California Pan-Ethnic Health Network

TO PROMOTE HEALTH EQUITY BY ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC POLICIES AND SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE HEALTH NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.

FOR OVER 30 YEARS, CPEHN HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF PASSING, CHANGING, AND IMPLEMENTING POLICIES THAT REFLECT COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR BETTER HEALTH. WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE, WE HAVE ENGAGED HUNDREDS OF ADVOCATES FOR POLICY CHANGE THROUGH LETTERS, TESTIMONIES, EDUCATIONAL VISITS, AND MEDIA ADVOCACY. AT THE CORE OF OUR WORK ARE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND COALITIONS THAT WE CONVENE TO LEVERAGE OUR WORK AND ENHANCE OUR CAPACITY TO MOBILIZE FOR POLICY CHANGE. WE WORK WITH FOUR STATEWIDE NETWORKS: THE HAVING OUR SAY COALITION (HOS), WHICH CONVENES GRASSROOTS, DIRECT SERVICES, AND IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES IN CALIFORNIA; THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EQUITY COLLABORATIVE (BHEC), WHICH CONVENES STATE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS SERVING THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES, YOUTH, LGBTQ, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR; THE ORAL HEALTH EQUITY CORE GROUP (OHECG) CONNECTS LOCAL AND STATE ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT GOOD ORAL HEALTH CARE IS A RIGHT FOR ALL CALIFORNIANS; AND THE ORGANIZING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP ACADEMY (OPHLA), FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH COLLABORATIVE (PHC), A CO-LEARNING SPACE WHERE COMMUNITY LEADERS BUILD POWER WITH EACH OTHER TO DEEPEN THEIR PUBLIC HEALTH WORK BY COMBINING LIVED EXPERIENCES WITH THEORIES, TOOLS, AND RELATIONSHIPS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH FIELD TO MOVE TOWARDS COLLECTIVE HEALTH AND LIBERATION. CPEHN WORKS WITH THESE NETWORKS TO EDUCATE STAKEHOLDERS AND EMPOWER THEM TO ADVANCE A HEALTH EQUITY POLICY AGENDA VIA LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ADVOCACY, CONNECTING THEM TO KEY DECISION-MAKERS SO THEY CAN MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD. WE ALSO WORK WITH THESE NETWORKS TO IDENTIFY ISSUES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH AND PUBLISH POLICY REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON OUR FINDINGS TO EDUCATE COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND DECISION-MAKERS ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND HEALTH EQUITY-FOCUSED SOLUTIONS TO THESE ISSUES. TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, CPEHN WORKED CLOSELY WITH ITS NETWORKS TO MOBILIZE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND CONDUCT ADVOCACY TO ADVANCE ITS POLICY AGENDA. CPEHN PROVIDED POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO BETTER ALIGN RACIAL EQUITY EFFORTS IN CALIFORNIA AND WORKED TO CO-SPONSOR BILLS IN SUPPORT OF GREATER HEALTH ACCESS. WE ALSO CONVENED SPECIFIC MEETINGS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS BETTER ACCESS STATE LEGISLATORS AND AMPLIFIED THE VOICES OF OUR PARTNERS THROUGH COMMUNITY EVENTS AND CONFERENCES. IN 2023, CPEHN PUBLISHED OVER SEVEN REPORTS, ONE-PAGERS, AND DATA BRIEFS, HOSTED TWO IN-PERSON CONFERENCES, THREE IN-PERSON ADVOCACY DAYS, SIX VIRTUAL WEBINARS, PROVIDED EXPERT TESTIMONY AT TWO COMMITTEE HEARINGS, AND SAW 18 LEGISLATIVE WINS, INCLUDING CPEHN'S SPONSORED BILL, SB 595 (ROTH).