It is here again! Spring. Magical moments of stronger sun rays, longer days, and colors bursts, assuring us that all of nature, the heat, the bitter cold, and everything in-between has been working hard for this blooming magic to happen, again. Thank goodness!

Our team also has been nurturing, planting seeds, and preparing for new things. We recently completed an updated 3-year Strategic Plan with the guidance and support of our Strategic Oversite Committee and community partners. A bit of spring cleaning, guided by insights of experience from the past 8 + years, current capacities, and of course the ongoing truths and learnings of the pandemic. A few key highlights:

• Simplified our message and included more action related content, highlighting our role as a hub and the conversation that health is more than healthcare.
• Expanded our work of partnership and bridge-building around healthcare services and community well-being.
• Streamlined our goals, reflective of current work and capacity.
• Successfully transitioned leading local Caregiver Equity and Well-being to a new regional more widespread initiative.

You can find our Updated Strategic Plan (here), which also includes this year’s goals. We hope to see and reach more of you in community, as partners in well-being data and action planning, partners in access to local well-being resources, or partners in health education promotion and well-being events that not only meet the needs of our diverse communities, but most importantly are led and guided by and with community.

As we move into this next chapter, we are humbled by challenges, deeper insights, and awareness presented to us personally and professionally, especially these past few years. And we are extremely grateful for all efforts great and small that help to support, we believe, our still relevant vision, “healthier people, healthier relationships, healthier communities, created together.”

This spring our hope is for renewal that allows for refreshed eyes, new perspectives, more caring and compassion for ourselves and each other. And always, some lightness. I appreciate this reality check from Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” Go ahead, plan that outdoor spring picnic, and enjoy the unexpected rain showers, or snow, or hail, and don’t forget the sunscreen … because it’s spring in Washington, enjoy!

Thanks for your Partnership,
Jessica Burt
Interim Director, PIHC