HIGHLIGHTS

Equity

Equity — ensuring fairness and justice in opportunity, in access, in rights — is more than just an ideal to strive for. It’s the right thing to do. The County of San Diego remains dedicated to that proposition and actively works to put it into action throughout our operations.

Equity in Action

In July 2024, the County opened new active recreation features at the Waterfront Park downtown. The new features give everyone — including people who may not be able to afford a gym membership or local sports program — a new, free place to enjoy basketball courts; pickleball courts; table tennis; and a fenced, off-leash dog area with agility equipment.

The County extended the Rural Health Discharge Program that it started in 2023 with CAL FIRE, Grossmont Healthcare District and Sharp Grossmont Hospital to serve isolated patients in their homes after they were discharged from the hospital. The program paired a San Diego County Fire/CAL FIRE Paramedic Captain with a County public health nurse to provide follow up care for patients at home when they’re discharged. The goal is to keep people healthy and prevent them from having to be re-admitted to the hospital. Due to the success of the program, Sharp Grossmont Hospital now employs its own nurse who partners with the paramedic to make home visits.

December 2024 was a busy month. The County opened the Inland Immigrant and Refugee Welcome Center, its second comprehensive service hub for immigrants and refugees to visit to get culturally responsive help accessing services they are eligible to receive. The center is located inside the North Inland Live Well Center in Escondido. More than 20% of San Diego County’s population is made up of immigrants, including refugees.

The same month, the County’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality further boosted local economies and the hopes of aspiring chefs by waiving permit fees for people wanting to operate “Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations.” The County started allowing “MEHKOs” in 2022. The program lets people turn their home kitchens into mini-restaurants and food businesses for a fraction of the cost of opening a storefront restaurant.

Also in December 2024, 10 local, small nonprofit organizations became the second batch to win $100,000 County Equity Impact Grants and a year’s worth of custom coaching to help them further their missions and advance equity and belonging throughout the region. The grants were announced by the County’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice.

"It's not just the medical. It's more of a holistic care that we provide. It's also looking at the social services. Seeing are they set up for food, are they set up with transportation and also, we're just someone that they can talk to."

- Kaila Domingo, County Public Health Nurse, Rural Health Discharge Program

The County continues to work to close the “Digital Divide” in unincorporated communities — places where some people may still not enjoy universal access to high-speed internet. This past year, the County made $9 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding available to bring high speed internet service to people in hundreds of households in Ramona, San Dieguito and Warner Springs. And it awarded $600,000 to bring high-speed internet services to students at three schools in the Warner Unified School District; to K-8 students at San Pasqual Union School District; and to install fiber for internet at Vallecitos Elementary School District.

County of San Diego - Government

San Diego County Animal Services helped more than 100 pets in Valley Center with free vaccines and microchips.

Top Comment

Jennifer Gordon
BRILLIANT!!! Keep on doing this to help out all the animals!!! Thank you!! 💙💙💙

In April 2025, the County rolled out its fourth Live Well on Wheels health services bus to bring health services and information directly to local communities. The newest bus has a special focus on public health. It can be used to test for communicable diseases like hepatitis A and dengue. It can also support large-scale site investigations for tuberculosis, serve as the command-and-control vehicle for related testing, and be used for emergency public health preparedness response training, or as support during disasters.

County Animal Services unveiled its rolling veterinary clinic — the Pet Health Express — in May 2025. The wheeled clinic enables the County to deliver affordable pet health services, such as spaying and neutering, dental work, other outpatient care and basic pet wellness, to communities that need it most.

Also in June, the County Library and 30 students celebrated the sixth Library High School graduation ceremony at Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego. Since the Library High School program was started in 2016, 234 people have donned caps and gowns and finished their own high school education experiences. The program lets students work around their job and family schedules to study at their own pace and graduate.