
Support Kitsap County-focuses “Culture of Collaboration” conversation
Consider this: What does your health system look like?
When embarking on this project, I found myself reflecting on my own “village” of connections that help me & my family stay healthy. Here are some questions to spark discussion and generate new ideas for health and resilience. Let us know what you think!
Other than immediate family members, who helps care for your child? Extended family, friends, daycare or preschool providers, teachers, babysitters, etc.? Have any of them ever shared thoughts about your child’s health or development?
How did you stay healthy while you or your partner were pregnant? Did you feel empowered in the prenatal care and birth options where you live?
Does your child have a pediatrician that you like and see regularly?
Are there any organizations or nonprofits that support you as a parent?
What resources can you turn to when a problem comes up? Have you ever utilized a care navigator?