Key Dates for 2026

Application Opens
February 6, 2026

Application Deadline
June 1, 2026

Award Announcement
September 1, 2026

Award Presentation at NW Patient Safety Conference
October, 2026

Application Information

How to apply for the award

1. Click on Application Form button above.
2. Download and complete the form.
3. Email completed form to: WPSC@QUALITYHEALTH.ORG. Subject: HE:IPS Award Application.

Application instructions

1. Please omit any Protected Health Information.
2. Limit to one application per facility, per award cycle.

The HE:IPSA winner will receive 5 complementary registrations to WPSC’s NW Patient Safety Conference in October to officially receive the Award.

Equitable Opportunities For All

• The WPSC is committed to ensuring a climate of inclusion for all member entities. We recognize that organizations have varying resources and may be in different parts of the journey towards health equity. In light of this, we recognize that information supplied may vary in detail from one member to another.
• Applicants are encouraged to share exciting, creative approaches to goals that they are progressing towards and/or have achieved, as well as learnings from the process.

Award Application 

• Applicants must submit information on their health equity efforts against the backdrop of WPSC’s Innovation in Patient Safety Standards, which is comprised of 7 Health Equity Commitments.
• Innovation: This is a key Health Equity Commitment pillar that highlights how the organization is implementing innovative solutions to address disparities and advance health equity.
• Please limit your response for each Health Equity Commitment question to 600 words.

Prior Award Winners

• If your health system has won a Health Equity: Innovation in Patient Safety Award in the past, we kindly request that you wait two (2) years before applying again.

Factors to Consider

1. Tell us about the measurable impact that your health equity work has made in your healthcare system and in the communities you serve. The Review Committee values applications that include metrics, methodologies and evidence of the resulting improved outcomes for patients.
2. Describe how health equity is an integral part of the organization’s operations strategy and plans.
3. Give us a clear picture of your approach to addressing health disparities. How is what you are doing different?

Supplemental materials

• Applicants are encouraged to submit additional materials such as dashboards and scorecards.
• Supporting documents must not exceed a total of 14 pages.
• All supplemental materials must be uploaded, together with your electronic application form, by the submission deadline.

Health Equity:
A state in which every individual has a fair & just opportunity to attain their full potential for health & well-being. It is where socially unfair & unjust health disparities do not exist.

Patient Safety (WHO):
A framework of organized activities that creates cultures, processes, procedures, behaviors, technologies & environments in health care that consistently & sustainably lower risks, reduce the occurrence of avoidable harm, make error less likely & reduce its impact when it does occur.

Innovation in Patient Safety Standards

The WPSC HE:IPSA is awarded based on our Innovation in Patient Safety Standards, comprised of 7 Health Equity Commitments:

Pillar 1: Patient Safety
Pillar 2: Equitable & Inclusive Organizational Policy
Pillar 3: Culturally Competent Care
Pillar 4: Shared Decision Making
Pillar 5: Collection & Use of Data
Pillar 6: Community Collaboration for Solutions
Pillar 7: Innovation

Note:

Patient safety & innovation are the award’s overarching pillars.

All submissions will be evaluated through a patient safety lens. We will be looking for exemplary performance in innovation.

Award Presentation

• The winner will receive recognition through WPSC’s website and patient safety newsletters.
• The HE:IPS Award will be presented in a formal award ceremony at the annual NW Patient Safety Conference in October.
• The HE:IPSA winner will receive 5 free registrations to the conference. The winner organization may also, in coordination with the WPSC, arrange for an onsite award ceremony.

Award Honorees

The 2026 Health Equity: Innovation in Patient Safety Award Winner is:

Community Health Plan of Washington

The Washington Patient Safety Coalition (WPSC) is thrilled to announce the 2026 winner of our Health Equity: Innovation in Patient Safety (HE:IPS) Award: Community Health Plan of Washington.

Applicants this year demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to advancing health equity and improving patient safety for the communities they serve. We thank all applicants for their dedication and innovative work.

Our 2026 Winner, Community Health Plan of Washington (CHPW), stood out for its comprehensive, system-wide approach to treating health disparities as preventable patient safety risks. Through a combination of data-driven decision making, community partnerships, culturally responsive care, and innovative funding strategies, CHPW has embedded health equity into the core of its organizational strategy and patient safety efforts.

At the center of CHPW’s work is its Health Disparities Report (HDR) Campaign, an enterprise-wide initiative that identifies disparities across priority health measures and translates those findings into measurable improvement efforts. Rather than treating health equity as a standalone initiative, CHPW uses standardized data stratified by race, ethnicity, language, and geography to identify inequities, prioritize interventions, and hold itself accountable for reducing disparities that contribute to preventable harm and poorer health outcomes.

Innovativeness sets our winner apart. The following highlights showcase several of CHPW’s unique approaches to advancing health equity and patient safety.

Health Disparities Report (HDR) Campaign

CHPW’s HDR Campaign transforms transparency into action by identifying health disparities and converting those findings into organization-wide strategies, accountability structures, and funded improvement initiatives. The report serves as an ongoing roadmap for reducing inequities in preventive care, chronic disease management, behavioral health, maternal health, and other priority areas while ensuring health equity remains embedded in patient safety efforts across the organization.

Community Transformation Incentive (CTI)

A standout innovation is CHPW’s Community Transformation Incentive (CTI) program. Through CTI, participating community health centers receive funding, technical assistance, peer-learning opportunities, and accountability measures to reduce health disparities affecting their patient populations. In 2026, participating health centers receive upfront capacity-building funds with additional incentive payments tied directly to demonstrated disparity reduction. This innovative model aligns resources, accountability, and community-driven solutions to accelerate measurable improvements in health outcomes. In 2025, all 19 participating community health centers demonstrated improvement in their selected health outcome measures.

Regional Care Teams

CHPW’s Regional Care Teams (RCTs) bring health equity work directly into local communities. These teams analyze regional drivers of disparities and work alongside providers, community organizations, and residents to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate solutions tailored to local needs. By addressing barriers such as transportation, language access, digital connectivity, and care coordination, RCTs help ensure safer and more equitable care experiences for members across Washington State.

Community-Driven Solutions

Community partnership is foundational to CHPW’s approach. Through Member Advisory Councils, Community Advisory Councils, community health workers, community-based organizations, and regional partnerships, CHPW actively incorporates community voice into program design, outreach strategies, and quality improvement efforts. This collaborative model helps ensure solutions reflect the lived experiences, needs, and priorities of the populations most affected by health disparities.

Advancing Equity Through Culturally Responsive Care

CHPW supports meaningful access to quality care through robust language access services, culturally responsive communications, provider training, and targeted interventions designed to address barriers experienced by diverse populations. Programs such as the Diabetes Disparities Performance Improvement Project combine culturally tailored education, community partnerships, and clinical support to improve outcomes while reducing inequities in chronic disease management.

Community Health Plan of Washington will receive a crystal plaque from the Coalition as well as recognition on the WPSC Health Equity: Innovation in Patient Safety Award web site. The HE:IPS Award includes five (5) free registrations to WPSC’s much-anticipated INSERT LINK TO REGISTER.

Join us in honoring and congratulating our 2026 HE:IPS Award winner!

The 2025 Health Equity: Innovation in Patient Safety Award Winner is:

Wellpoint Washington

Congratulations!

Applicants for this inaugural year demonstrated exemplary commitment to ensuring that their patients have a fair and just opportunity to attain health & well-being. We thank them for their submissions and for their important work.

Our 2025 Winner – Wellpoint Washington, stood out. Patient safety is clearly a priority for this organization. Equity and inclusiveness are embedded in their policies. Their health plan ensures all members have meaningful access to quality care through culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Patients and their families are empowered through shared decision-making and a focus on the individual patient’s experience. Their health equity strategy employs data to demonstrably improve health outcomes.

Wellpoint Washington was awarded the NCQA Health Equity Base and Plus Accreditation. The latter primarily focuses on social needs. Through community partnerships, identified needs such as Substance Use Disorder, Housing Instability, Financial Insecurity, Food and Transportation Insecurity are addressed. The only managed care organization in Washington with this distinction, this achievement showcases their commitment to patient safety through collaboration with partners to enhance Washingtonians’ health by assessing key social health drivers statewide.

Innovativeness set our winner apart. The following highlight some of the creative solutions implemented to target specific health disparities as a way to elevate patient safety.

New Continuum in Care:

Pioneering OB Case Management custom, referral system developed in collaboration with Sea Mar of Vancouver, a federally qualified health center, to address a gap in treatment for their members. This customized system targeted specific communities to better serve their clinical needs for maternity, family, and individual care.

Health Equity Task Force (HETF):

Health disparities addressed to elevate patient safety and empower members through inclusive dialogue with their one-of-a-kind Health Equity Task Force (HETF).

Associates, community members, individuals, partners, and non-partners participate engage in regular, candid discussions to mitigate health disparities, focused on the most ostracized communities.

Tribal Commitment:

Unique partnership with Tribal and AI/AN communities. While Washington does not require Tribal members to contract with their organization, a dedicated Tribal Operations Team was formed to provide them with optimal engagement and care within the 29 federally recognized counties.

This respectful and culturally sensitive approach improves understanding of tribal needs, decreases complaints, enhances collaboration, builds trust and strengthens their relationships.

Join us in honoring and congratulating our 2025 HE:IPS Award winner!

Award Finalist

Confluence Health

Congratulations!

Frequently Asked Questions