The Rural Health Task Force was created because there was a growing concern for the health of children and families in the more remote areas of the two (2) Counties. Community agencies, School districts and health facilities were finding challenges in health early interventions, the management of chronic illnesses, such as asthma, specialty care access, transportation to health providers, etc.
The Board invited IE-CHI member agencies and partners especially those providing services in “Rural” areas to form a task force. The following agencies and representatives formed the core task force.
The Members were asked to research the following:
- Task Force Focus: To research and identify the challenges and gaps in health coverage/ services in the rural areas of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties with the goal of developing recommendations for potential solutions. The Task Force will complete a report after a one year study period to be shared with appropriate Inland Empire and other area stakeholders.
Bear Valley Medical Center, Margaret de Guerena
Website: bearvalleycommunityhospital.com
The San Bernardino Mountains and the San Jacinto Mountain Regions in Riverside County are a mile above the rest. They are nestled among pine trees, accessed by winding roads, and separated by 85 miles and two hours of travel time. Each town has small, unincorporated communities surrounding them. They are remote areas dealing with similar logistics and challenges.
The San Bernardino Mountains have two hospitals, Bear Valley Community Hospital in Big Bear Lake, with its two clinics, the Family Health Center and the Rural Health Clinic in Big Bear City and Mountains Community Hospital with its Rural Health Clinics in Lake Arrowhead and Running Springs. The Mom and Dad Project, Telehealth, alternative pain management with the Prime Project, chiropractic care, and dentistry are some of the modalities offered to our residents.
The Idyllwild/Pine Cove residents currently have no local hospital nor government assisted clinics in the area. Specialty care and hospitalization require transport off the mountain to Hemet Valley or Menifee Valley Medical Centers. There are two medical groups in the area providing essential care for those requiring attention, Fern Creek Medical Center and the Idyllwild Health Center.
The mountains are challenging with their geographic locations in the ever-changing landscape of healthcare but small communities come together to help residents in need and offer assistance, a common thread uniting these distant communities in spirit and care.
Borrego Health, Lenny Pepper
Website: www.borregohealth.org
Borrego Health provides high quality, comprehensive, compassionate primary health care to the people in our communities, regardless of their ability to pay. We serve these communities and adjoining regions with respect, dignity and cultural sensitivity as a medical home and safety net for essential health care and social services. Borrego Health is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and a Federal Tort Claims Act Deemed (FTCA) facility.
CCAISR, Jackie Yi
Website: www.chaisr.org
The Community Health Association Inland Southern Region (Community Health Association) is a champion for community-based health centers and clinics located throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. We provide services to support our diverse membership in providing access to care and quality health services for safety net communities. The Community Health Association currently supports 18 community health centers and clinics, representing 70 primary care clinical sites throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. We exist to support our membership and community partners to ensure accessible, high quality, and cost-effective health services. We envision health care access for all and efficient use of health services and resources for the Inland Southern Region.
Neighborhood Clinic, Rosa Sanchez
Website: www.nhcare.org
Quality Care. Neighborhood Healthcare has consistently provided high-quality care when compared to national standards. Services include medical care for all ages, prenatal care, family planning, dental and behavioral health services, health education, chiropractic care, and pharmacy and lab services. Founded in 1969 and incorporated in 1971, Neighborhood Healthcare is an award-winning organization that is known for excelling at its mission. The mission has remained the same over the years: to provide quality health care and promote wellness to everyone in our communities, focusing on those most in need regardless of the ability to pay. As a private, non-profit 501(C) (3) community health organization, we serve as a safety net for the community by providing 271,00 medical, dental and behavioral health visits to 67,000 people annually.
St Mary’s Hospital, Kevin Mahany
Website: www.stmaryapplevalley.com
St. Mary is a 212-bed acute care hospital serving the Victor Valley region of San Bernardino County. The hospital is the last remaining nonprofit hospital in the community. In 2017 the hospital provided $33,000,000 in Community Benefit including operation of mobile and fixed clinics. The hospital’s 2018-2020 Community Benefit plan will integrate acute and outpatient services to address physician shortages; address mental health and addiction with the help of community stakeholders while building on its experience promoting healthy eating and exercise in schools, churches and in the community. In the Fall of 2018, a prevention-focused project identified education, housing, and poverty as root causes of its region’s health disparities. St. Mary is part of the Providence St. Joseph Health (PSJH) network providing acute and outpatient services throughout seven western states. In 2017 PSJH invested $1.6 billion in community services. For more information about Providence St. Joseph Health see: https://www.psjhealth.org/
Unity Fellowship Social Justice Center, Rev Benita Ramsey
Website: ufcmlife.org
Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. — Isaiah 1:17
Formed in1980’s in response to the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African American community, the Unity Fellowship Social Justice Center is the social justice arm of Unity Fellowship Church. Our mission is to extend the radical welcome practiced at Unity Fellowship into the community, by creating awareness of social issues and by providing opportunities for community engagement & outreach around health care, Immigration reform, &Youth Empowerment. We recognize the intersections of gender and sexuality with race, ethnicity, class, ability, age, culture, nationality, immigration status and all social systems. We work to build and bridge communities that welcome and affirm people to be their whole selves, honoring their multiple identities and life experiences. We work to fight systems of oppression that marginalize individuals and communities based on social identities. We are committed to:
- Accountability: holding ourselves and others accountable for working against all forms of oppression.
- Accessibility: creating environments that are accessible to all identities with a focus on those most marginalized and oppressed in our communities.
- Intersectionality: centering our work on the impact and experiences of multiple oppressed identities.
- Empowerment: empowering self and others through sustainable practices and collective liberation.
- Transparency: being open and inclusive in our work and removing barriers to information access.
Unides Por La Musica, Oscar Ayon
Website: uplmnonprofit.org
The mission of Unidos Por La Musica (UPLM) is to promote economic self-sufficiency and upward mobility to low-income community residents through education and the power of music.