Washington is a national leader in supporting quality whole-person health for all of our residents: We recognize that social factors such as housing, education and employment impact our health, and we are working to build social determinants of health into our overall health system. We are integrating physical and behavioral health to treat the whole person. We have ensured that 95% of Washingtonians have health insurance.
In the Pacific Northwest, we have a critical mass of leading global health and technology problem-solvers. Nurses add to this momentum and the potential for rapid advancement with critical skills and perspectives. Time and again, nurses provide leadership grounded in evidence-based research and real-world practice. With that solid base comes an understanding of the questions we need to be asking and the hurdles standing in the way of health equity.
The UW School of Nursing, clinical partners and government agencies are seeding future successes by collaborating closely on educational opportunities, internships, research and clinical work.
In the pages that follow, you’ll see the many ways nurses intersect with and inform the advances happening all around us: evidence-based models of infant mental health, new technologies that support healthy aging, mobile health and telemedicine in rural parts of our state.
By capitalizing on nursing expertise, we have what it takes to meet the future of health care.
Jay Inslee, Governor
State of Washington
Azita Emami, Executive Dean
UW School of Nursing