Friday, April 3, 2026

Regional Leaders Launch Foundation to Protect Public Health Amid Spending Cuts

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Amid nearly $50 million in spending reductions for public health, Los Angeles leaders Thursday announced a privately funded foundation to protect such services for residents.

The organization, known as The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA, held its inaugural board meeting Thursday at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

Health advocates and community leaders came together to create the group in response the county experiencing a nearly $50 million decrease in funding for services and its health workforce. The reduction in public health funding at the federal, state and local level has resulted in the closure of seven public health clinics, which have impacted the county’s most marginalized communities, officials said.

Foundation members say they will work to create a new source of revenue that will be dedicated to public health services such as disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, emergency preparedness and response. Their second goal is to ensure that L.A. County can continue serving all residents, regardless of immigration status, income, sexual orientation or gender identity.

“This foundation is designed to work hand-in-hand with community- based organizations, advocates, healthcare leaders, and other sectors because lasting change happens when we come together with a shared purpose,” Barbara Ferrer, director of the county Department of Public Health, said in a statement.

“Through these partnerships, the fund will support critical efforts like disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, and emergency response strengthening the systems that keep our communities safe and thriving,” Ferrer added.

The not-for-profit foundation will be overseen by its nine-member board of directors, which includes Ferrer, and the following members:

• Jarrett Barrios, senior vice president of International Services/Services to Armed Forces, American Red Cross;
• Debbie I. Chang, president and CEO of Blue Shield California;
• Saree Kayne, CEO and president of R&S Kanye Foundation, which conducts philanthropic efforts in the U.S. and New Zealand;
• Kristin McCowan, vice president of government affairs and community relations of The Los Angeles Dodgers;
• Sean Penn, co-founder of Community Organized Relief Effort;
• Deborah Prothrow-Stith, dean of Charles Drew University College of Medicine;
• Martha Santa-Chin, CEO of LA Care Health Plan; and
• Danny Trejo, actor, author and restaurateur

“Public private partnerships are essential to advancing health equity. They allow us to move faster, be more flexible, and support communities in ways that traditional systems alone often cannot,” Kayne said.

“The Fund for Advancing Public Health LA embodies that same spirit of collaboration, bringing together government, philanthropy, community members, and other sectors to address urgent needs and long-standing inequities,” Kayne added.