Power of Providers (POP) Initiative

Last updated June 25, 2026

Power of Providers (POP) Horizontal Logo - DOH.wa.gov/POP

Welcome Health Care Professionals!

Thank you for joining us and thousands of other health care professionals across the state. We recognize that you are trusted messengers in your communities and are proud to be your partner in building a Washington where all people have access to care and accurate health information.

The POP program will be closing July 2026; however, our websites will remain up to continue to provide resources for you. You can check out our other pages here:

Let us know what you’d like to see on the pages in the future.

New POP Webinar Recordings

Recording links are now available for 2 recent POP webinars. We hope you will take a moment to watch and share them with your colleagues.

A New Era of Measles in the US and Steps We Can Take to Prevent Sustained Measles Transmission in Washington
Dr. Eric Chow

The U.S. has seen several large measles outbreaks happening sequentially across the country leading to substantial numbers of measles cases, health complications, and deaths. While our measles elimination status is under threat, there are steps we can take to ensure high rates of vaccination to keep our communities safe from sustained transmission.

This presentation from Dr. Eric Chow explores the personal, clinical, and public health actions we can take to mitigate the risk of measles.

Eric J. Chow is the Chief of Communicable Disease Epidemiology and Immunization for Public Health – Seattle & King County and is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington.

Visit POP’s Long COVID Resources for Providers webpage to view previously recorded webinars from Dr. Chow.

AI in Health Care Settings: Navigating Safety, Equity, and Accountability
Lucy Orr-Ewing

This webinar equips health care professionals with practical tools to evaluate AI safety, determine when and how to use AI in clinical settings, and make confident decisions about incorporating these tools into their practice. Participants will learn how to assess AI tools for safety and effectiveness using established best practices, understand the importance of human oversight and accountability in clinical workflows, and explore what responsible AI use looks like in health care settings. Participants will get real strategies for reducing bias and ensuring AI tools work equitably and transparently for every patient.

Lucy Orr-Ewing leads Policy, Strategy and Research for the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) and is part of the founding leadership team. She leads CHAI’s Policy Workgroup of over 100 of the nation’s experts who convene to shape federal and state Health AI policy landscapes.

Provider Spotlight: Finding Her Way to Correctional Nursing

Carolyn Clark

Before becoming a nurse, Carolyn Clark considered careers in veterinary medicine, politics, sociology, and social work. A career at the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle wasn't part of the plan. But after a 2-hour conversation in a friend's driveway, meeting a nurse recruiter at a job fair, and navigating a lengthy hiring process, she found herself stepping into a world she knew little about. More than twelve years later, she remains passionate about caring for 1 of the region's most misunderstood populations.

Reflecting on her journey, Carolyn sees how her earlier interests ultimately led her to where she is today.

"What's interesting is that my work today involves a lot of social work. Nursing isn't just bedside care. You're working with people, helping them navigate difficult situations, and addressing barriers in their lives. In many ways, nursing and social work overlap."

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Why Corrections?

Carolyn's interest in correctional nursing was rooted in a lifelong commitment to social justice and advocacy.

"I've always been a very big social justice person. Even before I became a correctional nurse, I was interested in things like the Innocence Project."

What began as curiosity quickly became a calling. While she initially worried she would be working alone in a challenging environment, she discovered a collaborative health care system that includes medical, dental, mental health, and specialty care.

For Carolyn, correctional nursing is about providing compassionate care to individuals who are often misunderstood, marginalized, and overlooked. And that is what keeps her there. "People inside the jail are just like people outside the jail. My job is not to judge why someone is incarcerated. My job is to care for them."

Thoughts on Equity

Working in a correctional setting provides a unique perspective on health equity and the social determinants that influence health outcomes.

"One of the most visible issues is racial inequity. Seattle is predominantly white, but the jail population is not. That reality reflects much larger social determinants of health and systemic inequities that extend far beyond the walls of the jail."

Carolyn also sees barriers faced by people experiencing mental illness, substance use disorders, language barriers, and limited literacy. While systems exist to help connect people to services, she acknowledges that some individuals face significant challenges navigating care. Despite those challenges, she believes progress is being made through improved processes and a growing awareness of equity issues within correctional health care.

Building Trust

Many of the individuals Carolyn serves enter the correctional system carrying experiences that make trust difficult. Historically marginalized communities don’t automatically trust you simply because you are a nurse.

One of the most important things for her to build trust is to do what you say you are going to do. “If you don't think you can do something 100 percent, say, 'I'll try.' You have to follow through but not make any promises."

She believes consistency, honesty, and respect are essential to building meaningful relationships with patients.

Carolyn has witnessed firsthand how treating people with dignity can make a difference. For some individuals, incarceration is the first time they have experienced stable housing, regular meals, or consistent health care in years.

"I've heard people say, 'Coming in here saved my life.’”

"We don't need to be part of the problem. They already beat themselves up enough. We don't need to help them do that."

Challenges Facing Health Care

Like many health care professionals, Carolyn sees workforce shortages and burnout as major concerns. It has been a theme echoed throughout the health care profession.

"I think the biggest thing is the shortage of people working at 1 given time."

She points to staffing shortages, safety concerns, compensation challenges, and the emotional toll of health care work as factors contributing to burnout across the profession.

While correctional nursing offers a unique environment, she believes the broader health care system faces many of the same challenges.

Early Career Lessons

Looking back on her own journey into nursing, Carolyn wishes there had been greater emphasis on mentorship and recognizing the strengths people bring with them.

"I think focusing more on what people know instead of what they don't know would be lovely."

As a non-traditional nursing student entering the profession later in life, she brought decades of life experience that she sometimes felt were overlooked.

She also believes health care organizations should extend the same compassion to employees that they expect employees to show patients.

"I wish health care organizations had a little more care and compassion for their employees the same way they expect us to have for our patients."

Hope for the Future

Despite the challenges, Carolyn remains optimistic about the future of health care.

One source of hope is the growing recognition that opioid use disorder is a disease rather than a moral failing. As the science is emerging about this disease and shedding light on the bigger picture, she is hopeful for the people she takes care of.

"The compassion side and the science side are meeting, and that's awesome."

She also sees promise in scientific innovation and emerging technologies that may help solve complex health challenges more quickly.

Above all, Carolyn believes meaningful change begins with how people treat 1 another.

Reflecting on her career and the patients she serves, she returns to a simple lesson:

"At the end of the day, a lot of kindness goes a long way."

Washington Updates, Highlights and Information

Vaccines
Highlights
  • Youth-serving medical and behavioral health providers and professionals are invited to join the DOH Youth Friendly Care Network. The network is a statewide initiative for providers and professionals who want to deepen their understanding of youth-friendly care principles and establish or enhance youth-friendly care in their practice. To learn more or express interest, visit: Youth Friendly Care Network | Healthier Washington Collaboration Portal.
Additional Information

News

In the News

Events

Upcoming Events

Resources

The Power of Providers initiative offers peer-to-peer webinars on a variety of topics, including Long COVID, behavioral health support for health care workers, vaccine hesitancy, and more. Vaccine topics are on this page in the Training Videos and Webinar Recordings section below.

Please go to the following pages for these specific topics:

Free Printed Patient Materials: Available Until June 30

Health care providers in Washington can access the POP Shop and order free materials in multiple languages to promote vaccination against COVID-19 and other illnesses. The POP Shop allows you and your staff to order posters, stickers, informational brochures and flyers, discussion guides, and much more. Place your order for free patient education materials.

Get step-by-step instructions (PDF) for ordering here.

Resources to Share with Patients

General Public

Available Services and Service Locators

Toolkits and Social Media Resources

Posters and Handouts

Websites

Pregnant People, Children, and Youth

Online Resources​​​

Posters and Handouts

People With Special Needs

Resources for Providers and Staff

Communication Resources

General Public

Toolkits and Social Media Resources

Discussion Guides

Other Health Communication Resources

Children and Youth

Training Videos and Webinar Recordings

Continuing Education Credits and Non-Credit Training Options

Continuing Education Credits Available

Non-Credit Training Options

Other Information

Equity Resources
Resources for Stress and Burnout

Please email questions to powerofproviders@doh.wa.gov.