Welcome to CHC

Community Health Councils (CHC) is a non-profit community-based health promotion, advocacy and policy organization. CHC was established in 1992 in response to the growing healthcare crisis. Our mission is to improve health and increase access to quality healthcare for uninsured, under-resourced and underserved populations.


Reduce disparities in healthcare

Issues/Hot Topics

Food Desert to Food Oasis: Promoting Grocery Store Development in South Los Angeles. Ready access to healthy food is taken for granted in most neighborhoods. But that is not the case in South Los Angeles, where many residents must travel outside the community to find fresh and nutritious food. Food Desert to Food Oasis, released by CHC in July 2010, examines policy and systems changes the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County can adopt to attract full-service grocery stores and improve access to affordable healthy foods in what is now a food desert.

This brief is the first in a series of reports on transforming South LA's food desert. Food Desert to Food Oasis provides recommendations on policy and system changes the City and County of Los Angeles can adopt to attract healthy food retail to the South LA community and includes case studies of successful strategies from across the country. The report focuses on the development of new full-service grocery stores in under-served neighborhoods, and documents the current food resource environment in South LA and the area's market potential. The recommendations are based on a year-long analysis by members of CHC's Food Resource Development Workgroup on how to overcome barriers to new development in South LA.

Save the Date! Hear a panel discussion about LA's food deserts with CHC's Lark Galloway-Gilliam and other experts on Southern California Public Radio's Patt Morrison show. Monday, July 26, 2-3pm and Tuesday, July 27, 1-2pm. Check your local listings.


State Budget Update  California legislators once again missed the constitutional deadline of June 15th for enacting a 2010-11 state budget.

Day at the Capitol On June 15th, health advocates and families gathered at the State Capitol to put a face to the consequences of the cuts to health and social services in the proposed 2010-2011 California Budget.

Prevention & Public Health Funding Allocated  In mid-June, the Obama Administration announced the fiscal year 2010 allocation of the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the health reform law.

LA's Food Corner  South LA's Fast Food Moratorium is about to expire. City Council considers an abandoned shopping cart ordinance.

Register to Vote!  The election season has begun, and Community Health Councils is working to increase community capacity for voter engagement and advocacy.

South Health Center Groundbreaking  Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas welcomed community members to the ground-breaking ceremony for the new $20 million South Health Center on June 11th.

Health Reform Resources Learn about the potential impact of health reform on Los Angeles.


On May 14th, Governor Schwarzenegger released his May Revise to the proposed 2010-11 California state budget. California faces a $17.9 billion shortfall, which the Governor resolves through steep cuts to our fragile healthcare system and without any measures to increase revenues to ease the budget crisis. Overall, the Revise seeks $12.4 billion in spending reductions.

Read CHC's Fact Sheet: May Revise to the Proposed 2010-11 State Budget for an overview of key changes and new reductions in the May Revise to the 2010-11 state budget.

Learn 7 Things California Can Do to Protect the Health of Children & Families and Put People Back to Work, CHC's alternatives to preserve health and social services programs for millions of children and families hardest hit by the current recession. These measures would position California to receive more federal funding for healthcare, jobs, transportation, education and a healthy environment.

A detailed analysis of the impact of the healthcare cuts in the May Revision on the California and local communities is available in our Fact Sheet on the Impact of Healthcare Cuts.

The 2010-11 California State Budget and related documents are available on the Department of Finance budget page.

 

neighborhood food watch