About Washington Wellness

In January 2006, Governor Gregoire directed Steve Hill, Health Care Authority Administrator, and Mary Selecky, Secretary of Health, to launch Washington Wellness, a statewide wellness initiative to improve the health of Washington State employees, retirees, and their family members. To carry out this ambitious directive, Washington Wellness was fully staffed in January 2007 and resides within the Health Care Authority. Wellness coordinators have been designated by state agencies and higher education institutions to implement wellness activities in their own organizations.

The long-term outcomes for Washington Wellness are:

• measurable reduction in health risks
• measurable increase in productivity
• positive impact on medical costs
• positive return on investment

To achieve these long-term outcomes, Washington Wellness has been tasked with addressing these behavior change goals:

• completion of health risk assessments
• increased physical activity
• improved food selection
• increased completion of preventive care measures (including PAPs, mammograms, colonoscopies, and flu shots)
• reduced tobacco use

Washington Wellness is supported by two advisory committees: The Health and Productivity Committee and the Wellness Coordinator Advisory Committee. The Health and Productivity Committee is led by the Secretary of Health and the Health Care Authority Administrator with Governor appointees from cabinet level agencies, a union representative, and outside expertise. They provide guidance from the senior leadership perspective. The Wellness Coordinator Advisory Committee consists of wellness coordinators representing a variety of agencies and higher education institutions. This group advises Washington Wellness staff on projects that are carried out by wellness coordinators.

Governor's Directive to Create Washington Wellness Works

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Contact

For specific information on what your Washington State agency is doing, contact your Wellness Coordinator directly. If you do not know who the Wellness Coordinator for your Washington State agency or higher education institution is, please contact your HR department. For general inquiries, or if your HR department does not know who the Wellness Coordinator is, please call us at (360) 923-2730 or email us directly.

Scott Pritchard Program Director (360) 923-2752	Kathleen Clark Program Specialist (360) 923-2751	Sara Eve Sarliker Program Specialist (360) 923-2747	Shyloh Wideman Technology Project Manager (360) 923-2873	Amelia Holl Administrative Assistant (360) 923-2729

Terms of Use

The contents of the Washington Wellness site are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Additionally, the contents of the Washington Wellness site are not intended to be a substitute for professional legal advice. Information provided on this site may not be applicable to all Washington state agencies or employees. This site does not attempt to interpret or apply the policies of specific agencies. You should seek advice from your own agency for specific limitations on applying information gathered from this site.

Washington Wellness does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the site. Reliance upon any information provided by Washington Wellness, Washington Wellness employees, others appearing on this website at the invitation of Washington Wellness, or other visitors to the site is solely at your own risk.