Overview: The African American Health Equity Collaborative (AAHEC) was launched to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black residents in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, including low vaccine rates. The AAHEC consists of local health advocates, experts, and stakeholders who work together to build health equity for African American communities in the Inland Region through community partnerships and collaboration. The AAHEC’s goals include health and wellness, mental health and suicide prevention, intervention and treatment, harm reduction, disaster preparedness, and climate change resilience.
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Born out of collective concern to address the disproportionate rates at which Black residents were impacted by COVID-19, including low vaccine rates, the African American Health Equity Collaborative (AAHEC) was launched in the Inland Empire.
The African American Health Equity Collaborative is composed of local health advocates, experts and stakeholders across both Riverside and San Bernardino Counties who share one vision: to build health equity for the African American communities of the Inland Region through community partnerships and collaboration. The AAHEC includes individuals from the University of California, Riverside’s School of Medicine, Riverside University Health System (RUHS), San Bernardino County and community-based organizations like Debra Williams, CEO of Building Resilient Communities and AAHEC founding member.
“I am grateful to those who have continued to participate in the AAHEC and we look forward to making an even bigger impact in the years to come. I love that we are all working together and as we say in our meetings, “One Team, One Mission!” Williams said.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the AAHEC coordinated community-led outreach that utilized trusted messengers, faith-based organizations and civic partnerships to launch culturally responsive education campaigns that made COVID-19 vaccines more accessible and contributed to increased rates among Black residents.
On March 4, 2021, only 9.3% of African American residents had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to Williams. By January 25, 2022, 57.2% of African American residents were fully vaccinated, as a result of the AAHEC’s outreach and coordination across the county with other local entities.
As the AAHEC enters its fifth year, their goals remain steadfast on building health equity. The AAHEC works with various representatives across different divisions to learn more, seek additional data and collaborate on collective campaigning and outreach.
“A significant accomplishment of the African American Health Equity Collaborative has been its role as a trusted sounding board for ideas and initiatives. The Collaborative provides a safe space to bring forward new concepts, vet ideas and receive thoughtful feedback to refine and strengthen projects,” shared AAHEC member Shaleta Smith, an executive administrative specialist for the Center for Healthy Communities at UCR. “The collective insight has been invaluable in fine-tuning initiatives to ensure they are community-informed, relevant, and impactful before implementation.”
In 2025, the AAHEC’s primary focus was on the health and wellness of Black communities in the Inland Empire, mental health/suicide prevention, intervention and treatment, harm reduction (including Narcan training), and disaster preparedness.
“To address these issues, the Collaborative has strengthened coordination among community partners and public agencies while prioritizing self-care as a core component of its work,” Williams explained. “AAHEC continues to share timely public agency updates, collaborate on major public health campaigns, serve as a trusted sounding board for new initiatives, and elevate early warnings about emerging risks, ensuring responses are proactive, culturally responsive, and grounded in community experience.”
In 2026, AAHEC will build on thier 2025 progress by advancing health and wellness, mental health and suicide prevention, and disaster preparedness with a focus on climate change resilience. According to Williams, new partnerships are helping ensure Black/African American communities have timely access to programs, resources, and key legislation affecting their well-being.
AAHEC members include: Salomeh Wagaw, Health Equity program director RUHS Public Health, who initiated Riverside County’s African American COVID response that led to the launch of the AAHEC and Dia S. Poole, a California State University of San Bernardino communications studies graduate who completed a research project on the AAHEC during the height of COVID.
AAHEC member Queen Waddell, regional program manager, Inland Empire Region, for the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications has been with the Collaborative since its inception. Founding AAHEC members also include Dr. Michelle Burroughs, director of Community Engagement & Outreach for the Center for Healthy Communities, Curley Palmer, program coordinator of the Perinatal Equity Initiative for RUHS, and Dr. Regina Stell, Riverside NAACP president.
“This Collaborative was created during a time of uncertainty with the mission to save as many lives as possible from a novel virus. Its work has continued by addressing life-saving measures beyond the COVID response,” RUHS Public Health wrote in a statement. “It has become a space where various sectors regularly gather to discuss strategic approaches for African American health in the Inland Empire.”
AAHEC’s 2026 goal includes focusing on strengthening coordination among partners, prioritizing self-care, and keeping responses proactive, culturally responsive, and grounded in lived experience, sharing updates, collaborating on campaigns, and elevating early warnings to make communities safer, healthier, and more resilient.