Los Angeles County has embarked on a new initiative to directly engage with communities in a bid to improve public health outcomes. The Department of Public Health (Public Health), partnering with Rising Communities, has rolled out the Community Public Health Teams (CPHT) Pilot Project. Aimed at forging a deeper connection, Public Health and partners are set to impact around 80,000 households across various neighborhoods, according to the County of Los Angeles, California.

The localities covered by this initiative include neighborhoods spread across Lancaster, Pacoima, San Fernando, Sylmar, El Monte, Rosemead, South El Monte, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Florence-Firestone, Watts, Harvard Park, South Park, West Vernon, Bell, Cudahy, Huntington Park, South Gate, and Wilmington. Each area will benefit from tailored engagement with entities like Antelope Valley Partners for Health, CORE Community Organized Relief Effort, and Children’s Institute, Inc., paired with respective healthcare partners such as Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center and Northeast Valley Health Corporation.

With an ambitious set of goals, the CPHTs will work tirelessly to ensure households are connected to health care and social services they need, while also mobilizing partners to actively promote health equity and improve community conditions. "We’ve learned that public health activities benefit from a different kind of engagement," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.Ed., Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, as per the County of Los Angeles, California.

The CPHT initiative is not standing alone; it stands partially funded by a Public Health Infrastructure Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This financial backing is testament to the belief in Los Angeles County’s progressive model. "This initiative aligns with our efforts to interrupt systemic inequities by transforming systems," Dr. Michelle Burton, CEO at Rising Communities, as reported by the County of Los Angeles, California.