CONTENT EXPIRES: December 31, 2025

In 2016, King County distributed an Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) strategic plan to take action on deep and persistent inequities in the community. One focus was on design/construction projects led by King County, specifically a $1.74B bond program. Recently, these purposeful requirements have benefited projects at Harborview Medical Center – a public Level 1 trauma center serving the most vulnerable and diverse populations in the County and four neighboring states. By engaging a diverse team on their design and construction projects, a synergy is created with the patients being served. Through shared values and meaningful actions, King County's ESJ goals have brought forward: 1) Inclusive and collaborative projects and working relationships, 2) Diverse and people-focused projects, 3) Transparent and accountable actions, 4) Racially just programs. During the procurement of the recent Harborview PDB partners, each team was asked to explain their approach to ESJ during design and construction. The teams discussed various MWBE goals, solicitation and engagement strategies, continuous outreach, tracking and monitoring of their plan, training and accommodations, mentoring and determinants of success. With the new Harborview Tower in the planning stage, the team is building a workforce that will have expertise in healthcare construction for future work.