Washington Community Information Exchange (WA CIE)

Washington Community Information Exchange (WA CIE) Newsletter

May 13, 2026

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Building Momentum: How the WA CIE is Engaging with the Community

Community is the driving force behind the Washington Community Information Exchange (WA CIE) as it continues to build momentum. In just six months, hundreds of community members have shared their thoughts, feelings, and needs with the WA CIE team. As we embark on this statewide effort, our mission is to bridge systems of health and social care services in ways that are meaningful, logical, accessible, and ethical.

We are filled with gratitude to the service delivery partners reaching out to make their voices heard. We have engaged with social workers, first responders, transportation coordinators, rural health clinicians, peer support specialists, early childhood educators, pharmacists, housing directors, nurses, IT managers, and more. It’s evident that our partners across the state are committed to building a stronger support system together.

As WA CIE moves through numerous mileposts over the next few years, we will build on successes by continuing to open our minds to new ideas and lean into the stories and experiences of those setting the examples. And so, the journey continues, and we are rapidly picking up steam. Join us for the ride and continue to share your perspectives, your expertise, and your creative ideas! As we build the WA CIE together, we commit to demonstrating that the “co” in co-design stands for Community.

Community Engagement Activities

The WA CIE team is actively conducting:

1:1 meetings and presentations
You told us whose perspectives might be missing; we listened! In response, throughout this past month we spoke to community paramedicine and emergency medical services (EMS) leaders, hospital and community health associations, technology experts, and Washingtonians with lived experience. It has been a privilege to connect and re-connect with individuals and organizations who see themselves in the work.

Would you like to connect 1:1 or invite us to present or talk with your group? Submit your requests to wacie@comagine.org.
Key informant interviews
In just under two months, we conducted 31 interviews and heard perspectives from 56 people during the first round of key informant (KI) interviews. KIs are individuals with in-depth knowledge about a topic, sector or community — in this case, care coordination within Washington state. These conversations with KIs are helping to guide the requirements for the launch of our initial product and integrations. Thank you to all those who participated!

The first push for KI interviews has wrapped up. We expect to report results from the first round of KI interviews in June and resume conducting KI interviews in July. Stay tuned for more information!
Focus groups
In partnership with the Accountable Communities of Health (ACHs), we hosted six virtual focus groups that dug into the details of care coordination for:
Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs)
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Housing providers
Managed care organizations (MCOs)
Paramedicine and EMS
Youth and families and households

These six topics were selected due to the complexities in data sharing and care coordination. We believe that if we can build for these complexities first, we can build for anything later.

The next round of focus groups will pick back up in July and prioritize new topics including:

Justice-involved organizations
Immigrant and refugee service organizations
Domestic abuse and sexual assault service organizations

Do you have suggestions to add to this list? Send them our way! Reach out to wacie@comagine.org.

Community Engagement Opportunities

Public Input Box

The Public Input Box was created to offer a space where the community can provide feedback that will be seen and heard. So, let’s build together! The WA CIE team welcomes public input to inform current and future WA CIE activities. Send us a message through the Public Input Box to share your thoughts and ideas on what is happening, what is planned, and what you want to see.

Public Input Virtual Walk-In

May 28: Drop in any time between 11 a.m. and noon PT (no registration required)

Join a Public Input Virtual Walk-In every other month to brainstorm ideas for the WA CIE with team members, and to hear summaries of feedback from the Public Input Box. This is a dedicated space for casual conversation where you can connect with WA CIE team members without the hassle of coordinating schedules.

Bring a snack and save the dates:

July 23: noon-1 p.m.
August 20: noon-1 p.m.
October 15: noon-1 p.m.

Human-Centered Design Workshops

The journey to the initial launch of the WA CIE to improve coordination of health-related social needs through ACH Community Care Hubs (CCHs) continues with two human-centered design workshops.

These are collaborative, interactive, and creative sessions that bring partners together to brainstorm, problem-solve, and create solutions that benefit the people who will use the system. These workshops will prioritize key insights from KI interviews and focus groups, and will be the first opportunity for CCHs and social care network partners (organizations contracted with CCHs to provide community-based care coordination) to dream and draft what workflows and system operations could look like if the WA CIE could solve care coordinators’ pain points today.

Workshop A: Understanding Agency-to-Agency System Workflows with Community Care Hub Staff
Workshop B: Understanding Agency-to-Person Care Coordination Workflows with Community-Based Organizations

We’ll announce additional human-centered design workshop opportunities in June. Stay tuned for more information and join the waitlist if you are interested in a future workshop.

WA CIE Advisory Groups

To demonstrate our commitment to community co-design that will improve care coordination across health and social care sectors, we are building community engagement into the foundation of our activities. Co-designing the governance of the WA CIE is foundational to realize HCA’s vision for the WA CIE. So, to engage and build trust with community members early in the process, we have formed two advisory bodies made up of community partners to support the work of the WA CIE team. We chose to start with an interim governance structure to build a roadmap for generating awareness, interest, trust, and engagement.

WA CIE Interim Advisory Committee (IAC)

The IAC has been hard at work co-designing the WA CIE governance structure. March and April work included:

Providing feedback on newsletter content, key informant interview results, and community engagement efforts to support clear messaging and build enthusiasm for the WA CIE
Laying the groundwork for a permanent governance structure
Drafting mission and vision statements and brainstorming values that guide this work

In May, IAC members will refine these statements, begin to align around guiding principles, and do more co-design work on the governance structure in partnership with the Interim Data and Technical Advisory (IDATA) workgroup.

WA CIE Interim Data and Technical Advisory (IDATA) Workgroup

The IDATA workgroup has been providing input on the Concept of Operations document, which will provide the framework for an eventual request for proposals for the vendor solicitation process later this year. April work included:

Reviewing and working through three of the four main components in the operational needs section of the document:
Functional needs
Core technology capabilities
Performance needs

In May, IDATA members will begin working on privacy, security, and reliability considerations, and collaborate with IAC on guiding principles and governance structure design.

CIE Background

Community Information Exchange (CIE) is used in different places to mean different things. Below is what statewide CIE means and does not mean in the Washington state context.

We Want to Connect With You!

Let us know if you have questions, comments, or ideas for activities to engage with communities across Washington about the CIE. Please send us an email or send a message through the CIE Public Input Box.

Spread the word — share the sign-up link for this newsletter.

Additionally, the CIE team is available to speak to organizations, professional societies, community groups, and others about the CIE. Please send us an email to get started.