Goodbye from Óscar Chávez

I was first appointed to the Health Action Council in 2007, at a time when Sonoma County was facing a potential health care crisis-including the possible closure of the community hospital. That challenge served as a wake-up call. It became clear that we couldn’t keep operating in silos and expect to meaningfully improve health outcomes. We needed a cross-sector approach that brought together health care, public health, education, nonprofits, philanthropy, and local government.

Health Action came together before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which later helped expand coverage and access across the country. But even then, there was already a growing recognition that health is shaped by more than just access to care-and that real change would require tackling the deeper, systemic conditions that affect people’s well-being. Being part of that early effort was humbling and inspiring.

I stayed connected to the work over the years because I believed in its mission and the relationships it built across sectors. When Health Action transitioned into Health Action Together, I was grateful to serve on the interim and founding boards. My role wasn’t to lead, but to support the emerging vision-to ask questions, hold space, and help shape a new structure rooted in equity, belonging, and shared leadership. It’s been an honor to be part of this journey as the work continues to evolve and deepen.

What excites me most about Health Action Together is that it has fully embraced a principle that emerged early on in the original Council’s work: “Nothing about us without us.” In those early years, it became clear that we could not achieve meaningful or lasting community change without the engagement, leadership, and input of the very people most impacted by systemic inequities. That realization challenged us to expand the table, to move beyond institutional leadership and create space for community voice and power.

This shift led to the creation of regional Health Action Chapters, bringing the work closer to neighborhoods and frontline communities. That groundwork set the stage for what Health Action Together is now doing: putting equity and community leadership at the center through the Agenda for Action.

Given the current federal challenges, including clawbacks and the elimination of critical funding that supports people and communities already facing systemic barriers, the Agenda for Action is more important than ever. It offers a clear path to invest in and strengthen community, especially in places that have historically been excluded from opportunity. It helps us stay focused on what matters most: ensuring that everyone in Sonoma County-regardless of race, income, or immigration status-can thrive.

Even though I’ve stepped away from the board, I’ll continue to champion the work of Health Action Together because I believe in it. The Agenda for Action reflects the kind of community-driven, equity-centered approach that aligns closely with the work we’re trying to advance at Community Foundation Sonoma County, and more importantly, it reflects the kind of values so many of us are working to live out every day.

This work has never been about any one person. It’s about what we can do collectively to shift systems, build trust, and create conditions where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. I’m not defined by what I do, I’m defined by who I am. And who I am is someone who believes deeply in our shared responsibility to improve the human condition. That’s something all of us can be part of. We don’t have to do everything, but we can all do something. And when we act together, we move closer to the community we know is possible.