Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative
(PHI program 2002-2017)

BARHII’s data committee has prioritized a list of indicators that illustrate the effects of social determinants on health and is developing a "How To" Guide to assist in the data availability, collection, analysis and usage of about 25 priority social determinant of health indicators that can be used by local health departments and their partners for needs assessments, program development and policy advocacy.

The toolkit provides public health leaders with tools and guidelines to identify the skills, organizational practices and infrastructure needed to address health equity and insights into steps local health departments can take to ensure their impact on this growing problem. BARHII is working with the National Coalition of Chronic Disease Directors to develop a state health department version of this Self-Assessment Toolkit.

BARHII’s internal capacity committee is launching a regional initiative, with leadership from the 11 Bay Area health jurisdictions and a professional learning community structure, to incorporate educational attainment strategies into local health department categorical programming and policy advocacy.

BARHII has worked to build public health capacity around built environment decision-making and partnerships between the region's public health agencies and local planning/redevelopment agencies. BARHII plays a key role in bringing health equity considerations into the development of the region's Sustainable Communities Strategy – a regional land use and transportation investment plan in response to state Senate Bill 375 the climate change law.

BARHII’s community committee conducted and is reporting on qualitative assessments done via site visits in seven local health jurisdictions with health department staff and community agencies to highlight efforts to increase health equity as well as strengths and gaps in public health-community partnerships.
 

BARHII’s built environment committee is developing a series of materials on the connection between climate change and health equity for local health department staff to use in raising their own awareness and engaging the communities they serve in local efforts around climate change.

BARHII’s social determinants of health and structural racism committee is developing a series of workshops for BARHII member discussions and public health staff capacity building on the effects of social determinants of health and isms, such as racism, on health outcomes and public health practice.

BARHII provides TA and serves on committees in collaboration with: the California Department of Public Health’s Health in All Policies, Chronic Disease Control Branch and Office of Health Equity; Central Valley Public Health Partnership; Southern California Chronic Disease Collaborative; CA Conference of Local Health Officers; County Health Executives Association of California; and National Coalition for Health Equity Work Group of the National Association of City and County Health Officers.

The BARHII data committee will analyze the economic impact of increasing the minimum wage in the Bay Area and associate the resulting increases in income with reduced mortality and increased quality of life, if possible. Potential data sources include the California Health Interview Survey and mortality data. A technical writer and a communications consultant will develop summary reports and talking points, and will advise on a communication strategy.

Core support is provided to BARHII. Local health departments in this collaboration have a key role to play in influencing policies of and brokering partnerships with other institutions that have a direct influence on the conditions contributing to poor heatlh outcomes and in supporting community-driven initiatives to address them.

Core operating support for the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative to advance a health equity practice in local health departments in the the Bay Area to address the root causes of social and health inequities through community and multi-sector collaboration.