Community Health Assessment & Health Equity

Health equity means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be healthier. No matter who we are, where we live or how much money we make, we should all have the same opportunities to live a longer and healthier life¹. To achieve this, we must first identify the inequities within our county and work collectively to remove obstacles to health.

Our department partners with the Community Vital Signs Initiative, a community-wide collaborative created to improve the health of all county residents². The collaborative is made up of community leaders and decision makers from different sectors across the county including safety, education, health and many more. The Community Vital Signs Initiative is also responsible for maintaining an up-to-date countywide health assessment called the San Bernardino County Our Community Vital Signs Report. The assessment tells us the needs of our county and if there are any inequities in our communities that we need to talk about.

After the Community Vital Signs Report is completed, the Community Vital Signs Initiative will create a Community Transformation Plan in response to the needs identified in the assessment. The plan will bring different community representatives together to collectively put into action goals and objectives that will help transform San Bernardino County into a healthier place to live, work, learn and play.

We will also review the countywide assessment data to select at least three health equity issue areas the department will address over the next five years. This work will be in alignment with the Community Transformation Plan and the DPH Strategic Plan.

Action plans with major activities were created for each objective. After the countywide assessment is completed by January 1, 2020, the department will begin selection of health equity issue areas.

Learn more about health inequities in your communities and speak up! Work collectively with your community to help break down barriers to health and get involved with the Community Vital Signs Initiative.

Click here to learn more about the Community Vital Signs Initiative

¹ Achieving Health Equity 

² San Bernardino County Community Vital Signs Initiative