Conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play — things like housing instability, access to healthy foods, and community violence — significantly affect their health risks and outcomes. Hospitals recognize and work hard to address these conditions, often referred to as the social and environmental determinants of health, with a focus on eliminating disparities in care delivery and health outcomes. The community care programs offered by hospitals and their partners, however, may only scratch the surface of deeper social factors that affect individual health outcomes. More focused state and federal policies will be required if progress is to be made in mitigating people’s health care risks before they become critical care needs.
About Community Care
AHA Resources Available for Community Health Improvement Week
This week — June 5-11 — the American Hospital Association (AHA) and AHA Community Health Improvement present Community Health Improvement Week 2022.
Health Equity Series to Spotlight Kaiser Permanente’s Thrive Local Program
CHA will host a series of health equity webinars to provide members with information, tools, and practices to reduce inequities in care and improve the lives of the patients they serve.
Kaiser Permanente’s Thrive Local: Connecting Patients to Critical Community Resources
Discover how Kaiser Permanente’s Thrive Now program is improving lives and strengthening communities by connecting patients to much-needed resources. Part of a Health Equity Leadership Series from CHA
Revised State Budget Proposes Important Health Care Investments but Does Not Address Hospitals’ Inflationary Challenges
On May 13, Gov. Newsom released the May Revision with modifications to the proposed state budget he first presented in January. Tax revenue estimates have surged by $55 billion since the governor’s January budget proposal, creating a discretionary budgetary surplus of $49 billion and allowing the state to make new investments beyond what was proposed […]
CHA Alert Urges Legislature to Reject Misguided Community Benefits Proposal
CHA recently issued an alert asking members to write to the Senate Budget Committee and the Assembly Budget Committee and urge them to reject the governor’s budget proposal that would require hospitals to specify, assign, and spend a specified percentage of their community benefits dollars through community-based organizations. CHA has developed a template letter about […]
Terry’s House offers comfort, support at home-away-from-home
When a critically ill patient is in the hospital, family is usually close behind. But that often means long hours on the road and expensive hotel stays. See what Terry’s House meant to Graciela Mesa and Jose Cordero after their daughter was born prematurely.
CHA Webinar to Address Workplace Violence Prevention
As hospital staff report an increase in the frequency of violent acts in the emergency department, inpatient, and outpatient settings, CHA will host a members-only webinar on Dec. 15 from 9 to 10:15 a.m. (PT) that will review Cal/OSHA workplace violence mitigation plan requirements. The webinar will also discuss the American Hospital Association Hospitals Against Violence Initiative, featuring the Creating Safer Workplaces guide. […]
Setting the table for hungry Californians
Over the course of a year, nearly 8 million Californians don’t have enough to eat. Food insecurity is now a major concern throughout the state. But in several cities, hospitals are stepping up, taking a stand against hunger, and helping to feed their communities.
Innovating patient menus with farm-to-fork taste
Hospital food is known for being bland and uninspired, but one chef is throwing out that tired recipe. Meet the chef who’s transforming hospital food. He’s buying local to bring patients, staff, and hospital visitors farm-to-fork tastes.
Cherished Futures: what lies ahead, part 3
Since 2019, Cherished Futures for Black Moms and Babies has focused on the audacious goal of eliminating maternal and infant health inequities in Los Angeles County. Now these bold plans are gaining momentum.