Health Equity - California Health Care Foundation

Health Equity
All Californians should have the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential for health. CHCF is working with a wide range of partners to remove structural barriers to care and build a just and equitable health care system that is designed to redress, not perpetuate, the inequities that too many of our fellow Californians face.

Learn about CHCF’s approach to building health equity in California

Penalizing Abortion Providers Will Have Ripple Effects Across Pregnancy Care

Julia Strasser, Candice Chen, Sara Rosenbaum, Ellen Schenk, Emma Dewhurst

Health Equity, Workforce, Maternal Health

The Supreme Court is moving toward reversing Roe v. Wade and eliminating the federal constitutional right to abortion. This could have immeasurable negative effects on pregnant people and families, including the loss of access to necessary treatment associated with miscarriage.

A Toolkit to Advance Racial Health Equity in Primary Care Improvement

This CIN toolkit offers concrete, practical approaches and resources to help health care organizations — including those that provide, pay for, or support primary care — to increase quality improvement efforts that center racial health equity. Case studies provide insights into how organizations have implemented improvements.

Provider Shortage Persists While Regulators Consider Implementation of Nurse Practitioner Law

Heather Stringer

Workforce, Medi-Cal, Health Equity

The legislation could increase access to care for many Californians — but not until detailed standards have been adopted through regulations or changes in state law.

California Medicine Scholars Program Prepares to Take Flight

Anne Sunderland

Health Equity, Workforce

The California Medicine Scholars Program plans to shepherd students of color from community college through medical school and beyond.

‘You Want Your Immune System Protecting You and Your Baby’

Xenia Shih Bion

Ob/gyns, a nurse, and a midwife answer FAQs about the COVID-19 vaccine, pregnancy, and fertility.

Data Exchange Is at the Heart of California’s Drive for Health Equity

February 24, 2022

Data Exchange, Health Equity

A new stakeholder agreement on guiding principles lays the groundwork for crucial innovations.

Bridging the Digital Health Divide Series

Courtney R. Lyles, Adrian Aguilera, Oanh Nguyen, Urmimala Sarkar

Health Equity, Investing in Innovation, Telehealth

All patients should benefit from digital health tools regardless of their cultural background, language, income, race, or ethnicity. The two papers in this series focus on how to create equity and inclusion during technology implementation and design to help health care providers, health plans, and developers reach everyone.

Retired California Physicians Return to Practice Medicine in Low-Income Communities

February 14, 2022

Heather Stringer

Workforce, Health Equity

Two programs help experienced MDs ease provider shortages at community clinics.

Black Californians Diagnose Structural Obstacles to Equitable Health Care

February 11, 2022

David E. Thigpen

For Black patients, all too often an engagement with health care providers becomes an odyssey of treatment that is starkly different from that experienced by White patients.

Health Care Systems

CHCF is working with partners to understand the health care experiences of Black Californians and to reform the system to be more responsive to and effective at meeting their needs.

Birth Equity

Health Equity, Maternal Health

Improving Birth Equity in California’s Health Care System is a quality-improvement initiative designed to improve birth care, experiences, and outcomes for, by, and with Black mothers and birthing people in California.

AltaMed Asks Unvaccinated Latinx Californians: “Come On! What Are You Waiting For?”

February 7, 2022

The nation’s largest independent federally qualified health center has partnered with other organizations to provide tens of thousands of COVID-19 shots as part of a comprehensive public education campaign.

California Leaders Revive Paid Sick Leave for Essential Workers

January 31, 2022

Heather Tirado Gilligan

Stories That Caught Our Attention: Without sick leave, workers are forced to choose between paying their bills and possibly spreading COVID-19.

Medi-Cal Quality Strategy Explores Bold Steps Toward Health Equity

January 26, 2022

Christopher Perrone

The strategy will shape how health care will be provided to almost one in three Californians.

In Their Own Words: Black Californians on Racism and Health Care

Linda Cummings, PhD

CHCF commissioned interviews with 100 Black Californians to understand their views on health and well-being, their perceptions of discrimination and bias in the health care system, and their views on what a quality health care system looks like. This report describes the results of Phase I of the three-part Listening to Black Californians study.