Expanding Access to Advanced Illness Care in California’s Communities of Color

PHI’s AC CARE Alliance Advanced Illness Care Program™ (ACCA-AICP) is helping to bridge the gap between health delivery systems, community organizations and faith-based communities to improve care for people with advanced illness, serving predominately communities of color throughout California.

Since launching in 2013, the program has continued to grow and expand its reach, first branching out more deeply in Alameda and moving into Contra Costa County (2016-2017), followed by San Francisco (2020), Los Angeles (2022) and San Mateo and Santa Clara counties (2023). As of 2024, there are over 40 churches in the AC Care Alliance network, helping to bridge the gap between health delivery systems, community organizations, faith-based communities and communities of color in managing advanced illness.

In 2023, AC CARE Alliance served 162 participants in LA, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and a total of 387 people (including caregivers) across all six counties. AC CARE Alliance also conducted 1,500 participant visits, and continued to expand opportunities for learning and connection by training faith leaders, pastors, their congregants, and the broader community in the topic areas of aging, palliative care, hospice care and advance care planning. 

AC CARE Alliance first launched to serve predominantly African American adults with advanced illness and their caregivers, though the program respects the needs and wishes of participants across all cultures and faiths. In 2023, the program intentionally expanded advanced illness care services and supports for the Latinx community by developing bilingual trainings and resources (in English and Spanish) on end-of-life care, palliative care, and advance care planning.

At one training in San Jose, CA, some of the Spanish-speaking participants were tearful and expressed their sincere gratitude for receiving critical information in their primary language for the first time. Participants also shared that they felt empowered by the new knowledge, tools and support provided by the program.