Dear HealthierHere Family,  

Last month, we said farewell to six members of our Governing Board, all of whom were invaluable to the work that we’ve done to  advance whole person care in King County.  

These individuals brought dedication, expertise, and commitment to our organization's mission throughout their tenures on the board. In fact, three of them were instrumental in creating HealthierHere, and have been with us since the very beginning. Over the years, all six have helped to guide us through numerous challenges, spearheading changes that have had a lasting impact on our communities.

Betsy, Shelley, Jeff, Giselle, Ryan, and Jay, we’ll always be grateful for the diverse perspectives and insights you brought to our cross-sector table. Your contributions have inspired us all to strive for excellence, to lead with equity, and to always remain true to our values.

With gratitude,  

-John Kim, CEO, HealthierHere

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Our Outgoing Board Members:

• Betsy Lieberman*: member since May 2017, CBO/affordable public & supportive housing seat
• Shelley Cooper-Ashford*: member since May 2017, Community-based equity network/consumer seat
• Jeff Sakuma*: member since May 2017, City of Seattle seat
• Giselle Zapata-Garcia: member since May 2018, CBO/Social Determinants of Health Seat
• Ryan Gilbert: member since May 2023, Urban Indian Health Board seat
• Jay Fathi: member since January 2023, Managed Care Organization seat

*Also part of the Board's precursor body, the Interim Leadership Council. These individuals were involved in the creation of HealthierHere.

Hopes for the Future at HealthierHere:  

When asked “what’s next?” for our nonprofit, two departing members shared their hopes for the future at HealthierHere. Jay Fathi expressed hope that HealthierHere continue its efforts of cross sector collaboration, particularly when working to expand the Community Hub under MTP 2.0: “As HealthierHere continues to prepare for the expansion of HUB services under the MTP 2.0, I am hopeful that the organization will continue to engage a broad array of network partners (community, clinical, managed care and others) to maximize support to the community while minimizing unnecessary duplication of resources.”

Jeff Sakuma echoed Jays thoughts and further emphasized the importance of working at a systems level to address health disparities: “By focusing on those with the greatest health disparities and challenges to getting the care they need, HealthierHere can change how health care is delivered and coordinated for everyone. I also believe that HealthierHere can assist in changing how we, as a community, define and measure health and wellness. This means getting beyond the standard HEDIS measures and pushing for the development of systems and processes that get to the overall way in which our residents have access to the many ways to improve their sense of happiness and physical well-being.”

Here's to the bright future ahead. Thank you from all of us at HealthierHere!  

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