Sarah Rafton, MSW
Executive Director, WCAAP
WCAAP has come a long way in the past four years. We’ve achieved some outstanding legislative wins for kids and improved child health by supporting you in your practice. Our membership has grown to an all-time high of 1149, and we’ve become a 501c3to better reflect our mission and to allow us to seek funding to sustain our work. All this has been possible thanks to our dedicated staff and impressive member involvement. In 2019, over 25% of WCAAP members were active in the chapter, participating in action alerts, events, or committees.
As we look ahead, it is critical that we focus our efforts in order to be effective and to win government contracts and philanthropic grants to fulfill our mission to improve child health. Your member dues cover 20% of what is needed to fund our team at WCAAP. We are working tirelessly to bring funding to the organization and clear organizational priorities will help us garner the support we need.
Our work to improve child health is grounded in the gaps you witness every day for children. We gather your experiences and input several ways – through an annual survey, in-person listening sessions throughout the state, member involvement in WCAAP committees, and the leadership of our board, which intentionally represents diverse regions of our state. WCAAP board members are charged with understanding child health needs of their respective communities and staying in touch with pediatric providers in their regions.
In June and July, the WCAAP board met to set priorities, informed by WCAAP committees. The board considered the following criteria in setting priorities:
- Aligns with organizational mission
- Addresses critical gap in child health or well-being
- Promotes equity
- Builds on existing efforts or external momentum
- Is a funded project or initiative
- Is measurable
- Addresses a WCAAP member priority
- Supports systems building
- Allows the Chapter to play a role as convener or advocate
Through this process WCAAP identified four current priorities that will continue and three new priorities. We are motivated to be charting a course to make a measurable and meaningful improvements in the health of Washington children. Our new priorities are ambitious – but the right ones to harness statewide resources to impact kids’ well-being over their life course.
New Priorities for 2020-2021
- Establish a Pediatric Improvement Partnership
- Support Behavioral Health Integration in primary care
- Address Social Determinants of Health for children ages 0-3
Continuing Priorities for 2020-2021
- Legislative advocacy
- Ensure appropriate pediatric VBP (Value Based Payment)
- Increase vaccination rates via Quality Improvement
- Member giving, in-person listening sessions, member growth
Next week, at the annual WCAAP board retreat, we will dig deeper on these priorities and set specific goals for 2020-2021. We will share our progress in coming issues of Developments.
We need your involvement to be successful with our agenda:
• Continue to share your experiences with us
• Donate to WCAAP
• Join a WCAAP committee
• Promote WCAAP membership with your colleagues – ask us how!
I speak on behalf of all the staff at WCAAP in expressing our gratitude for your commitment to child health and your support of our mission. Thank you!