OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and the Indigenous Advisory Panel of the Health Equity Zones Initiative are pleased to announce the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe as the state’s first Health Equity Zone (HEZ) for Native communities. The ancestral homelands of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe span across Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, Mason, and San Juan Counties. The Tribe will receive $200,000 per year for at least two years to help identify health priorities and develop community action plans.

The HEZ Initiative, passed by the Washington legislature in 2021, aims to reduce health inequities. Differences in neighborhood conditions, often referred to as social determinants of health, can influence who is healthy, who is sick, and who lives longer. The HEZ Initiative creates an opportunity for DOH to better honor the contributions of communities, whose voices and knowledge have been historically undervalued, in advancing health equity by centering them in decision-making processes. The HEZ Initiative recognizes that these communities have the knowledge and understanding to implement solutions that will strengthen their own health and well-being.

The HEZ Indigenous Advisory Panel, which is comprised of Native people from across the state of Washington, has worked over the past year to shape this community-driven zone selection process. The panel reviewed 10 strong applications and selected a zone after two days of discussion and deliberation.

The HEZ Indigenous Advisory Panel released the following statement on the selection:

“We believe that the visionary work of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe has the potential to set a precedent here and across the country. We are excited to select a Tribe that is exercising their sovereignty and reclaiming connections to their homelands. This not only impacts relatives now, but also future generations as they assert their self-determination and self-governance.”

The announcement of the state’s first HEZ for Native communities follows an announcement in August 2023 of East Whatcom County as the state’s first HEZ for Rural communities, and South King County as the state’s first HEZ for Urban communities. For more information about the HEZ Initiative, please visit the HEZ WA Portal webpage or email the HEZ team at [email protected].

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