About CIN

The California Improvement Network (CIN) is a learning and action community that advances equitable health care experiences and outcomes for Californians through cross-sector connections, spreading good ideas, and implementing improvements.

CIN’s guiding vision for its 2023 –2024 cycle is a future in which all people can experience person-centered care that results in improved and equitable care experiences and outcomes. CIN partners engage in a shared governance model, define priorities for learning and action, collaborate on network activities, and advance the network’s aim by building relationships across the health care ecosystem.

CIN supports the future state of health care in California by bringing together health care organizations (HCOs) that work directly with Medi-Cal providers or patients with community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve Medi-Cal patients and provide food, housing, legal, and other services.

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What Is a Learning and Action Network?

CIN accelerates the spread of health improvement innovations through:

• Connection: Meetings and other opportunities to build and strengthen connections among partners and members to increase improvement capacity.
• Learning: Speakers, workshops, and other resources that advance knowledge and skills for leaders.
• Action: Partners and members implement improvements in their organizations.

Who’s a Part of CIN?

CIN is a project of the California Health Care Foundation and managed by Healthforce Center at UCSF.

CIN is made up of these types of participants:

• Members are anyone engaged or interested in health improvement who has subscribed to the CIN newsletter. Members have access to curated resources and opportunities for learning and capacity building. Anyone can be a member.
• Partners are health care providers, payers, and supporters (HCOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs). Partners engage in a shared governance model, define priorities for learning and action, co-design network activities, and advance the network’s aim across the health care ecosystem. Partners are selected through an application process every two years. See the list of partners.
• Managing partners are a subset of partners who make up the leadership structure. Alongside CHCF and the Healthforce Center program office, managing partners set strategy and allocate resources that contribute to the overall impact of CIN. See the roster below.
• The program office team, based at Healthforce Center at UCSF, provides strategic and operational support for CIN and is responsible for implementing all network activities, including partner meetings, all-comer events, and knowledge sharing. See the roster below.

What Programming Does CIN Offer?

CIN programming typically includes:

• Four partner convenings (two one-day sessions per year; one in-person and one virtual) with shareable learnings disseminated to the network
• Partners participate in peer learning through affinity groups for each priority area
• Expert training sessions, workshops, and webinars
• Toolkits and other resources
• Newsletters and podcasts to spark learning and innovation
• Funding for three action projects to support implementation efforts for partners (see example on buddies battling burnout)

Three Priority Areas to Accelerate the Spread of Innovation

CIN develops three critical priority areas for each two-year cycle through a collaborative process that incorporates the strategic priorities of partners and the broader network. For the 2023-2024 cycle, these priority areas are:

• Strengthening foundations
• Advancing health equity
• Evolving roles and care models

Identifying priority areas reflects CIN’s commitment to provide timely and useful knowledge that enables leaders to learn and incorporate leading-edge practices and concepts into improvement efforts. CIN provides technical assistance, programming, resources, and activities to support advancements in these priority areas.

See the Resources and Tools for these and earlier CIN priority areas and topics.

CIN’s Commitment to Equity

CIN centers equity and emphasizes action and spread in its guiding vision. CIN ensures progress toward its vision by:

• Building a network with shared governance, partners co-designing priorities, transparent communication, and financial support for CBOs.
• Establishing measurable network goals for advancing health equity.
• Monitoring diversity of partners (demographic and geographic composition) and progress in health equity that align with CalAIM.
• Expanding access to CIN programming and resources by increasing audiences for its monthly newsletters and key learnings from partner meetings.

Join CIN!

The California Improvement Network is open to all and free of cost thanks to the support of the California Health Care Foundation. Subscribe now to hear about the latest health improvement events, resources, and tools through our monthly newsletter.

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