CIN,

It’s hard to believe a new year is coming into view, and with it a new cycle of the California Improvement Network. We want to thank all of our community members, partner organizations, and partner leads for their contributions to CIN, as well as thank CIN’s funder, the California Health Care Foundation.

Much of the work this community does focuses on the practical aspects of promoting health equity through sharing new ideas, collaborating, and implementing improvements. But the feedback that we often hear is it is the human connections that arise from this work that inspires people here.

And so we want to thank you for continuing to engage with CIN through our webinars and meetings. Your participation helps us achieve more collectively. And if you ever have resources that would benefit the CIN community, please let us know!

Wishing you and yours health and peace in 2025!

In support,

The California Improvement Network Team 

Last Call! Become a Partner Organization in CIN’s 2025–27 Cycle

Applications due January 13

The California Improvement Network (CIN) is a learning and action community that advances equitable health care experiences and outcomes for Californians. CIN is unique in that it brings together health care organizations (HCOs), such as providers, payers, and supporters, and social service and community-based organizations (CBOs) to improve health care.

CIN partner organizations are California-based groups committed to achieving equitable health care experiences and outcomes in California. CIN is recruiting 18 HCOs and 7 CBOs for the upcoming two-year cycle (March 2025 – March 2027). We invite you to consider applying! Please see complete details on eligibility requirements, commitment expectations, and financial support for partner organizations before starting the online application.

Why become a CIN partner organization?

• Build deep connections and collaborate with other organizations across the California health ecosystem.
• Access timely content and insights on critical and emerging topics in health care.
• Engage in collective problem solving and solution building with a diverse group of organizations.
• Gain tools and insights to support efforts to achieve Medi-Cal Comprehensive Quality Strategy goals.
• Reinforce commitments to advance health equity.
• Gain a stronger sense of place and belonging in the health care ecosystem.
• Access to funding for action projects (three grants available).

CIN Webinar – Creating Equitable Health Outcomes Through Building Internal DEI Practices

Wednesday, January 15, 12:00 – 1:00 PM Pacific

The Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP), a nationally recognized family resource center in San Francisco that empowers homeless and low-income families and mothers motivated by pregnancy and parenthood to transform their lives, has been moving the needle on becoming an anti-racist organization for the past 10 years.

In this CIN webinar, speakers from HPP, a CIN partner organization, will discuss the organization’s past, present, and future DEI work and how improving internal DEI practices can create more equitable health outcomes.

This webinar is intended for health care and community-based leaders, managers, and support staff implementing DEI, and individuals interested in understanding interventions to support Black and Latinx community members.

CIN Webinar – Advancing Equity in Behavioral Health Through Harnessing Key Change Levers

Thursday, February 13, 12:00 – 1:00 PM Pacific

Cultivating Outcomes through Equity in Behavioral Telehealth (COE-BT) was a learning collaborative that helped specialty behavioral health providers improve meaningful outcomes for individuals from communities with historic behavioral health inequities by increasing their access to high-quality and effective behavioral telehealth and hybrid practices. 

Webinar participants will learn how the implementation of equity-grounded behavioral health coaching is essential for building a foundation for effective community partnerships in behavioral health care; how cultivation of effective community partnerships can occur through bridging the gap between behavioral health care providers and community members; and how shifting behavioral health outcomes focus to recovery-oriented measures all contribute to advancing health equity.

This webinar is intended for providers, patient navigators and other patient support staff, allied health care providers, and community and social service organizational leaders working in behavioral health care settings.

Advancing Health Equity

Raising the Bar for Maternal Health Equity and Excellence

Is your organization looking for new ways to approach maternal health disparities? This free, actionable guide helps organizations advance tailored, high-quality care for birthing families. The guidance spotlights four roles that institutions play that impact health equity:

• Providers: Provide whole-person care to achieve maternal health equity
• Employers: Employ and support a diverse maternal health workforce
• Community Partners: Engage with individuals and organizations in the community to achieve maternal health equity
• Advocates: Advocate for and invest in maternal health equity

The guide offers a plethora of ideas ranging from payments to data collection and for administrators to clinicians.

Evolving Roles and Care Models

11 Takeaways on Navigating Trust and Health Equity in the Era of AI

How can AI be harnessed to ensure that we innovate for health equity in inclusive ways? The Center for Care Innovations has shared their 11 takeaways from this important discussion at their recent Safety Net Innovation Summit. The event brought together a variety of people serving historically underinvested and marginalized communities — providers, community leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists, funders, payers, and more — to focus on "inclusive innovation."

CCI notes, "AI can help us handle routine tasks so we can focus on healing, bridge the digital divide, and so much more. But to reach those goals, we need to create oversight to ensure that AI systems in the safety net are fair, transparent, ethical, and accountable."