California Health Care Improvement Projects (CHIPs)
California Health Care Improvement Projects (CHIPs) are designed by CHCF Health Care Leadership Program participants with the goal of addressing meaningful challenges or opportunities in health care.
Browse CHIPs to leverage the work of CHCF alumni and find opportunities to collaborate in order to improve health for Californians.
Search CHIPs
Representation and Inclusion in a Community Health Center
Suzanne Eidson-TonI knew I wanted to improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at CommuniCare Health Centers (CCHC) shortly after I became CMO. I have been passionately committed to cultural humility and DEI efforts throughout my career, and I brought this passion with me when I joined CCHC. This particular project is a piece of a larger effort at CCHC, in which I am participating with a team of colleagues, to improve DEI at CCHC. Initially, I focused on increasing the diversity of our primary care providers, but I quickly realized that representation without true inclusion is not sufficient to improve equity. I had recently participated in a microaggression training at UC Davis HEALTH, led by Dr. Kupiri Ackerman-Barger in the School of Nursing, and it became clear that this could be useful training at CCHC as well. For my CHIP, colleagues I recruited and I adapted her workshop regarding addressing microaggressions in the academic health environment to be appropriate for the community health setting. The goal of the project was to increase inclusion at CCHC by helping everyone at all levels understand microaggressions and how to address them to support each other in feeling included and respected as valuable members of our teams—to ultimately increase the sense of belonging for all.
June 1, 2022View/Download PDF
Voting is Health: Increasing Civic Engagement Through Health Care Delivery Systems
Manisha SharmaIf voting is a sign of a healthy democracy, we are in need of serious interventions. Voting is a health “thing”. It is the one power citizens have a right to holding democracy accountable. It ensures a right to a healthier life for people and their loved ones. The impact of voting and political decisions touch every part of our daily life, from safety to housing, education, and ultimately, our health. Voting sends a signal of support or dissent for policies that ultimately shape the social determinants of health. Social determinants subsequently influence who votes and who does not. As a physician, we see the bodily impact of inequities that bad policy and law shape everyday within our clinical and healthcare settings. The goal of this project is to operationalize voting program interventions to increase voter participation within and throughout healthcare organizations, especially those who are “othered” and disenfranchised in the voting process.
June 1, 2022View/Download PDF
Leadership and Advocacy for Black Maternal Health Outcomes
Aline ArmstrongBlack birthing mothers and their babies are dying in one of the most progressive and wealthiest cities of the country. I engaged San Francisco’s city officials and the Department of Public Health leadership to do something about health inequities and improve disparities impacting Black/African American birthing people. I had the opportunity to present data on preterm birth, infant mortality and poor maternal health outcomes, address social determinates of health, and advocate for new funds with recommendations to close the gaps. This was important to me because I was a new Director during historical events with a pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests, and racism happening across the country. The goal of the project was how to advocate and receive funds to improve health outcomes for vulnerable population.
May 31, 2022View/Download PDF
Birth-Centered Outcomes Research Engagement (B-CORE) in Medi-Cal
Priya BatraObjective: The project will use deliberative democracy methods to engage stakeholders most impacted by pregnancy-related death in Medi-Cal to generate solutions and design interventions to support equity in maternal health outcomes for Medi-Cal-covered births.
May 31, 2022View/Download PDF
Managing Mental Health Crises on the Telephone (an interim report from my leadership journey)
Anh Thu BuiThe CHIP was a focal point of the CHCF program, but my true CHIP came through learning about myself as a leader during challenging times. Fueled by burning questions and supported by mentors, friends and family, I managed to thrive during the past two years. Given all the crises in the world, and given my personal and professional investment in mental health, what could I do to contribute? How might we improve our communities’ health and wellbeing? (In the face of problems that pre-dated but exacerbated by the pandemic, from health disparities, to social inequities and structural racism.)
May 31, 2022View/Download PDF
Amplifying Health Care Workforce Diversity through Community Empowerment: Capacity Building for Alliance in Mentorship/MiMentor
Consuelo (Connie) CasillasMy project aims to address the six-fold disparity in the California Latinx physician workforce to the populations they serve. This workforce mismatch contributes to health care disparities by diminishing access to care for marginalized populations as well as the delivery of culturally and linguistically sensitive care. This issue hits at the heart of why I pursued medicine over 20 years ago; a desire to provide service to our most vulnerable populations.
May 31, 2022View/Download PDF
Overcoming Financial Barriers to Medication Access with Drug Manufacturer Copay Coupon Programs
Karen ChinRemove barriers to medication access, improve a patient’s therapeutic outcomes by preventing under treatment, and increase overall patient care affordability by implementing KP approved drug manufacturer copay coupons electronic claims processing at KP National Specialty Pharmacy (KPNSP).
May 31, 2022View/Download PDF