San Bernardino County

San Bernardino County Department of Public Health​ (SBCDPH) is improving health outcomes by building trust, sharing power, and prioritizing equity through practices that connect directly with residents. SBCDPH’s commitment to health equity extends beyond programs—it’s embedded in how they build and sustain relationships with the communities they serve. In this edition, we spotlight the work of the ​Health Equity program’s​ outreach teams: Health Ambassadors and Community Engagement.

Recruited directly from San Bernardino Communities, these teams foster open dialogue, resource sharing, and collective problem-solving through the Community-Based Organization (CBO) Collaborative. Utilizing data from CDPH and SBCDPH COVID-19 dashboards, they partner in a Vaccine Equity Workgroup to identify barriers and co-create strategies tailored to demographic and geographic groups. These collaborative models ensure that community voices shape public health strategies.

Additionally, the Health Ambassadors lead innovative projects like the Partner Material Review, a monthly media development process in which community partners review and refine health education materials to ensure the community's voices guide our communication. This approach not only improves the clarity and cultural relevance of our materials—it is instrumental in strengthening trust and accountability.

Behind the scenes, SBCDPH is embedding relationship-building into public health practice through its centralized Partner and Community Tracker (PACT). This system allows SBCDPH to track partnerships, identify service gaps, and target outreach in underserved areas, ensuring resources are distributed effectively and equitably.

By investing in strong partnerships, uplifting community voices, and using data to drive action, SBCDPH is driving a more equitable and empowered San Bernardino County.

For questions or more information, please contact SBCDPH’s Health Equity Team at ​EquityinAction@dph.county.gov​.