The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) is seeking potential partners for a public opinion research project concerning the health and health care of Latino/x Californians.

About CHCF

CHCF is an independent, nonprofit philanthropy dedicated to advancing meaningful, measurable improvements in the way the health care delivery system provides care to the people of California. We know that health care is a basic necessity and work hard to improve California’s health care system so it works for all Californians. Because Californians with low incomes experience the biggest health burden and face the greatest barriers to care, our priority is to make sure they can get the care they need.

We are also committed to health equity and removing health care barriers that Californians face because of their race or ethnicity. We are especially focused on strengthening Medi-Cal — California’s Medicaid program and the cornerstone of the state’s safety net — and finding better ways to meet the health care needs of the millions of people who remain uninsured in our state. And we are working to better integrate care for Californians with mental illness, substance use disorders, and other complex health conditions.

About CHCF’s Listening Work

CHCF believes that our health care system overall, and especially public programs like Medi-Cal, should reflect the needs, insights, and priorities of the people they serve. As such, we engage in “listening work” to help policymakers and health care partners understand the experiences and attitudes of health care users and, to a lesser extent, the doctors, nurses, and other health professionals who provide frontline care. Examples of CHCF listening projects include these:

• California Health Policy Survey (2024)
• Listening to Black Californians (2022)
• Telehealth Experiences and Preferences Among Californians with Low Incomes (2023)

Anticipated Project Needs

We seek a research partner to better understand the health and health care experiences of Latino/x Californians. This project aims to deepen knowledge of diverse Latino/x groups in California by building on past relevant consumer research and guiding investments in Latino/x-focused policies, research, and health interventions. It will explore and acknowledge the various subgroups within the Latino/x community, with the goal of enhancing overall health and well-being.

Findings from the project would be published and released publicly by CHCF in collaboration with the research partner.

Qualifications We Are Looking For

CHCF is looking for firms with the following experience and capabilities.

Qualifications:

• Expertise and deep experience in public opinion, behavior-change, or social science research. (We are interested in those with expertise in qualitative or quantitative research methods or both.)
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in public opinion research with Latinos/x, including research that recognizes the heterogeneity of the Latino/x community.
• Demonstrated bilingual experience in survey research working with Latinos/x in Spanish- and English-speaking communities.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in public opinion research in California, including California’s diverse regions.
• Demonstrated experience conducting research on racism with individuals and groups who have experienced racism, raising emotionally difficult topics and grappling with them.
• Experience that facilitates deeper insight into root causes of disparities and disparate impact of organizations and systems. (This need not apply to every member of the research team, but it should be a core characteristic of the team.)

• Experience conducting research on health care topics and with health care audiences.
• Experience partnering with community-based organizations to conduct public opinion research.

Process and Timeline

CHCF has issued this request for qualifications (RFQ) to identify potential research partners. If you believe you meet the qualifications above, we want to hear from you. We are inviting individuals and firms to respond to this RFQ by answering the questionnaire below.

The deadline for responding is September 30, 2024.

We plan to schedule conversations with and may request additional written material from consultants who appear to be a good fit for this listening project. (October–November)

From these conversations, we hope to identify a consultant for the specific projects described in this RFQ. Because there are many possible approaches and factors to consider for doing this research, we will likely issue a planning grant so we can collaboratively develop and finalize research methodology, scope of work, timeline, and budget. (December–January)

If you have questions about this RFQ, please contact Diana Camacho (email address in PDF download).