Biweekly Briefing Articles

5 Things To Know: San Diego County Behavioral Health Provides Update on New Wellness Campus

During the Aug. 19 Board of Supervisors meeting, San Diego County Behavioral Health leadership presented an update on the new behavioral health wellness campus. The project will create a centralized, 120,000‑square‑foot behavioral health treatment campus on approximately 8.24 acres of county‑owned property on Rosecrans Street. It will offer crisis stabilization services, outpatient mental health care,...

A Major Win for Health Care Access in Imperial County

Late last month, Imperial County reached a significant health care milestone with the Imperial Valley Healthcare District’s (IVHD) acquisition of El Centro Regional Medical Center. This is the final piece in creating a unified health care district (which also includes Pioneers Medical Center in Brawley), designed to strengthen care delivery and better serve residents in Imperial County. With bondholders having agreed to the transaction, the last remaining hurdle has been cleared, paving the way for the district’s completion. Bondholders are working through the final administrative and regulatory steps of the transition’s formal completion.

5 Things To Know: CHA Makes Case That Now Is the Time to Overturn OHCA’s Unlawful Cost Targets 

Last week, the California Hospital Association (CHA) filed its latest legal brief with the San Francisco Superior Court establishing why the judge must reject the Office of Health Care Affordability’s (OHCA’s) request to dismiss the case. While OHCA continues its attempts to dodge any oversight, CHA’s latest petition demonstrates why judicial scrutiny is needed now — OHCA’s spending targets are already causing direct and immediate harm...

5 Things To Know: Domestic Violence Council to Host Virtual Training 

The San Diego Domestic Violence (DV) Council is hosting a one-day virtual training — DV Essentials — on Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (PT). This training is intended for professionals seeking basic training on domestic violence and will cover screening, risk factor identification, safety planning, resources, and more.

5 Things To Know: San Diego and Imperial Counties to Convene for Environmental Health 

Stakeholders are invited to register for the Border Health Collaborative's Environmental Health Symposium on Oct. 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Alpine. Participants will be able to connect with environmental health experts, clinicians, academics, promotores, regional advocates, and border health partners on how environmental systems are reshaping health across the Cali-Baja border region.  

5 Things To Know: Community Input Requested for San Diego County’s Legislative Program

The San Diego County Office of Economic Development and Governmental Affairs is seeking community input for the 2027 Legislative Program, which outlines the Board of Supervisors’ policy priorities at the state and federal levels. A virtual community forum will be held Aug. 25 from 5 to 6 p.m. (PT); the deadline to submit public comment is Sept. 14. To learn more or share feedback, visit Engage San Diego or email comments to legislative.program@sdcounty.ca.gov.  

5 Things To Know: California Health Care Foundation to Host Aug. 18 Webinar on CalAIM

An upcoming webinar — Making CalAIM Work in a Constrained Fiscal Environment — will explore practical strategies that health care organizations, managed care plans, county systems, and community-based organizations can use now to continue advancing coordinated, equitable care for Medi-Cal members. Jim Hickman, a CalAIM subject matter expert, will share insights from his work supporting county systems, managed care plans, providers, and health care innovators...