San Francisco Health Plan Cultural Competency Assessment
San Francisco Health Plan
Real member experiences are reshaping how San Francisco Health Plan delivers care. HR&A’s equity-focused assessment identified systemic barriers through data analysis and community engagement, informing state regulatory reporting while providing actionable insights now guiding targeted improvements in culturally competent care for diverse low-income populations.
As part of the San Francisco Health Plan’s 2022 accreditation process, the organization wanted to understand how effectively they were serving members of color and whether their provider network was meeting diverse community needs. HR&A developed a research approach that combined data analysis with direct community input, facilitating six in-person and virtual focus groups with members from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds to capture real experiences navigating the healthcare system.
The focus groups revealed critical insights about members’ experiences with primary care providers and insurance administration, highlighting specific opportunities to expand access to culturally competent care. Our findings were incorporated into the San Francisco Health Plan’s Net1A Report to the State of California, fulfilling regulatory requirements while providing actionable recommendations. The health plan is now using our research to develop targeted training programs for staff and providers, create more effective outreach materials, and implement system-wide changes that will improve healthcare access and quality for San Francisco’s diverse low-income communities.
