Collaborative Group Releases Inland Empire Community Health Assessment

Uniquely positioned for its cross-sector involvement and data collection approach

INLAND EMPIRE, Calif., Dec. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior citizens, communities of color, individuals with low incomes and those living in remote and rural areas are disproportionately impacted by negative health outcomes, according to a newly released Community Health Assessment focusing on the Inland Empire region.

The 2022 Inland Empire Community Health Assessment Stakeholder Committee, comprised of over 40 representatives across 25 community organizations, united over the past year to collect and analyze the region's health and wellness data. The collaborative group identified four at-risk population groups in need of additional support, as well as six priority areas of focus: Basic Needs for Health and Safety, Humane Housing, Meaningful Work and Wealth, Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes, Maternal and Infant Health and Mental and Behavioral Health.

The committee shared the findings in a regional Community Health Assessment report. The report is uniquely positioned for its cross-sector involvement and multiple sources of data collection, including focus groups.

"We all know that health happens across zip codes," said Jarrod McNaughton, chief executive officer at Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), which sponsored the Inland Empire Community Health Assessment. "Sickness and disease don't care where you live, but it is clear that certain geographic communities and subpopulations experience significant disparities when it comes to influences on health and health outcomes. This community health assessment is the first step in learning how we as health care providers, community partners and advocates can work better together to address the true health needs of our connected communities."

In addition to health and hospital data, the Community Health Assessment also included interviews with 10 community leaders and focus groups in nine communities.

"Every Inland Empire community member deserves the opportunity to live their best life, and many local organizations are already working to make that possible" added Michelle Decker, president of the Inland Empire Community Foundation, one of the involved organizations. "We are now magnifying that work by uniting our efforts toward key priorities and populations."

To view the Inland Empire Community Health Assessment, visit VibrantInlandEmpire.org. To raise awareness of community work in the region, organizations are invited to share information about their projects in the Inland Empire through a form on the website. Projects will then be shared with others through the website.

The 2022 Inland Empire Community Health Assessment (CHA) is the work of a diverse group of stakeholders that set out to identify the top health and well-being needs of Inland Empire residents. Stakeholders will use the findings to build community interventions that generate collective investments addressing the identified priorities.

With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. In its 26^th year, IEHP is supporting more than 1.6 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plans and has a growing network of over 7,000 providers and nearly 3,000 team members. Through dynamic partnerships with providers and community organizations, paired with award-winning service and a tradition of quality care, IEHP is fully committed to their vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. For more information, visit iehp.org.

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SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP)