Thanks to a robust public-private partnership, Blue Shield of California has accelerated and expanded California’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution as a third-party administrator. In March 2021, in collaboration with Blue Shield of California Foundation, Philanthropy California hosted an online dialogue about how such alliances have furthered the cause of public health during the COVID-19 crisis.

Panel participants included Aliza Arjoyan, Blue Shield of California’s Senior Vice President of Provider Partnership and Network Management; Debbie Cheng, President and CEO of Blue Shield of California Foundation; Kathleen Kelly Janus, Senior Advisor on Social Innovation to Governor Newsom; Dr. Erica Pan, State Epidemiologist for the California Department of Public Health; Maricela Rodriguez, Director of Civic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships for the Office of Governor Newsom; and Marcela Ruiz, Director of the Office of Equity at the California Department of Social Services. Below are the key takeaways our panelists had for funders across the state.

  1. Invest proactively and for the long-term.
  2. Make use of the Healthy Places Index to channel aid to the communities that need it most.
  3. Invest in (and use!) public technology and data analytics.
  4. Invest in community education that is community-specific.
  5. Invest in smaller providers and support services.
  6. Celebrate the power of public-private partnerships.

Read the full article about fighting COVID at Southern California Grantmakers.