Connecting for Better Health Forms First Nonprofit Dedicated to Advancing Data Sharing in California

The nonprofit is building upon its proven data sharing advocacy and education work to expand its leadership team and extend its impact 

LARKSPUR, Calif., Nov. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Connecting for Better Health, the coalition dedicated to advancing data sharing in California, today announced it is now a nonprofit. This transformation makes it California's first cross-industry, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health and social outcomes for all Californians through the advancement of community- and state-focused data sharing infrastructure.

Connecting for Better Health's (C4BH) transition to a nonprofit builds upon more than three years of successful advocacy and education work, during which C4BH organized panels for industry events, developed informational materials, drove policy conversations around data sharing, and helped guide implementation of the Data Exchange Framework (DxF).

"Formation of the Connecting for Better Health nonprofit is representative of both the need for and effectiveness of data sharing advocacy work in California, which is the foundation for care providers to access the information they need to make care seamless, high quality, and affordable for our residents," said Timi Leslie, Executive Director of C4BH and Founder and President of BluePath Health, a health care consulting firm. "We're thrilled to advance our work, grow our community, and be a collaborative, cross-functional voice focused on ensuring that data sharing is developed thoughtfully and meaningfully across the state."

As a nonprofit, C4BH will expand its leadership team and build on strong momentum. C4BH initially plans to progress its advocacy and education work related to DxF governance, the need for consent management in data sharing, and exchange across the health care and social services sectors.

Its inaugural board of directors will include:

• Board Chair – Jacqueline Ejuwa, PharmD, MHL, Vice President of Health Transformation, Blue Shield of California
• Board Treasurer – Lori Hack, Interim Executive Director, California Association of Health Information Exchanges
• Board Secretary – Katie Heidorn, Director, State Health Policy, California Health Care Foundation
• Bill Barcellona, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, America's Physician Groups
• Maria Dino, Deputy Research Director, Service Employees International Union Local 2015
• Crystal Eubanks, Vice President, Care Transformation and California Quality Collaborative, Purchaser Business Group on Health
• Rhonda Smith, Executive Director, California Black Health Network
• Timi Leslie, Founder and President of BluePath Health and Executive Director, Connecting for Better Health

C4BH has a proven track record of promoting the expansion of health and social data sharing. To date, it has advanced awareness of data infrastructure, such as health information exchanges (HIEs) and community information exchanges (CIEs), and brought attention to equitable data sharing practices for at-risk populations, including WIC recipients, Californians facing homelessness, and aging adults. C4BH is composed of providers, caregivers, health plans, patient advocates, innovators, and community-based organizations representing some of the most influential health care leaders and organizations across California.

For more information or to sign up for the C4BH newsletter, visit connectingforbetterhealth.com.

About Connecting for Better Health (C4BH)

Connecting for Better Health is dedicated to advancing health and social data sharing to improve the health of all Californians. Our nonprofit coalition of diverse stakeholders have a shared vision that every Californian and their care team will have the information and insights they need to make care seamless, high quality, and affordable. To realize the full potential of data sharing, we provide a forum for members to discuss policy developments, share the latest innovations, and develop a collective outlook to bring awareness to and influence policy at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit connectingforbetterhealth.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

SOURCE Connecting for Better Health