Michelle Decker addresses the Health Matters Forum audience
On November 7, 2025, Inland Empire Community Foundation President & CEO Michelle Decker joined representatives from ten other California foundations to host Health Matters: A Conversation with California’s Next Governor at UC Riverside. Through this partnership, which included IEHP Foundation as regional partner and IECF as local host, four leading gubernatorial candidates came to the Inland Empire to discuss healthcare access, mental health services, housing affordability, and homelessness with more than 300 community leaders.
The organizers, led by The California Wellness Foundation and including The California Endowment, Blue Shield of California Foundation, and eight other statewide foundations, chose the Inland Empire specifically because of the region’s health challenges. In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, over 40% of residents rely on Medi-Cal. Families skip doctor visits because of cost. According to recent research IECF sponsored from UC Riverside, 52% of families are struggling and don’t feel a sense of belonging.
“I’m appreciative of The California Wellness Foundation for making sure the IE was the destination for this because of our partnership and because the data make it clear that health in the IE deserves a big platform,” Decker said.
Health Matters Forum gubernatorial candidates
Four Democratic candidates participated in the forum: Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; Tony Thurmond, California Superintendent of Public Instruction; Antonio Villaraigosa, former Los Angeles Mayor; and Betty Yee, former State Controller. (Other candidates in the race include former Congresswoman Katie Porter, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, and former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who did not respond to requests to participate in the forum.) The conversation, moderated by NBC4 anchor Colleen Williams and Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds of Voice Media Ventures, covered healthcare access, mental health support, housing, and the conditions people need to thrive.
Many of the Inland Empire’s elected leaders attended the forum, including Patricia Lock Dawson, Mayor of Riverside; City of Riverside Councilmember Sean Mill; Senator Sabrina Cervantes; Mayor of Moreno Valley Ulises Cabrera; Denise Davis, Councilmember at the City of Redlands; Joseph R Williams, SBCCD Trustee, and many more.
Health Matters Forum audience members
The forum was livestreamed in English and Spanish by NBC4 and Telemundo 52, extending the conversation far beyond the auditorium. CalMatters and the Inland Empire Journalism Innovation Hub & Fund provided additional coverage. The event ensured that when California’s next governor thinks about healthcare policy, they’re thinking about the Inland Empire’s 4.6 million residents and the specific challenges the region faces.
The California primary is June 2, 2026. Decker encourages community members to learn where candidates stand on health policies, get informed, and vote. “A healthy community requires leadership that understands and prioritizes the conditions people need to thrive,” she said.
For IECF, this partnership represents the kind of statewide collaboration that amplifies local work and ensures the Inland Empire remains a central focus in statewide policy discussions.
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