Last year, the Population Health Management Initiative continued advancing its aim to improve quality care and equitable health outcomes for people served by Community Health Centers (CHCs).
Our cohort of CHCs transitioned from "Building the Foundations" to deepening our impact within specific Populations of Focus (PoFs). The PHMI Learning Action Network served as the connecting force, providing diverse platforms for growth, peer sharing and clinical intervention.
Before we get too far into the year, we’re looking back at 2025 to understand how our progress shapes our direction for 2026.
Highlights
1 Statewide Learning Session
The 2025 Statewide Learning Session served as a high-energy catalyst for collaboration, bringing together 120 representatives from 31 CHCs alongside 84 stakeholders from partners like the California Primary Care Association, Regional Associations of California and the California Department of Health Care Services. The gathering centered on the transformative power of peer connection, with one participant noting the value of "being able to see different approaches and tactics that other health centers are putting in practice to solve some of our most common difficulties.”
4 Regional Learning Sessions
Across the Central Valley, North Coast, Sonoma County, and Los Angeles regions, Regional Learning Sessions focused on behavioral health integration, workforce well-being and responding to social needs.
One of the most powerful moments was the Storytelling Workshop. It gave teams a chance to share the real impact of this initiative – like one participant who said PHMI “helped guide the organization from the edge of closure to a place of hope and sustainability." The session struck a chord across the cohort, and now 88% of respondents feel more confident using storytelling strategically to share and sustain their PHMI successes.
Virtual Touchpoints though Peer Learning
Over the year, PHMI hosted 5 affinity groups, 10 webinars and 12 senior leadership calls, highlighting best practices on key population health topics.
Direct Support that Makes a Difference
CHCs received 2,606 hours of coaching and expert help – about 6.7 hours per month – to build lasting systems. Every participating CHC received a tailored analysis of their PHMI progress in areas like empanelment, data quality and team-based care redesign. One CHC staff member shared, “Coaching is the most impactful as we were able to deal with specific concerns related to our organization.”
Continued Advancement: Progress by Numbers
Our evaluation data confirms that PHMI is making real progress on foundational competencies and clinical outcomes:
- 70% of CHC staff surveyed reported that PHMI had a direct impact on foundational competencies.
- 18 CHCs have completed all foundational competencies for at least one PoF. Learn more about foundational competencies here.
- 90% of CHC staff rated the PHMI initiative as good, very good or excellent.
- As of early 2024, 78% of CHCs showed improvement in at least one of their PoF measures of focus.
Our Vision for 2026: Full Speed Ahead
As the program continues to evolve, we are moving from building foundations to embedding these high-value interventions into the fabric of CHC operations.
This year, we will build on this work by deepening clinical interventions for Populations of Focus, spread high-value models across health center sites, and strengthen sustainability plans to hold gains for years to come.
We are stronger together, and the momentum from the initiative thus far has set the stage for an even more impactful 2026. We look forward to sharing progress and updates throughout the year, please stay tuned!