Sierra Health Foundation joins foundations nationwide to “Ban the Box”

Sierra Health Foundation is one of 42 foundations that have “banned the box” by adopting fair chance hiring policies or ensuring that questions about criminal convictions do not appear on applications for employment with their foundations.

Led by the Executives’ Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, this philanthropic call to action supports a movement created by formerly incarcerated people more than a decade ago that has since spread to 21 states and more than 100 localities. More than 70 million Americans have arrest or conviction records that can show up in background checks, reducing the likelihood of a callback interview for an entry-level job by 50 percent.

By adopting fair hiring policies, foundations nationwide are playing their part as employers to remove the stigma associated with a record, and setting an example for other foundations and their grantees to follow.

Organizations interested in showing support are encouraged to visit the Ban the Box Challenge web site.

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Leadership Development for Racial Equity funding available

In partnership with The California Endowment and Sierra Health Foundation, the Center for Health Program Management will award a total of $120,000 to support advocacy-related capacity building and leadership development activities for youth-focused nonprofit organizations led by people of color serving in Northern California and the San Joaquin Valley.

Funding is open to youth-focused organizations working to eliminate health disparities that have an interest in increasing their organizational capacity to address issues of racial equity.

Nonprofit organizations are essential to the flourishing of communities, and a vibrant and diverse civil society requires both effective community-based organizations and strong, diverse leadership throughout the nonprofit sector. The goal of this funding opportunity is to strengthen the capacity of organizations with leaders of color, working with youth in low-income communities of color, to address racial inequities through policy and system change.

A proposers’ webinar will be held on April 6 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Register online by April 4 at noon. Participation is recommended, but not required.

Applications are due by May 2 at noon. More information and application materials are available on the Leadership Development for Racial Equity web page. Please e-mail us any questions.

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Health Leadership Program Class XIII applications due April 25

We invite current and emerging leaders in Northern California and the San Joaquin Valley to apply for Health Leadership Program Class XIII.

Program participants have the opportunity to improve existing skills while developing new competencies that strengthen their organizations, and deepen their ability and commitment to address health disparities and health equity in underserved communities. Successful applicants will be in organizations that work to improve community health and well-being and reduce health disparities across a broad range of issue areas. The six-month program will begin in late September.

Applications for Class XIII are due by April 25. Visit the Health Leadership Program web page to download the application and brochure.

The Health Leadership Program is led by the Institute for Population Health Improvement at UC Davis and is co-directed by Kenneth W. Kizer, MD, MPH, and Richard F. Callahan, DPA.

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Report presents findings and recommendations for ending child maltreatment fatalities

In fall 2015, Chet Hewitt, Sierra Health Foundation President and CEO and co-chair of the Steering Committee on Reduction of African American Child Deaths, testified before the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities about the efforts in Sacramento to reduce child death, abuse and neglect. This month, the Commission launched its report, Within Our Reach: A National Strategy to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities. The report presents the Commission’s findings and recommendations for ending child maltreatment fatalities in the United States. The report is available on the Children’s Bureau web site.

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Community Health Center Capacity Building Program evaluation documents successes, challenges

As part of the Sacramento Region Health Care Partnership, Sierra Health Foundation provided support to five local community health centers to build their capacity to meet the increased demand created by the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The participating health centers were Cares Community Health, Chapa-De Indian Health Program, Elica Health Centers, WellSpace Health and Winters Healthcare Foundation. Each health center received a two-year grant of up to $300,000 to use for initiatives tailored to their individual needs. They also received technical assistance through convenings with expert consultants in the Safety Net Learning Institute.

The program was evaluated by the Center for Community Health and Evaluation to learn what worked well, what challenges the health centers encountered and what changes in capacity had occurred. Among other findings, the evaluators reported that most health centers increased the supply of available appointments, strengthened their use of data to inform quality improvements, and delivered care more efficiently. They also faced challenges, such as recruiting and retaining a qualified workforce, managing complex new patients and adopting new technology.

Learn more on the Sacramento Region Health Care Partnership web page.

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Conference and Education Center offers space for organizations to engage, collaborate

Through our Conference and Education Center, we provide free conference and event space and services to nonprofit organizations and public agencies working to promote health and well-being. Operating as the Conference and Convening Program for more than 20 years, the program helps organizations achieve their objectives by providing a venue for education and training, nonpartisan debate and collaboration. Each year, approximately 15,000 people attend meetings and events at our facility.

Last year, we broadened our vision for the program and renamed it the Conference and Education Center, aimed at educating, connecting and supporting communities and organizations by offering additional educational content and events. We also offer increased opportunities to engage with experts, professionals, community advocates and the public on a variety of issues, through events such as our Speaker Series.

The Conference and Education Center provides a space for us and our partners to connect communities and organizations to further our collective work with a shared vision of a healthy, equitable California.

Learn more and apply for meeting space on the Conference and Education Center web page.

Take a video tour of our facility.

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Center for Health Program Management Updates

Office of Health Equity seeks Advisory Committee members

The California Department of Public Health Office of Health Equity’s Advisory Committee was created to advance the goals of the office and is comprised of up to 26 representatives from state agencies and departments, local health departments, community-based organizations, vulnerable communities and stakeholder communities. Applications for Advisory Committee membership are welcome year-round, but those applications submitted by May 1, 2016, will receive priority consideration for the cohort of new members scheduled to start their term in September 2016. Applications submitted in the past year do not need to be resubmitted, as they have been maintained on file and are reviewed as seats become available.

Learn more on the Office of Health Equity web page.

Steering Committee on Reduction of African American Child Deaths releases requests for qualifications

The Steering Committee for the Reduction of African American Child Deaths recently released two requests for qualifications. One is for an individual or organization to serve as the coordinator of participatory action research. The second is to manage a data hub, including compiling and reporting data from multiple sources. The deadline for submitting statements of qualifications is March 29.

Learn about the Steering Committee and download application materials on the Center for Health Program Management web site.

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