“Small Office, Big Commitments” 

Washington State comprises a wide range of racial and ethnic populations. These populations include the agrarian eastern Washington’s large Hispanic population, the Native American populations located in northeast, northwest, and south-central portions of the state, a substantial urban immigrant population, and the historically redlined, Black neighborhoods of Western Washington. About 1 in 7 WA residents is an immigrant, 15% of the state’s population. From 25% up to 57% of students in certain eastern and western rural counties speak Spanish as their primary language, whereas in the more densely populated western region over 33 primary languages are spoken. Western Washington has a substantial immigrant population of 23.1% foreign-born residents compared to 14.3% for the state. Of the 27 geographical primary care health professional shortage areas in the state, 16 are designated as rural or partially rural, and 9.9% of the state’s population is served in rural counties. Race/ethnicity, immigration status, limited English proficiency, and rurality can all be used to characterize underrepresented groups whose work in medically underserved areas creates greater concordance in patient-provider relationships resulting in higher patient satisfaction and improved patient outcomes. WIHSE seeks to address these disparities in the representation of healthcare providers through the below-outlined programs.