20 Years of Transformational Work
The Partnership has three strategic focus areas that will guide its work through 2020 to improve the health and wellness of the Orange County community:

1. Strengthen Community Health & Wellness

2. Improve Health and Wellness Structures/Systems for Vulnerable Populations

3. Protect Access to Care For All
For over 15 years the transformational work of the Partnership has set a standard for health philanthropy in Orange County. In 2010, the Partnership received the 5th Annual “Supporting the Safety Net Award” from the Association of Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) and was recognized as a national model of collaboration. In 2011, the Partnership received the Irvine Health Foundation Anniversary Prize for collaborative efforts leading to significant progress in the availability of care, health, and well-being of the community.
The Health Funders Partnership is a collaborative of organizations committed to investing in Orange County’s health care safety net. Eligible partners currently provide funding in Orange County for health and wellness, and have a commitment to systemic change. Partners are organizations, not individuals. Each partner organization pays an annual membership fee.
For more information about joining the Health Funders Partnership, please contact: [email protected]





Our Role in the Community
We are Champions of the Orange County Safety Net
We Build Organizational and Community Capacity
We Raise Awareness and Educate on Issues of Health and Well-Being
In 1999, a group of funders joined together around a shared vision to strengthen and improve the health of Orange County residents, as well as to enhance the impact and efficiency of health philanthropy.
The Health Funders Partnership of Orange County was founded in 1999 by a group of 8 organizations to allow funders to leverage their resources around specific health issues in an effort to create systems change. Over the last 20 years, the Partnership has implemented successful health care programs, helped incubate new organizations, and brought together the health care community in order to find ways to advance health care for all in Orange County.
Our Partner Collaboration
Our partners consist of 14 organizations dedicated to improving the health of Orange County.
HPFOC Timeline
1999: Founding
2000: Diabetes Initiative
2003: Healthy Smiles
2004: Diabetes Initiative Phase II
2004: Safety Net Coalition
The Health Funders established the Safety Net coalition that initially focused on four major initiatives:
- Creation of a specialist physician network
- Provision of insurance for every child
- Increased funding to the county to support health and mental health services
- Development of an advocacy program to increase support for safety net services and providers
2005: AccessOC
In 2007, Access OC implemented of a free, out-patient surgery program modeled after Operation Access. By adding specialist capacity to community clinics, Access OC created a network of specialists to see publicly funded and uninsured patients.
Access OC was also to establish an eConsult system harnessing health information technology to provide secure, web-based health information exchange in order to improve communication between primary care physicians and specialists.
Today, Access OC is part of the Illumination Foundation.
2005: Community Health Initiative of Orange County (CHI OC)
In 2006, CHI OC began operations and joined the statewide California Children’s Health Initiative (CCHI) coalition and enrollments began through CHI OC at the end of 2006.
Today, CHI OC continues to reach out into the community to locate children in need of health care. They use a case management model that follows children through the establishment of a medical/dental home, removes barriers to care, and ensures that these children retain health care coverage. This model has dramatically increased the retention of children’s health insurance coverage and is teaching families the importance of preventive care.
Today, Access OC is part of the Illumination Foundation.
2005: Medical Services Initiative
The program covered primary and preventative health services, and all enrollees had a “medical home” with access to over 2,000 specialty physicians as well as major hospitals. The program reduced emergency room visits by 61%, and an expanded electronic health information system, MSIConnect, connected hospital emergency departments, over 300 emergency physicians, and 14 community clinics.
2014: LiveHealthyOC
Working in seven community clinics across Orange County, the goal of the program was to transform the culture, practice and care delivery models of participating clinics serving the underserved from a disease-based management model to a sustainable integrated health approach centered on creating a true community of health and wellness.
Practices included group medical visits, nutritional workshops, and introductions to holistic health solutions like yoga, acupuncture, tai chi, and meditation. The program aimed to create a culture of wellness by improving health outcomes, reducing chronic disease, and equipping patients with the knowledge and tools for self-care.
At the end of the first three years of the program, clinical results demonstrated that overall patients experienced a:
- Mean 6% reduction in A1c levels
- 39% reduction in severe pain level
- Average BMI reduction of 1.5%, where 64% of participants lost weight