Yesterday marked the release of San Diego County’s 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Reflecting three years of thoughtful collaboration by hospitals and community partners, this report represents the voices of more than 1,600 community members who spoke candidly about their health, lives, and experiences with a system too often stretched thin. 

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The American Hospital Association (AHA) is accepting applications for its Quest for Quality Prize, an annual award that honors hospitals and health systems committed to leadership and innovation in improving quality and advancing health.

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On Aug. 21 from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the San Diego County Administration Center will host a resource fair in observance of International Overdose Awareness Day. The event will highlight prevention, treatment, and support, emphasizing that overdose is preventable and addiction is treatable.

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The San Diego County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Office seeks public comment on five EMS draft policies: special project proposals, EMS continuing education, local EMS agency data use and storage, the emergency medical dispatch enhanced care access plan, and the emergency medical dispatch enhanced care access template. The comment period closes on Aug. 21.

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The California Health and Human Services Agency, along with the Department of Health Care Services and the Judicial Council of California, will host the next Community Assistance, Recovery & Empowerment (CARE) Act Working Group meeting on Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (PT) in Sacramento and via Zoom. The event will include a presentation and discussion about the recently released 2025 CARE Act Annual Report, which details early progress in connecting Californians with serious mental illnesses to treatment and housing. Also on the agenda is a panel discussion on the role of peer support in the CARE Act; updates on implementation, training, and technical assistance; and more.

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As the deadline for inaugural Hospital Equity Measures Report submissions under Assembly Bill 1204 (2021) approaches, the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) has officially opened its online reporting portal. Hospitals must submit their reports via the portal by Sept. 30, and resources from the Hospital Quality Institute (HQI) and HCAI are available to help hospitals meet this deadline. HCAI will also host a webinar on Aug. 18 from 10-11 a.m. (PT) to go over the reporting portal, de-identification guidelines, and various technical aspects. Hospitals that wish to take advantage of HQI’s automated reporting solution, which streamlines the data submission process considerably, should sign up as soon as possible.  

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On Sept. 18 at the Kona Kai Resort, the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) will host the 2025 California State Trauma Summit, an annual statewide forum focused on advancing trauma and emergency care. Trauma professionals will gather for a day of education, collaboration, and innovation in trauma care, covering such topics as trauma system regulatory updates, disaster surge planning, trauma data reporting, and more. Attendees may earn continuing medical education and continuing education credits. 

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The Policy and Innovation Center has released two requests for proposals addressing new behavioral health funding opportunities: the Nurse Practitioner Expansion Grant Program and the Social Work, Therapy, and Counseling Internship Program. Both programs are part of the ELEVATE Behavioral Health Workforce Fund, which includes the San Diego Pay it Forward Loan Program and two other upskilling programs. The deadline to submit proposals is Aug. 27. 

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