Our Work
Vision, Mission and Values
- Our vision is that every person will have healthcare and access to all of the services needed to support healthy living in the community.
- Our mission is to improve the health of children, families and seniors by providing access to care through health insurance enrollment, patient education and advocacy.
- Our values are trust, dedication, collaboration and diversity.
CHI History
- Community Health Initiative, formerly Children’s Health Initiative, (CHI) was established in Napa County in 2005 to provide a county-wide mechanism for increasing the number of insured children through a coordinated outreach, enrollment and retention effort designated to improve families’ participation in health coverage programs. Since our founding in 2005, we have addressed systemic challenges with access to healthcare, both locally and statewide. Similarly, we have provided a health safety net for low-income families through insurance enrollment and follow-up.
- Due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), we expanded our services in January 2013 to serve all ages including, young adults, adults and seniors. The comprehensive health care law reform provided us an opportunity to restructure our agency, resulting in a name change from Children’s Health Initiative to Community Health Initiative in 2015.
- Collaborations with partner agencies, health care centers, school districts, community colleges, adult education, workforce, health and human services and businesses have allowed us to bridge health insurance gaps in our communities. We have skilled and licensed bilingual and bicultural staff who mirror the community’s needs and assist in accessing the services.
- Due to the success our organization has had in Napa, other communities have requested our services. In 2021 we expanded our work to 3 other counties; Solano, Santa Clara and Los Angeles. CHI serves over 23,000 individuals across the four-county areas that we serve. Our team grew from 10 employees to approximately 50! We are proud of the work that we do. Every day we help people find resources, get treatment for chronic illnesses, save healthcare costs, prevent disease and improve economic stability. (Data collected in 2023)
- CHI is a leader and innovator in addressing barriers to healthcare access, especially among the vibrant immigrant communities that we serve. CHI staff have developed innovative outreach methods, educated professional partners and community members about issues impeding access (such as immigration policies), created curricula now used statewide and participated in many pilot programs. CHI is an active participant in the statewide association of similar organizations to advocate for expanded healthcare coverage and to develop best practices.
CHI Model: Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization (OERU)
Outreach
Our best practice methodology begins with outreach. We conduct health insurance outreach activities throughout the year to diverse populations and age groups that might not have access to healthcare. After connecting with our community at outreach events and through professional partner referrals, we provide guidance and access to healthcare services.
Enrollment
We offer health insurance enrollment assistance in Medi-Cal, Covered California, Medicare, Private Individual and Family Plans, dental and vision plans. All services are provided at no cost to the individual.
Retention
Retention consists of assisting our clients with renewing their health insurance on an annual basis, customized to their changing needs. Assisting with health insurance renewals is one of the most important steps for our clients, because it provides peace of mind through uninterrupted healthcare coverage.
Utilization
Finally, utilization means providing support to all clients as they navigate through our complex healthcare system. Our team follows up with families after their initial enrollment to ensure they know how their coverage works, where to obtain services and how to access other community resources. Additionally, our team conducts
