As part of Washington’s Lean and continuous improvement initiative, Results Washington hosts an annual statewide Washington State Government Lean Transformation Conference, which convenes and provides free training to thousands of attendees from state and local governments and other entities. The 2020 and 2021 conferences were held virtually, allowing Results Washington to reach more attendees than ever. The 2021 conference focused on providing concrete tools and methods that participants could readily apply, learning that works in hybrid and remote environments and resources that support Washington’s commitment to furthering equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted innovations at the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) that increased safety for residents and worked to reduce inequities, including:
- WA Notify, a new tool working through smartphones to alert users if they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Over 1.9 million Washington residents have registered on the app.
- Sara Alerts, a new tool that automates public health notifications and reporting for people who have been exposed to or diagnosed with COVID-19. This tool, combined with calls from investigators, has allowed DOH to reach out to over 500 cases a week.
- Vaccine Locator, a new tool that allows the public to find providers who have current vaccine appointments. Currently, over 1.4 million Washington residents are registered.
- COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation Collaborative, launched in February 2021, helps implement effective and equitable vaccine access that center the voices of people and communities most impacted by COVID-19.