Last week the California Senate passed a bill SB338 (Mobile Health for Rural Communities Pilot Program) that establishes the Virtual Health Hub for Rural Communities Pilot Program and charges the State Department of Public Health with administering it. The bill was introduced by State Senator Josh Becker and co-authored by Life Science Cares Bay Area, California Life Sciences and Ayudando Latinos a Sonar (ALAS), the nonprofit organization that launched the original Farmworker’s Equity Express, a vibrant yellow double-decker bus that goes out to farms daily to deliver virtual healthcare, mental health services, cultural arts. The model has been largely successful because in addition to bringing much needed health services, its artistic design inspires instant joy and it brings community and care by a trusted organization. The passage of this bill is significant as it could pave the way for better access to health services and mental health for many California rural residents plagued with poverty and long working hours, as farmworkers are. For these vulnerable yet essential workers, healthcare needs that have an opportunity to be addressed early are often deprioritized creating bigger longer-term health issues. Addressing the accessibility issue for these populations is a high unmet need that this pilot will tackle.
Beyond its impact, the other significant aspect of this legislation is its very origin story. The vision for this effort started with a nonprofit (ALAS), got amplified by a philanthropic organization, Life Science Cares Bay Area which believed in ALAS’ vision and pulled private funders and support from Life Science companies Gilead, Genentech and Abbvie as well as partners such as Leadership Council San Mateo . The project went to market for 2 years in the community under the operational oversight of ALAS and when it was met with success, a key partner (California Life Sciences) recognized its impact and helped draft a bill and submit it to a visionary legislator. State Senator Josh Becker sponsored the bill and advocated for it to be undertaken as a pilot by the state so that it could benefit more vulnerable individuals. “This is an example of public / private / nonprofit partnership at its best where the nonprofit sees the need in the community and has a vision. The private sector takes the initial risk and then the public sector amplifies it. We need more of that to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems!”, says Executive Director Aisha Baro.
As the State of California now seeks to expand the virtual health hub model into two additional rural communities in California under a pilot administered by the California Department of Public Health, Life Science Cares Bay Area continues to play a key role in this collaboration and is looking for thought partners, sponsors and funders to help further shape and accelerate the expansion and the pilot. Please reach out to Executive Director Aisha Baro at [email protected] to learn how you can become part of a unique public/ private / nonprofit partnership that has the potential to deliver transformational healthcare innovation. If you are an interested supporter, you might even get to ride on the Equity Express into the farms on the Coastside and see it in action!
Read a more detailed Op-Ed from our Executive Director Aisha Baro here.