PHIP Background

The Public Health Improvement Plan is required by RCW 43.70.520 and 43.70.580. A specific PHIP – the “Plan” – is published every two years, as required by these laws. The Plan is written through a Partnership among public health leaders in Washington, so PHIP is frequently referred to as the “Partnership.”

The Public Health Improvement Plan Partnership works to guide the development of Washington’s public health system, based on a shared vision of the public health system we would like to bring about.

What does PHIP “Do”?

We believe an improved public health system makes a difference in the health of communities. The PHIP Partnership helps us set and accomplish goals that none of us could do alone. By working toward a shared vision, we have the opportunity to create the type of public health system we want for the future. By doing the work through committees, we can share the workload and ensure that many people’s perspectives are incorporated.

In recent years, this Partnership has produced the Public Health Improvement Plan (PHIP), the Report Card for Health, a workforce survey called Everybody Counts, white papers on public health financing, documents on health care access issues, a toolkit for communicating about public health, and Standards for Public Health in Washington State.