California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) is an initiative within the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), driven by a commitment to transform and improve the Medi-Cal program, which provides essential healthcare services to millions of Californians. CalAIM’s mission is to foster a person-centered and value-driven approach to healthcare, addressing both physical and behavioral health needs and promoting health equity. With a goal to meet people where they are in life and to provide services directly to communities, the need for a comprehensive data collection and reporting project on current services and the landscape of the unhoused population was identified as an important first step.

The collaboration between Dawn Chorus Group (DCG) and CalAIM began as both entities recognized the immense value of accurate data management and comprehensive reporting in the healthcare landscape. Focusing on the housing services throughout Los Angeles County, the entire DCG Team researched over 7,000 organizations and collected imperative information, such as the capacity of each organization and targeted populations. This information will be an asset for referral services, and streamline placement of unhoused individuals and families.

The common goal was to harness data to its full potential, transforming it into actionable knowledge that could drive policy decisions and improve healthcare outcomes for all Californians. 

The value of CalAIM’s work lay not just in collecting data but also in effectively communicating insights and progress to stakeholders, policymakers, and the public. These reports not only simplified the understanding of healthcare trends and outcomes but also empowered stakeholders to actively participate in shaping the future of California’s healthcare system.

The combined efforts of Dawn Chorus Group and CalAIM contributed to fostering a healthcare ecosystem where data-driven decision-making and personalized care converged, aiming for healthier futures for all Californians.