Intersections: Public health on the brink

Our newsletter, Intersections, explores the connectedness of health in our communities and imagines a better future.

This is a summary of the September 2025 edition. Sign up to receive the full, bimonthly newsletter in your inbox.

Public health in America is in crisis. Federal policy shifts and funding cuts threaten even basic functions, and in California, a strong system is still straining to meet community needs.

At Blue Shield of California Foundation, we partner with local health departments to build equity-driven capacity, and with communities advocating for policies that keep people safe and healthy. Both sides are essential to protect public health.

In this issue, we highlight grantees and partners using data, accountability, and storytelling to navigate today’s challenges, while elevating community voices countering harmful narratives, and inspiring thriving, equitable futures.

— Richard Vezina, Senior Program Officer

Know better, do better with data

It’s no secret that data is critically important for making decisions about public health. And this year, with national sources disappearing, the need for good data is only growing stronger — especially when we are talking about health equity.

A recent example of how public health uses data to drive change is a new report from the Central California Public Health Consortium (CCPHC). The 2025 Regional Health Equity Analysis used publicly available data to look at health outcomes and drivers of health in 12 Central California counties. Importantly, it broke down that information by different populations to see who is most affected and where more resources might be needed.

What this report found, unfortunately, is a need for urgent and collective action across the region to address the root causes of poor health outcomes. The data make clear that Central California’s health disparities are not the result of individual choices or biological factors, but rather the practices and policies — including budget choices — that create barriers to health and perpetuate inequities.

“I firmly believe that when we know better, we can do better. I hope this report challenges you to take action,” said Alyssa Kennett, the director of CCPHC. “Maybe some of the data will surprise you, sadden you, or encourage you,” she added. “Good. What will you do to change what’s not working?”

Returning home: innovative storytelling with Central Valley women long left unheard

What does it mean to return home, not just as a daughter of Fresno, but as someone working to create change for the very community that raised you? Communications Officer RocQuel Johnson reflects on her journey back to Fresno’s west side, where resilience has long been woven into daily life.

“Returning home: innovative storytelling with Central Valley women long left unheard” speaks to the importance of supporting communities in telling their own stories and using those stories to influence policy decisions. Storytelling is more than memory; it is survival, connection, and change. The blog lifts the voices of women in the Central Valley whose lives are shaped by housing insecurity, domestic violence, and fear of deportation, while also showing their resilience through innovation and leadership. As Johnson explains, “Returning home is not only about my roots as a daughter of Fresno, but also the responsibility I now carry as a Foundation member to amplify the voices of my community.” At Blue Shield of California Foundation, this means partnering with organizations like Cultiva La Salud and Health Affairs to expand opportunities for women and families and to elevate first-person stories that rarely appear in academic journals.

“Returning home” points to a larger truth. Lived experience, when lifted and supported, can drive change in ways statistics alone cannot. It also underscores the vital role foundations play in providing space, funding, and opportunity for these stories to be told and to shape the systems that impact community well-being.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

A new framework for community health in Los Angeles

Communities know best what they need to thrive. That’s why public health officials often call upon trusted representatives in underserved communities, to bridge gaps between health programs and the people they’re meant to reach. Community Health Workers, Promotores, and Representatives (CHW/P/Rs) fill these roles. They share the same language, culture, and even socioeconomic background of the people they support, making them uniquely positioned to reach communities in ways public health officials cannot.

The newly formed Los Angeles County CHW/P/R Consortium expands the power of CHW/P/Rs to improve community health. The consortium is a breakthrough: for the first time, community-based organizations and local public health leaders have a united space to align strategies, share resources, and push for changes so it’s easier for people to access the services that can make them healthier and safer.

CHW/P/Rs play many critical roles, including:

• Educating community members about health issues, preventative care, and available services
• Helping individuals navigate the health care system and access needed support
• Providing emotional support and informal counseling
• Connecting individuals and families with food assistance, housing support, and other essential resources

This is the first time Los Angeles has had a dedicated structure for CHW/P/Rs and local health leaders to move in the same direction. As this model grows, we invite you to learn more about the consortium and share it with others who are reimagining how community health gets done.

The importance of speaking up

Did you know that more than 80% of U.S. residents support efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion? According to Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG), we mistakenly believe that only 55% of people agree with us because of a phenomenon called the “spiral of silence.”

It leads people to think we’re more divided than we are. In a new blog, BMSG writes that speaking up is critical to combating attacks on many of the systems we need to stay healthy: “If more of us are vocal about supporting health care access, Social Security, climate resilience, and other solutions to the major problems we face, we can help spark action.” Find five tips they created to help meet this moment.