The Data Is In: Our Work Is Making a Difference
We have seen firsthand that when our communities lead, real change is possible. Now, a peer-reviewed study backs that up.
A new study in Public Administration Review looked at health data across Oregon from 2006 to 2020. The results are hopeful: in counties with Regional Health Equity Coalitions (RHECs) like the Linn Benton Lincoln Health Equity Alliance, there was a 14-percentage-point drop in racial and ethnic disparities in people's ability to afford seeing a doctor within just three years of the coalition's work. This shows what is possible when we come together and center community voices.
These numbers reflect real people, our neighbors and our community members.
More than coverage alone. Insurance coverage matters, but the study found that RHECs made the biggest difference in the areas coverage cannot fix on its own: helping people afford the care they need and connecting them with a personal doctor they can count on. These outcomes are shaped by everyday realities like language access, transportation, administrative burden, trust between patients and providers, and the challenge of navigating public benefit systems. This is where our coalition and community partners step in to support one another and drive change.
Real gains for Hispanic and Latino communities. These improvements were especially meaningful for Hispanic and Latino community members. Before this work began, they were significantly less likely than their non-Hispanic White neighbors to have a personal doctor. RHECs helped close that gap. Building ongoing relationships with providers who know you and your story can make a big difference for long-term health and well-being.
Our work is about breaking down the barriers that insurance coverage alone cannot solve, and making sure the system works for everyone, not just some of us.
Right now, Oregon has 9 Regional Health Equity Coalitions serving 22 counties. Fourteen counties, many of them rural and remote, still do not have this kind of collaborative support. We are committed to working together with others across the state to change that, so every community has a voice and access to these resources.
To hear directly from one of the researchers and learn more about these findings, please join us for a community presentation:
Oregon's Regional Health Equity Coalitions: Collaborative Governance for Equity
Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 9:00–10:00 a.m.
Registration required: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/n_amtTUIQLyS-9gvngm0Nw
Presenters:
Mica Contreras, Executive Director, Linn Benton Lincoln Health Equity Alliance
Danielle Droppers, Manager, Regional Health Equity Coalition Program, Oregon Health Authority
Jiho Kim, Assistant Professor, School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University
Read the full study: Kim and Nabatchi