37 California Communities Funded to Implement Novel Approach to Enhancing Community Health

“To ensure health for all, we must change how we approach health transformation, starting by making sure everyone is at the table,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. —  In a major effort to reimagine California’s health system, the California Accountable Communities for Health Initiative (CACHI) today announced that 37 communities have been selected to advance an innovative approach to building community health and equity. Following a rigorous, multi-step review with 22 expert evaluators, these communities were chosen to implement an Accountable Community for Health (ACH), a sustainable platform for aligning local health and social services while centering community voice and equity.

“To ensure health for all, we must change how we approach health transformation, starting by making sure everyone is at the table, ” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and state public health officer. “This major investment in lifting up community voice and centering equity is critical to achieving California’s goal of improved health outcomes, especially for lower-income communities and communities of color.”

In total, $13.5 million will be distributed to ACHs located in 27 counties over the next 2 ½ years. Of the 37 ACHs, 13 are in Southern California, eight are in the Central part of the state and 16 are in Northern California. Some ACHs are managed by local nonprofits, while others are housed within county health departments or other government agencies. This new funding aims to strengthen ACHs as local civic infrastructure and transform systems by facilitating multi-sector partnerships, aligning priorities and actively engaging communities.

“Accountable Communities for Health is a critical strategy to help California reverse historic inequities,” said Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno), chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. “They help us rebuild trust in one another, bridging long-standing divisions in our communities. I’m proud that our state is embracing this innovative approach to improve the health and well-being of everyone.”

ACHs are designed to break down existing silos by bringing together many sectors and players within a community to align and transform local systems, all while centering residents’ voices in decision-making. Using multi-sector and community-based partnerships built on a solid foundation of trust, ACHs empower communities to address persistent and emerging health challenges—and social inequities—in holistic and innovative ways.

“Community health is determined by countless complex social, economic and environmental factors that no one person or organization alone can address,” said Barbara Masters, CACHI director. “By bringing together diverse voices from every sector—including health care providers, businesses, governments, nonprofits, faith groups and community residents—ACHs provide a place for solutions to bubble to the surface and be put into action. Ultimately, ACHs help everyone begin to paddle in the same direction.”

In July, 24 communities will launch new ACHs, joined by 13 communities that have piloted the ACH model for the last five years. All will use the ACH as a vehicle to help make measurable progress on one of California’s major state health initiatives, such as California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM), Violence Prevention or the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI).

CACHI was launched in 2016 as a public-private partnership supporting California’s ACHs through grants, technical assistance, policy change, education and evaluation. Acknowledging the success of these ACHs, Governor Gavin Newsom approved a $15 million budget line item in June 2022 to fuel the expansion of ACHs in California.

“ACHs go well beyond other health coalitions by doing essential work facilitating transformational change, providing much-needed structure, alignment and accountability. Most importantly, they advance the voice of the community in all of their work,” said Dr. Robert K. Ross, president and CEO of The California Endowment, an initial and ongoing funder of the ACH initiative.

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California Accountable Communities for Health Initiative is a public-private collaboration with support from the California Department of Public Health,  The California Endowment, Blue Shield of California Foundation and The California Wellness Foundation. Past support has been provided by Kaiser Permanente, Sierra Health Foundation, Social Impact Exchange, and Well Being Trust. CACHI receives administrative support from Community Partners, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit intermediary organization. To learn more about Accountable Communities for Health and CACHI, visit www.cachi.org.