Innovation and Collaboration to Support Community Health: Leveraging Partnerships to Provide Culturally Relevant Care in the Wake of COVID-19

Many Californians go without needed health and social care, precluding the state from meeting its audacious equity goals. Nearly two million Californians are estimated to lack the mental health care services they need, and others lack regular access to a source of health care—a problem only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And an estimated one-third of Americans, including many Californians, report that they are concerned with meeting their families’ social needs.

Community and industry partners have been working to address health and social disparities and enhance access to care in a culturally competent way. Community health workers and promotores de salud have been key to helping assist with access to services, critically during the COVID-19 response. Policy developments are supporting this work as well, with the Department of Health Care Services slated to add community health worker services as a Medi-Cal benefit by January 2023.

This in-depth conversation from community and industry leaders discusses:

• The state of Californians’ access to health and social needs
• Specific examples of collaborations and how innovative solutions are being implemented by organizations in California
• How to get involved in the movement for community health

Speakers include:

• 'Alisi Tulua, SoCal Pacific Islander COVID-19 Response Team
• Abner Mason, SameSky Health
• Janet Martinez, Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO)
• James Cruz, MD, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan
• Carlina Hansen, California Health Care Foundation
• Shruti Kothari, Director, Industry Initiatives, Blue Shield of California (moderator)