Priority Area: Access to Health and Wellness

Why is access to health and wellness so important to health?

Access to Health and Wellness encompasses many aspects of health outcomes affecting SBC residents including Access to Health Care, Behavioral Health, and Healthy Behaviors. Many socioeconomic factors affect the health of SBC residents. A lack of health insurance coverage is a significant barrier to accessing health services. Families and individuals without health insurance coverage often have unmet health needs, receive fewer preventive services, suffer delays in receiving appropriate care and experience more hospitalizations. In other words, uninsured persons are less likely to receive medical care, and more likely to have poor health and to die prematurely.

How do the goals align with the Countywide Vision?

The Countywide Vision focuses on prevention programs and superior healthcare services; reduction of chronic disease and socio-economic disparities through health education, promotion of healthy lifestyles and healthy city initiatives, development of outcome-based health services; and increased collaboration between and among providers and community-based organizations.

What did the data show?

As of 2013, 81% of SBC residents had health insurance coverage. Health insurance coverage in San Bernardino County remains below California and the Healthy People2020 target. San Bernardino County is considered to be a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA-PC) for primary care providers, according to the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. This means there are not enough primary care physicians to adequately care for the population’s health needs. In addition, SBC has slightly higher rates of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, obesity and cardiovascular disease compared to California overall.