Community Health Ambassador Program empowers community members as trusted health messengers

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Launched in September 2024, the Community Health Ambassador Program (CHAP) was a year-long pilot initiative by the Inland Empire Health Plan in partnership with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health’s Health Equity Program. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Health Disparities Grant, CHAP equipped trusted community members in the High Desert region to serve as local health messengers. The program aimed to help residents — especially those in underserved areas — better connect with health and social services and learn about resources that support long-term health.

The High Desert faces unique health challenges, including lower childhood vaccination rates, limited access to and use of preventive care, and a shortage of healthcare providers. Combined with lower civic participation, these factors made it harder for residents to receive important health information through traditional channels like clinics or online platforms. CHAP helped fill these gaps.

A grassroots approach to health education

Nineteen Community Health Ambassadors — from church leaders to grassroots organizers —were trained in locally relevant health topics, such as civic participation, immunizations, preventive care, emergency preparedness, healthcare navigation and more.

These informal interactions fostered trust and meaningful conversation. One ambassador regularly rode the New Hope transportation bus and used the commute to talk with riders about preventive care. Another met parents and grandparents at youth baseball games, sharing information about extreme heat and routine health screenings in between innings.

Across 25 unique ZIP codes, including Victorville, Barstow, Phelan, Adelanto and Apple Valley, ambassadors conducted over 5,000 one-on-one conversations. These exchanges were not just informative — they were transformative. Ambassador Tonya McCampbell said, “People have learned a lot. They feel more open to asking for resources.” Another ambassador, Sir Duplechan reflected, “The conversations we were having were exactly what our communities needed.”

The program also created positive ripple effects. After a CHAP training on preventive screenings, a representative from Providence St. Mary Medical Center initiated plans for a men’s health education event, creating space for open dialogue with male providers around sensitive health issues.

A lasting investment

CHAP was more than a public awareness effort; it was a grassroots, community-driven approach to advance health equity. As the pilot concluded in August 2025, it demonstrated how trust-based, culturally relevant outreach could strengthen connections between residents and health services. By embedding health conversations into everyday life and tailoring information for local needs, CHAP showed that people-centered outreach was both effective and sustainable.

The Department of Public Health began reviewing pilot findings to explore how this model could be expanded or adapted to continue strengthening health equity across the region. To learn more about the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health and its programs, visit dph.sbcounty.gov.

Additional County Update News – December 18