The Black Health Agenda

The Black Health Agenda (BHA) is a flagship project of the California Black Health Network (CBHN). The goals of the BHA are to identify key issues that negatively impact life expectancy and devise actionable solutions to improve the health and well-being of Black Californians. A critical part of creating the BHA is a collaboration with community stakeholders, organizations, as well as local, regional, and state lawmakers.

CBHN is in the process of developing the next iteration of the BHA that will utilize CBHN’s Health Equity Framework – Racial Justice, Social Justice, and Environmental Justice – to better understand the critical issues that lie at the forefront of improving health outcomes and life expectancy of Black Californians. The BHA will investigate the following focus areas:

– Social Determinants of Health
– Chronic Disease
– Maternal-Child Health (MCH)
– Nutrition
– Dental/Oral Health
– Environmental Health
– Mental Health
– Health Policy
– Cancer
– The Impact of COVID-10
– Rare Disease (i.e., Sickle Cell, lupus)
– End of life (i.e., hospice, palliative)
– Healthcare experience

The BHA will propose actionable solutions to improve health outcomes and the well-being of Black Californians. It will recommend a comprehensive, culturally relevant plan to reduce disparities, improve health outcomes, and dismantle inequities within the system of care for the following counties:

The Black Health Agenda Counties

Click below for additional county information.

 

1. San Joaquin County
2. Sacramento
3. Alameda
4. Solano
5. Riverside
6. San Bernardino
7. Fresno
8. Kings
9. San Diego
10. Los Angeles

 

The Black Health Agenda Process

The BHA will be the first-ever, comprehensive state-wide plan to close the gap in health disparities for Black Californians. The plan will is developed based on primary and secondary evidence-based research with input from diverse groups of stakeholders, academicians, government agencies, policymakers, community-based non-profit organizations and healthcare centers, community health advocates, and individuals impacted by inequities at the community and system level, as well as social determinants of health. Below is the step-by-step process of the BHA:

Step 1: Determine the baseline health measures in each county with secondary data, qualitative data, and key informant interviews. The purpose of this step is to have a recorded starting point to track progress and provide baseline information to community members about their county.

Step 2: The Stakeholder Meeting is designed to better understand the local demographics, the needs of the county, the barriers that impede access to equitable, quality healthcare, and the social determinants of health that impact the well-being and life expectancy of the Black community. The meeting aims to engage and empower local experts, who lead and facilitate the event, and community members to further identify conditions detrimental to the health of the Black community.

Step 3: The Collective Impact Meetings are the follow-up to the Stakeholder Meeting and breakout sessions. These meetings will be a solutions-driven approach to address the health disparities specific to each county discussed at the Stakeholder Meeting. At the various sessions for the Collective Impact Meetings, we identify solutions to resolve the barriers that were identified thus far in the county. Attendees come ready to collaborate, strategize, and formulate a plan to improve the health and well-being of the Black community using their knowledge and the Black Health Agenda State of Black Health Report sent prior to the meetings.

Step 4: After the Collective Impact Meetings, CBHN distributes a master plan that addresses the factors that influence negative health outcomes for the county. This master plan will be an extension of the State of Black Health Report and will include action plans from the all Black Health Agenda events and health experts.

The 2019 Black Health Agenda

CBHN published the first edition of the Black Health Agenda (BHA) in 2019, which analyzed the health and policy priorities derived from a series of statewide community convening events and listening sessions. The convenings and listening sessions included a diverse cross-section of community stakeholders. The agenda resulted in four priorities: Health Policy, Economic Development, Dental/Oral Health, and Mental Health.