Tireless Advocates for Health

Regardless of insurance or income, health care needs never rest.

At the Washington Association for Community Health (WACH), three alumni – Kristina Alnajjar (’07), Patrick Jones (’20) and Kate Cherrington (’04) – are helping strengthen one of the state’s most essential health care networks. Their organization represents 28 community health systems operating more than 400 clinics statewide, all committed to caring for patients regardless of insurance status, income or circumstance.

“We really consider ourselves the last primary care safety net,” says Jones, communications and marketing manager. “We are here to help the health centers accomplish their mission as best as possible.”

As chief operating officer, Alnajjar brings a lifelong commitment to service shaped by her family and her years immersed in community engagement programs. After earning her business degree at Gonzaga, she spent time in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and later pursued public health.

“Health care is only about 10 percent of someone’s overall health,” she says, explaining the importance of their work. “Community health centers touch so many of the other factors – behavioral health, nutrition, mobility, aging. They’re part of the whole ecosystem that helps people thrive.” Her role focuses on protecting funding, supporting clinics through shifting policy landscapes and ensuring centers can keep their doors open to those who need them most.

Jones grew up around health care – his mother worked in a hospital for decades. He knew he wanted to work in the field, but with a communications degree, he also knew he’d be searching for a less traditional role. What he discovered was how powerful clear, accessible messaging can be in a complex policy environment.

For Communications and Engagement Specialist Kate Cherrington, her time at Gonzaga solidified a call to work in the nonprofit sector. What keeps her rooted in community health is the human component and seeing the impact it has even on her own circle.

“Having kids made it even more real,” she says. “Knowing that some of their classmates and their families rely on community health centers reminds me why this work matters.” She finds purpose in elevating stories from clinics across the state and helping communities understand the value of accessible care.

All three agree this is a challenging time to be in their line of work. With constant changes to federal policy, future and current funding remain unstable. But the need for care is constant, so the work of the WACH – and its partner foundations in Spokane, CHAS and The Native Project – stays rooted in its mission.

“Ensuring no clinics have to close, services don’t need to be canceled and staff don’t have to be laid off,” Jones says. “That’s what we’re focused on.”