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In this commentary, Debbie I. Chang shares that nearly two-thirds of Californians (63%) report that they have personal connections to domestic violence either directly or through friends or family, according to a newly published statewide survey.

When it comes to preventing gender-based violence, early investment has a huge ripple effect. Experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event like physical abuse in early life can have profoundly negative consequences long term, things like chronic illness, substance abuse, economic insecurity, and even decreased life expectancy.

A cohort of creative visionary leaders, and their innovative projects, have been announced as the inaugural recipients of the Public Health Institute’s Pittman Prize awards, totaling $30,000. The Pittman Prize was created by the Public Health Institute (PHI) in 2023 to honor previous PHI president Dr. Mary A. Pittman for her contributions to the field.

In California, about 42.5% of Black women have experienced some form of IPV, compared to 34.9% of all women in the state, according to a Blue Shield of California Foundation report. This abuse can be physical, psychological, financial, sexual emotional.

Debbie Chang, foundation president and CEO, shares reflections on the 2024 Grantmakers for Effective Organizations conference.

One in five women who become homeless in California flee their homes to escape violence and escalating abuse by an intimate partner, a new analysis of a statewide survey has reported.

Research indicates that an estimated 20 percent of health outcomes are linked to medical care; the remaining 80 percent stem from socioeconomic, environmental, and behavioral factors referred to as social drivers of health (DOH). These factors — such as homelessness, food insecurity, and exposure to intimate partner violence — are associated with chronic illness, mental health issues, acute hospitalizations, and high health care costs and disproportionately impact communities of color.

Three evaluation leaders, including our very own Chief Evaluation and Strategy Director, Ana Jackson, share how they are fostering more equitable approaches to evaluation to ensure they are putting the people they serve at the center of their work.

How breaking down silos in health and social services can enable collaboration and reduce intimate partner violence.

"The Guaranteed Income Pooled Fund provides us with the opportunity to invest in a first-of-its-kind statewide initiative that creates a path to economic security, and one that ultimately leads to greater health equity and well-being in communities where it is needed most,” said Asma Day, program manager working to strengthen economic security and mobility at Blue Shield of California Foundation.

A study by Carolyn Wang Kong, and our own Ana Jackson and Courtnee Hamity, along with Jennifer Green, sheds light on gaps in state health equity data for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, and shows the need for better representation for this fastest growing racial and ethnic group.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed long-standing racial and economic injustices embedded in our health care system. This has led to a renewed commitment to improve health equity and address the drivers of health (DoH) that account for 80 percent of health outcomes and have a disproportionate impact on communities of color. These include stable, affordable housing; healthy food; reliable income; and interpersonal safety, among others.

This set of grants was designed to support work rooted in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities to address the current COVID-19 crisis and also work toward systemic redesign and upstream solutions.

In a California statewide survey sponsored by the Blue Shield of California Foundation, 1918 adults were asked about the impact COVID-19 had on their personal lives. Some of the findings around domestic violence according to PerryUndem, a non-partisan public opinion research firm, is 9 in 10 Californians feel domestic violence is a serious problem and two-thirds consider domestic violence to be a public issue that should be addressed by all of us