Health Equity Initiative
Stay Connected to our Health Equity Initiative
Transforming health care in the Central Valley will take all of us.
Our latest report, Central Valley Health Care Landscape Study, provides a comprehensive analysis of the health care system across seven Central California counties:
Fresno, Kings, Mariposa, Madera, Merced, Tulare, Kern
This report brings together data and insights from secondary data sets, amplified by the voices of over 150 stakeholders including community residents, advocates, health care executives, business leaders, policy experts, health clinics, legislators, employers, and workforce development professionals.
It reveals both the challenges we face and the opportunities ahead.
WHY HEALTH EQUITY MATTERS
Right now, our health care system is a barrier for too many people.
And when quality health care is out of reach, opportunity is too.
Good health makes it possible to
Maintain
Employment
Pursue
Education
Support Your
Family
Contribute to
Your Community
Health equity ensures that everyone (regardless of income, race, geography, or background) has access to the care they need to live and thrive.
Reducing barriers to quality, affordable health care is foundational to ensuring that every person in the Central Valley has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
THIS IS A WAKE-UP CALL & A ROADMAP FORWARD
The Central Valley Health Care Landscape Study confirms what many of our communities already know through experience:
Our health care infrastructure is under-resourced & stretched thin.
The report identifies
urgent challenges, including:
-
Coverage Trends in the Central Valley
-
Health Care Workforce Shortages
-
Limited Bed Capacity in Our Region
-
Financial Pressures Threatening Hospitals
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Gaps in Access to Services
-
The Maternity Care Crisis in Our Valley
This report also equips our region with the data, recommendations, and shared understanding needed to drive meaningful change.
KEY PRIORITIES FOR TRANSFORMATION
Transforming health care in the Central Valley will take all of us.
HEALTH EQUITY &
COMMUNITY POWER
Direct resources to catalyze community-led, data-driven initiatives that tackle social determinants of health and improve outcomes, especially for low-income, Latino, Black, and immigrant communities.
SUSTAINABLE
FINANCIAL MODELS
Continue to push back against federal efforts to reduce funding for Medi-Cal and Covered California subsidies, and attempts to weaken or eliminate protections for consumers with pre-existing conditions.
WORKFORCE EXPANSION
& RETENTION
Fund, grow, train, and retain a diverse local providers and public health workforce to address chronic shortages, specifically focusing on bolstering culturally-responsive staff in rural areas.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO
HEALTH CARE
Continue to advocate for expanded access to affordable, high-quality, culturally safe, and comprehensive (including behavioral, pre-natal, oral, and preventive) health care for all residents in the Central Valley.
TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCEMENT
Accelerate the adoption of new models of maternity care using emerging technologies and improve mobile health service delivery through telehealth, telemental, and other innovative new models.
HOW YOU CAN HELP TRANSFORM HEALTH CARE
Review the Central Valley Health Care Landscape Study: Access the full version of the report here to better understand the persistent health and health care challenges in Central California.
Utilize Data: Use the HCLA data to inform program design, advocacy, policy change, and improve local health care quality and access.
Support Community-Led Interventions: Use the evidence provided in the report to support proven community-based care health prevention strategies, such as community health workers, promotors, doulas, home visitors, and patient navigators, to prevent chronic and costly health conditions.
Reach Out to Legislators: The Central Valley is fortunate to have many legislators who have deep knowledge and have been on the forefront of improving our health care system for decades. Contact your local representative to learn more about their efforts and ways that you might influence or support their health care agenda.
Health Plans: Continue to hold health plans accountable for improving quality and achieving health equity.
Support Data Collection: Advocate for the collection and reporting of accurate U.S. Census data on racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse communities in local and national surveys, and health and public health programs to inform quality improvement and planning efforts.
Address Systemic Barriers: Further document and address barriers to care, including economic oppression, racism, and discrimination, which affect historically excluded groups in the region.
Protect Vulnerable Communities: Protect and defend our immigrants, communities of color, low- English proficiency, and LGBTQ+ individuals by fighting against Federal efforts to roll back non-discrimination protections.
Should it be specified if this refers to city council members or which governing body?
Is there a verb we can add to the beginning of this? Research? Explore?
The Central Valley Health Care Landscape Study is a public resource.
Use it to catalyze your existing and new work to address long-standing
health inequities and to transform our health care system.
We need you. It will take all of us.
Additional Resources
Central Valley Health Care Landscape Study Executive Summary
Central California Regional Health Equity Analysis by Central California Public Health Consortium
CalAIM and Community Based Organizations: A Fresno County Qualitative Study
California Health Care Foundation’s San Joaquin Valley — Regional Market Report 2025
Stay Involved. Stay Informed.
Join the growing movement working to create a healthier, more equitable Central Valley.
This work is supported by Sierra San Joaquin Jobs, an initiative of Central Valley Community Foundation and funded by California Jobs First