Let’s Get Healthy California Announces Local Innovations to Improve California’s Health
Date: 1/18/2017
Number: 17-003
Contact: Ali Bay - (916) 440-7259
SACRAMENTO – Finalists are invited to present at 2017 Innovation Conference
The California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced today that 12 community-based health innovations have been selected as finalists in the Innovation Challenge 2.0. These innovations help advance the Let’s Get Healthy California effort to make California the nation’s healthiest state by 2022. They will be highlighted at the Innovation Conference in Sacramento on February 27, 2017.
“The Innovation Challenge is a great opportunity for us to learn from and connect with our community partners,” said CHHS Secretary Diana Dooley. “I hope these unique innovations can be duplicated in other communities and can help make California the healthiest state in the nation.”
This year’s Challenge focused on what are called the “social determinants of health,” defined as the conditions in which people are born and live. Some of these social determinants include safe housing, hunger, poverty, quality of education, lack of jobs or job training, public safety, discrimination, racism, exposure to toxic substances, and exposure to crime and violence.
“Health begins in our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and communities,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. “We are learning how profoundly the conditions in which we begin our lives, and where and how we live those lives, affect our health. That’s why I was so pleased to see so many of the innovations tackle these specific social determinants of health."
Nearly 100 submissions were received from community, health, and human services advocates, health care and human services providers, community and faith-based organizations, non-profits, civic data enthusiasts and visionary practitioners. The Innovation Conference in February will showcase the finalists in the Innovation Challenge and will highlight California’s progress in the six goal areas of the
Let’s Get Healthy California Report: Healthy Beginnings, Living Well, End of Life, Redesigning the Health System, Creating Healthy Communities, and Lowering the Cost of Care.
In 2012, Governor Brown issued Executive Order B-19-12 to create the Let’s Get Healthy California Task Force with the goal of making California the healthiest state in the nation by 2022. For more information on Let’s Get Healthy California, the Innovation Challenge and
Conference, please visit the
Let’s Get Healthy California webpage.
Healthy Beginnings
- “The Wellbeing Project”, City of Santa Monica, Los Angeles County
- “Maternal Mental Health Integration Initiative”, Maternal Mental Health NOW, Los Angeles County
Living Well
- “The Providence Wellness and Activity Center: Addressing Health Equity in Underserved Communities”, Providence Health and Services, Southern California, Los Angeles County
- “Choose Health LA Moms (CH LA Moms): A Text Message/Online Program to Help New Moms to Lose Weight”, Los Angeles County Public Health: Reproductive Health, Los Angeles County
Redesigning the Health System
- “Healthy Development Services: Serving Children with Mild to Moderate Development and Behavior Concerns”, American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 3, San Diego County
- “Integration of Behavioral Health in LAC+USC Primary Care Adult Clinics”, LAC+USC Primary Care Adult Clinics, Los Angeles County
Creating Healthy Communities
- “Healthier Housing = Healthier Communities: Prioritizing Housing with Los Angeles County’s Public Health Practice Framework”, County of Los Angeles - Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County
- Joint Award: “Marin City Rocky Graham Parks Prescription Program (Park Rx)”, Marin County Health and Human Services (HHS), Marin County Parks, Marin County and “Healthy Parks Healthy People: Bay Area”, Institute at the Golden Gate, San Francisco County
- “Exploratorium of Healthcare Careers (EXPLORE HCC)”, HealthLitNow, Tuolumne County
- “SacSOS Lists Available Resources for Homeless and Low Income People”, SacSOS, Sacramento County
Lowering the Cost of Care
- “Chlamydia Screening Quality Improvement in Primary Care”, California Department of Public Health: Center for Infectious Diseases, State
- “Recovery Based Engagement Support Team (RBEST)”, San Bernardino County - Department of Behavioral Health, San Bernardino County