Across the state, Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs) are working tirelessly to advance health equity within their communities. As 2024 comes to a close, we invite you to take a moment to reflect on the many successes from this year. Here are just a few illustrations of equity wins with contributions from our LHJ partners in the Counties of Shasta, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Sutter, Calaveras, and Riverside.
Shasta County Community Organizer Reporting Dashboard
Shasta County’s Equity Unit, to track and visualize community-driven equity initiatives, developed a ‘Community Organizer Reporting Dashboard’ using Microsoft Lists to help their community organizers align their work with a larger public health framework. For those unfamiliar, community organizing involves mobilizing individuals and groups to take collective action toward solving community issues, often with a focus on social change and equity. The dashboard shares their work through the lens of the "7 Vital Conditions" while providing continuous improvement by reporting on effort spent on projects and where it falls stream of public health impact.
The dashboard includes resources for tracking ongoing projects, key milestones, and outcomes related to each of the 7 Vital Conditions, such as access to healthcare, economic stability, and community engagement. It allows organizers to input data and monitor progress in real time, fostering transparency and accountability. Staff response has been overwhelmingly positive, as the tool helps them see and quantify the impact of their work within the larger public health context. This is especially valuable in community-driven equity work, where measuring outcomes can be challenging. By providing a clear, data-driven narrative of their efforts, the dashboard empowers organizers to advocate for resources and demonstrate the effectiveness of their work to stakeholders and the wider community.
Los Angeles County Community Health Equity Improvement Plan 2024-2029
The 2024-2029 Community Health Equity Improvement Plan (CHEIP) for Los Angeles County is a plan between the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) and a diverse network of stakeholders and subject matter experts that partner with the Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Division, Division of HIV and STD Programs, Office of Environmental Justice and Climate Health, and Office of Violence Prevention. This network included community-based organizations, clinics, health plans, academic institutions, and other government entities to review current data, explore root causes, and identify strategies, activities, and performance measures that would make a collective impact on some of the most pressing public health issues in Los Angeles (LA) County:
- Black/African American Infant and Maternal Mortality
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Congenital Syphilis
- Violence Prevention
- Environmental Justice
The strategies are organized according to four Equity Priorities: useful and inclusive data, policy and systems change, building partnerships, and organizational readiness & capacity.
Public Health relied on its Center for Health Equity and Office of Planning, Engagement, and Integration to support the development of the CHIEP. A dedicated team was critical to successfully working with busy program teams and consolidating massive amounts of information. They will continue to support implementation and dissemination.
Santa Clara County Efforts to Advance Racial and Health Equity Infrastructure
In 2023, the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department began rebuilding its Racial and Health Equity (RHE) infrastructure post-pandemic. This included the integration of the Department of Environmental Health, which expanded the department's staff from 500 to over 700.
During this time, the department launched the 2023-2026 strategic plan and has since transitioned to the implementation of the Racial and Health Equity priority area of the plan, launching combined Racial and Health Equity and Workforce Development action teams. The idea to combine action teams was to reduce the overburdening of the same staff and to better align efforts.
Through the action teams, the department is operationalizing three key objectives with corresponding activities: re-establishing the RHE infrastructure, increasing partnerships and collaborations within the public health department, and investing in building the department's capacity to advance racial and health equity.
In the new year, the department will continue to offer Racial and Health Equity trainings aimed at providing staff with a shared understanding, language, and framework to advance Racial and Health Equity within government systems. These trainings are designed to equip staff with skills and strategies that can be integrated into their work.
Sutter County Celebrates Community Diversity
Sutter County is well-known for its agriculture but even more impressive is the rich diversity of the residents who make it their home. Sutter County Public Health (SCPH) embraced this wonderful aspect of the area and began the Cultural Health and Wellness Celebration in 2023 during National Public Health Week. The event was more than a typical health fair and featured cultural performances from the Hmong and Punjabi community, culturally significant resources that increased access to care, and displays featuring artifacts from several of the different ethnicities and cultures within the area. The event was so popular that both the community and vendors who participated asked that Public Health bring it back the following year. For the 2024 Cultural Health and Wellness Celebration during Public Health Week, SCPH added a fashion show that highlighted traditional Hmong and Punjabi dress, a talk on the importance of mental health, and a presentation on diabetes management, a chronic disease that impacts those experiencing health disparities at a higher rate than the rest of the population. Partners returned with more resources and greater cultural representation than the year before and once again, the community shared their appreciation for the event, feeling seen and heard by their local health department.
Calaveras County 2024 Health Equity Summit
The 2024 Calaveras Health Equity Summit, held at The Golf Club at Copper Valley, was a resounding success, drawing a strong turnout of community members with over 100 guests from 30 organizations attending. Notable guests included Eugene Hamilton and the California Valley Miwok Tribal Council. One of the key themes of this year’s summit was equity, with discussions covering the history of health in Calaveras County, the impact of inequality on local youth, and resources that can help improve health equity in the region.
A highlight of the summit was a presentation by Emily DeNigris and Eli Wellman, which focused on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the important role of the Calaveras Youth Advisory Board. This board, part of the Calaveras County Office of Education, provides a platform for historically underserved youth to share their experiences and opinions on issues like foster care, housing insecurity, mentoring, and education. "The intent and purpose of the Calaveras Youth Advisory Board is to give youth a voice in addressing the unique challenges they face, such as access to education, safe housing, and support services," said the presenters.
ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences, include a range of stressful or traumatic events that can negatively affect a child's development, leading to long-term impacts on health and well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ACEs can include experiences like trauma, mental health challenges, risky behaviors, and lack of access to opportunities such as quality education and stable income. To mitigate the effects of ACEs, the presenters discussed Protective Factors, or solutions that can help buffer children from the harmful effects of trauma. These include fostering parental connectedness, ensuring school and neighborhood safety, and raising awareness of local health services. However, several of these protective solutions are underfunded in Calaveras County, including affordable childcare, pre-kindergarten programs, access to medical and mental health care, exposure to positive role models, and reliable transportation.
In addition to the ACEs-focused presentation, other summit sessions included a deep dive into the history of Calaveras County, led by Emma Hampton and Zie Harman from the Calaveras Historical Society, and a session from Antoinette Del Rio and Anthony Wilson of the California Valley Miwok Tribal Council, offering unique perspectives on local history and its ongoing relevance to health equity.
Riverside County Adopts CHW/Promotor as a County Position
The County of Riverside Community Health Worker (CHW)/Promotor I/II serves as a vital link between the public and available health services within the County of Riverside to promote health among individuals, families, and groups including those who lack access to adequate care; works closely with a designated interdisciplinary team to ensure high-quality and continuous care is accessible to all program participants. A more detailed description can be found here.
The process of adopting the CHW/Promotor as a County position started with the County’s Class & Compensation Division. They assisted with writing the job description and determining the compensation rate. Once the process was finalized, it was submitted to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and was approved. The entire process from start to finish took eight months and recruitment started within the subsequent weeks.
The role of the CHW/Promotor is important to Riverside County Public Health because they play a vital role by bridging gaps between underserved populations and healthcare systems. They are trusted members of their communities with lived experience, allowing them to build strong relationships and foster trust thus promoting health equity in Riverside County.
The TA Team extends our deepest gratitude to all 61 LHJs for your extraordinary dedication and impactful contributions to advancing equity throughout communities across California. We are honored to support and learn from each of you. Congratulations on all that you’ve achieved – we look forward to continuing our partnership and working together in 2025 and beyond!
December Observances & Awareness
December is a month filled with a variety of observances and awareness campaigns that invite reflection, celebration, and action. It's a time when many people participate in holiday traditions, but it's also an important month for raising awareness about different social causes. You can learn more about some of the observances & awareness campaigns happening this month by clicking the linked resources below.
Latest News & Program Reminders
Dec 10th, 2024
Equity TA Office Hours: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Institutional Review Board’s Health Equity Initiative
Office Hours will be held on Microsoft Teams from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. Join the Meeting.
The Equity Technical Assistance (TA) Team will be hosting an Office Hour on Tuesday, December 10th from 12:30 to 1:30 PM. During this month’s office hour, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Office of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) will provide an overview of and data from their Health Equity Initiative which encompassed the development of an IRB health equity in research policy for the Department and external partners. The development of the policy was informed by data from key informant interviews and two annual health equity surveys which assessed how researchers in LA County are understanding and addressing health equity.
Registration will NOT be required.
Dec 18th, 2024
SDOH in Healthcare: Background and Current State for CBOs
As part of its Webinar Wednesday series, the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) will host a live webinar on December 18th at 12PM focused on the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) in the healthcare sector. This webinar will discuss how “...Community-based organizations (CBOs) can play a key role in addressing SDOH by providing resources and support to help people lead healthier lives...[and] why Healthcare is asking community health workers for help addressing SDOH and their role.”
To join the SDOH in Healthcare: Background and Current State for CBOs webinar, register here.
Dec 15th, 2024
Registration Deadline for the Justice Squared Leadership Program (Funding Opportunity)
Brought to you by WE in the World, and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “JUSTICE SQUARED will equip up to 12 teams of five core healthcare and community leaders with $300,000 ($400,000 for safety-net institutions) in funding over two years. Teams will take a guided journey focused on learning and action with a comprehensive support system of racial justice and system change transformation experts, as they take practical action together to change organizational policies and practices to address structural racism. JUSTICE SQUARED makes this complex journey of dismantling structural racism easier to navigate by supporting healthcare organizations to either (1) shift how they measure and account for racism (not just race) or (2) remove racism from clinical, operational, and administrative diagnostics and algorithms.”
Please note the key date of December 15, 2024, to register your team in SurveyMonkey. Public health departments that deliver healthcare services are eligible to apply.
For more information about the upcoming grant opportunity, including the call for proposals and other key dates, click here.
Coming Soon!
2024 Organizational Assessment for Equity Infrastructure Results Report
The Equity Technical Assistance (TA) Team within the Office of Health Equity (OHE) released the third cycle of the Organizational Assessment for Equity Infrastructure to all 61 Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs) this past June. We would like to express our gratitude to the LHJs across California that participated in this year's assessment. The TA Team is currently working on the 2024 results report and will provide more information soon on its upcoming release. We look forward to sharing the results with our partners and examining ways we can leverage this data in our shared mission to advance health equity in California.
To review the results report from past assessments, click here.
Training of the Month
Building Trust in Public Health: Marketing, Media, and Community-Based Strategies
Brought to you by the Western Region Public Health Training Center, this self-paced 45-minute course is focused on ways that public health professionals can foster trust with communities through meaningful community engagement and strategic media communication.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe ways a branding strategy is linked to developing public trust.
- Summarize tips to prepare for a media interview.
- Recommend approaches for building community engagement.
To register for the Building Trust in Public Health: Marketing, Media, and Community-Based Strategies online training, click here.
Technical Assistance (TA) Services Available:
For general inquiries or to schedule a 1:1 consultation, submit an inquiry to your Equity TA Specialist (below) via the Equity Technical Assistance Portal:
Rural North | Haley Ni
Greater Sierra-Sacramento | Claudia Medina
Central California | TBD
Bay Area | Salina Ramachhita
Southern California/ Los Angeles | Jessica Medina
To share an event, resource, job opportunity, or highlight a success story from your LHJ, please contact us through the Equity Portal by the 20th of the month.
Copyright @Microsoft Dynamics, All right reserved.
1616 Capitol Avenue, MS 0022, Sacramento, CA
| 
