The old adage says it takes a village to raise a child. However, it takes a community to ensure a child can live a healthy and thriving life.
Over 100 community-based organizations (CBO) and nonprofit professionals gathered on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at IEHP Foundation’s IE Vibrant Health Forum, titled Strong from the Start: Early Childhood Wellness & Connections to Care, to learn about the importance of community partnerships and the vital role of CBOs in connecting families and their children to health care.
Local childhood health experts shared recent data, trends, best practices and resources to equip community-based organizations to serve as reliable messengers within their communities.
Marcella De Santis, Pediatric Preventive Care Strategist at IEHP, provided a data-rich overview of early child wellness in the Inland Empire and the opportunities and gaps that can be filled in partnership with CBOs. She stressed the importance of children receiving early childhood care and immunizations; however, there are pockets across the region that aren’t receiving or able to access that care.
In an engaging panel discussion, Larissa Wills, Regional Manager at First 5 Riverside; Dr. Wendy Lee, Systems Integration Officer at First 5 San Bernardino; and Sonia Rivas Manager, Health Navigator at IEHP, discussed the ongoing efforts of child wellness initiatives, resources and coalitions that local CBOs can participate in to better inform and serve their communities.
Megan Daly, Director of Help Me Grow Inland Empire, shared the growing need for more timely screenings and early intervention efforts to help children and their families start a healthy and thriving life from the start.
Sandra Bowers, IE Regional Director, Hope Through Housing Foundation, closed out the day with an energetic overview of how Hope Through Housing works with local community organizations and partners to provide health and wellness resources to residents at its sites across the region.
The event provided a unique space for local CBOs and nonprofits to learn, connect and collaborate on how we can work collectively as a region to advance Vibrant Health for our youngest residents.
Many attendees shared that the visualized data was crucial in helping them learn how to serve IE families and collaborate with other organizations and coalitions across the region.
“The presentations and information were so valuable,” shared Aira Tapia, Community Relations Coordinator at Community Health Systems, Inc. “I see the struggle every day, but being able to see the data is just really eye-opening.”
The purpose of the IE Vibrant Health Forum was to highlight the challenges, needs and opportunities to expand access to early child health care, including increasing primary care visits and immunization rates. However, nearly every presentation, panel and conversation made clear that nonprofits play a critical role in advancing Vibrant Health in the region’s youngest residents.
As Dr. Lee shared, “We can’t meet the needs of the community without our community partners.”
If you are interested in connecting your community with resources and information on early child health and wellness, click here for a vast list of local resources, information and best practices.