The ‘roots’ of IEHP celebrated in artwork by two local artists

A recently installed mosaic on the campus of Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) celebrates the organization’s strong roots.

The Mission, Vision and Values Culture Tree was created by Cathy Garcia of Claremont and Alba Cisneros of Pomona, who utilized 3,200 repurposed ceramic tiles selected by health plan team members during a “Living the Mission” organizational event.

Situated in a busy area of the center’s multiroom learning and meeting space, the Culture Tree is joined by a small monitor showcasing values commitment statements written by IEHP team members. The description next to the mosaic describes the parts of the tree as metaphor for the organization’s mission culture. For example, the fruit on the tree highlights the health plan’s impacts and results, which serve as the wholeness and well-being of all. The other five elements represented are:

• The Soil: The Mission – IEHP’s clarity of purpose
• The Roots: The Values – IEHP’s clarity of beliefs and behaviors
• The Trunk: The Vision – IEHP’s clarity of strategies and action
• The Branches: Ownership and accountability – The plan’s unwavering commitment to its 1.5 million members
• The Leaves: Growth and Transformation – Reliability and sustainability that comes from living out IEHP’s mission, vision, and values (MVV)

Establishing the artwork’s final look came from much discussion along with input from IEHP leaders, both artists said.

“I did a couple of tree-like designs at their request. The one chosen is closest to the IEHP logo and worked best for the organization,” Cisneros said.

Sandy Wyman, IEHP’s vice president of mission, shared the mosaic encompasses a meaning of inspiration for all who work for the Rancho Cucamonga-based health plan.

“The piece represents transformative growth and the impact living out IEHP’s mission, vision and values will have on an individual’s personal and professional life,” Wyman said. “When people visit this piece, I want them to strengthen their commitment to the ‘call’ of serving all who call the Inland Empire home.”

Collaboration at IEHP is key, Wyman continued, which is why having two artists complete the artwork made sense. For Garcia and Cisneros, too, the piece allowed them to create together and solidify their bond as artists and friends.

“It was a lot of fun to just play with all the colors, pulling a whole bunch of oranges together or a whole bunch of blues together or I’ll just mix it all up,” Cisneros said.

Added Garcia, “It is just a masterpiece.”

With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans, the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid public health plan in the country, and for the fourth year in a row, certified as A Great Place To Work®. Founded in 1996, IEHP supports more than 1.5 million Riverside and San Bernardino County residents enrolled in Medicaid or IEHP DualChoice (those with both Medi-Cal and Medicare). As of 2024, IEHP also offers Covered California plans, further ensuring health care access for even more IE residents. Today, IEHP has a robust network of quality doctors throughout our two counties and nearly 4,000 team members who are fully committed to the vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. To learn more, go to iehp.org.