The Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) program is aimed at improving health equity and the health of youth, families and communities in South King County. A grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes it possible for Seattle Children’s, Public Health Seattle & King County, and the Healthy King County Coalition, together with communities, to make improvements in health that will last long beyond the three-year grant.
Through small grants, technical assistance and collaboration at the community level, the program involves more than 29 different local initiatives promoting healthy and affordable food systems, physically active communities, and tobacco use cessation. Results include a golf course turned into a farm for food banks, evidence-based physical education built into alternative high schools and training for diverse child care providers on healthy eating and active living. More about the program and the collaborations can be found on the King County website. (Mary Kay Clunies-Ross)
