News

HARC's 2019 health survey yields 4 community reports on valley

"Community Health" appears on screen of an electronic device with a stethoscope in the foreground

In 2019, Health Assessment and Research for Communities (HARC) conducted a community health survey of and for the Coachella Valley, with the support of a District and Foundation grant.

Health in the Time of COVID: A Chat with Carmina Zavala, the Newest Member of the Desert Healthcare District Board

Zavala has been practicing at a Palm Springs outpatient clinic for individuals with mental-health issues. She said she believes her experience will prove beneficial to the DHCD board and valley residents alike.

Air quality regulators adopt plan to address pollution in eastern Coachella Valley

The draft plan includes a preliminary list of efforts: pave roads at mobile home parks, build a notification system for permitted agricultural burning and Salton Sea emissions, identify airborne pesticides in need of better monitoring, install air filters at schools and other key buildings, and incentivize the replacement of old machinery such as tractors.

District CEO: New year brings opportunities to grow Coachella Valley's healthcare infrastructure

While we have all faced unprecedented challenges this year that we never imagined, this time has underscored the importance of collaboration and collective impact, of humanity and kindness, and of strength and resilience.

“No le dará el virus”: Doctor local aclara mitos sobre la vacuna contra el COVID-19

La distribución de las primeras vacunas contra el COVID-19 aquí en el condado de Riverside está cada vez más cerca. Sin embargo, la ola de mitos sobre la vacuna continúa creciendo en las redes sociales. Este viernes se espera que cerca de 14,000 dosis de la vacuna contra el coronavirus lleguen al condado de Riverside.

Mobile team providing free testing at east valley churches

Riverside County, the Desert Healthcare Foundation and multiple community-based organizations have partnered with two Catholic churches in Coachella and Mecca to provide free COVID testing and education to residents throughout the month of December.

Healthcare District Board swears in 4 Directors and elects officers

The Desert Healthcare District and Foundation Board welcomed a new Director in December, as mental health professional Carmina Zavala was sworn in during a special Board meeting on Dec. 10. Incumbents Leticia De Lara, Arthur Shorr, and Les Zendle, MD, who were re-elected on November 3, also took the oath of office.

(Espanol) 'Pico de Gallo' spotlights Coachella Valley Equity Collaborative

A collaborative of Coachella Valley, Riverside County and regional agencies and nonprofit organizations have joined forces to help the eastern valley farmworkers and other vulnerable communities gain access to COVID-19 testing and support services. Collaborative members Alejandro Espinoza and Melinda Cordero-Barzaga are interviewed (in Spanish) on recent efforts.

Deemed essential, California farmworkers risk disease and deportation

As essential workers who provide food across the U.S., farmworkers in the eastern Coachella Valley remain at risk of contracting COVID-19. Many lack the basic safety net they need if they get sick, as they grapple with the added concern of possible deportation.

We believe every resident in our District deserves:

Access to health education, disease prevention and comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services
The opportunity to participate in District matters through access and input to the board

We support positive health system change via:

Incorporating best-practice methodologies where possible
Encouraging accurate outcome measurement by benchmarking, monitoring and evaluation
Supporting innovative new practices and programs
Fostering collaboration and partnerships