The Community Health Partnership originated in 1996 as an outgrowth of the Public Health Improvement Plan (PHIP) adopted by the State of Washington in 1994.  The PHIP encouraged communities to form partnerships to address community health priorities based on data specific to their community.  

The CHP became the Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities when we became an independent non-profit organization in 2001. Whatcom County Health Department and St. Joseph Hospital have jointly funded this effort since its inception.  Since those early beginnings, the Coalition has evolved and gained additional sponsorship from the Whatcom Community Foundation and the United Way of Whatcom County and has undertaken a variety of projects.  Most recently the City of Bellingham has become an organizational sponsor.

One of the main tenets of the Coalition is that community health is more than just individual health. Our definition of health includes issues such as safety, education, the environment, economy, as well as access to health care and promotion of healthier lifestyles. Working with neighborhoods, communities and local governments, the Whatcom Coalition has always sought to strengthen connections across the county and throughout our systems of service.

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