In August 2007, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors requested the Department of Health Services to convene a health action council (now called "Health Action") to work on improving health and health care for all Sonoma County residents. At that time, it was widely acknowledged that the local health care delivery system was in crisis.
Building on the interest and commitment of many community leaders, the Department of Health Services recruited and convened a diverse, multidisciplinary group to identify priority health and health care issues and to develop specific recommendations on local approaches to promote the health of our community and improve the health care delivery system.
The Health Action Council drew upon existing research to identify 10 health goals that would significantly contribute to improved health status in Sonoma County. Originally, the Health Action Council launched seven initiatives that focused on Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, and Healthcare Improvement including iWALK and iGROW.
While the initiatives had been very successful and continue to be supported, the Health Action Council evolved to support three focus areas of health, education and income. Most recently, Health Action refined its work in these areas, committing to Health Action's 2017 Framework for Action.