Community Health Investment Fund

The Robert E. Tranquada, M.D. Health Care Safety Net Awards initiative is one of L.A. Care’s oldest and most iconic efforts. Named for L.A. Care’s founding Board of Governors member, the Tranquada Initiative supports safety net clinic infrastructure. Projects have ranged from quality improvement to purchasing adaptive equipment to preventing staff burnout and much more. L.A. Care has awarded 189 Tranquada grants totaling $24 million over 14 funding cycles.

L.A. Care is known for being one of the largest funders of oral health services in L.A. County. The Oral Health Initiative supports oral health services provided by safety net providers. Projects have ranged from adding dental treatment capacity to targeting hard-to-reach populations, such as people with disabilities, to receive dental care. L.A. Care has awarded 184 Oral Health Initiative grants totaling nearly $17.5 million over 14 funding cycles.

The Health Information Technology Initiative supported safety net providers’ ability to adopt electronic health records and participate in health information exchanges. Nine Health Information Technology Initiative grants totaling $4 million have been awarded over four funding cycles.

The Community Wellness Initiative supports food and economic security by funding community-based organizations that help individuals and families apply for CalFresh and Earned Income Tax Credit benefits. These programs are historically underutilized and provide a direct monetary benefit to eligible households. L.A. Care has awarded 32 Community Wellness grants totaling nearly $2.5 million over five funding cycles. In addition, through work with the California Association of Foodbanks, the health plan has supported 30 community-based organizations totaling nearly $4 million to help assist individuals with Earned Income Tax Credit and CalFresh applications.

L.A. Care made a large investment in permanent supportive housing through its five-year, $20 million grant to support the County of Los Angeles’ Housing for Health Whole Person Care Waiver. Additional investments in eviction prevention are an important complement to help prevent homelessness in the first place. The Housing Stability Initiative supports advocacy, education and legal support for people at risk of being evicted. L.A. Care has awarded 35 Housing Stability grants totaling almost $3 million over four funding cycles. More than 18,000 tenants have received tenant navigation and legal assistance, and more than 11,000 have been able to remain in their homes. 

The Equity and Resilience Initiative invests in community-based organizations led by and primarily serving people of color, which have historically experienced underinvestment. The initiative supports infrastructure and leadership development to expand organizational resilience and fiscal sustainability. Grant recipients address inequity and structural racism through advocacy programs, civic engagement, and leadership development. L.A. Care has awarded 31 Equity and Resilience grants totaling more than $4 million over four funding cycles.

The Generating African American Infant and Nurturers’ Survival (GAAINS) Initiative invests in cross-sector organizations to produce systemic change in care, eliminate the toxic stress of racism and bias, and reduce disparities in maternal and infant birth outcomes. L.A. Care has awarded 17 GAAINS grants totaling more than $2 million over two funding cycles.

The balance of the $138 million in CHIF funding was given in small, one-time initiatives or ad hoc grants. Ad hoc grants fund projects that align with L.A. Care’s priorities but don’t fit under the initiative categories. Over the years, L.A. Care has awarded grants supporting areas such as the health care safety net, social determinants of health, immigration support, food as medicine, COVID-19 relief, workforce pipeline development, and much more.