Inland Empire Health Plan adds heart to annual MORE THAN PINK Walk

The Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) red heart turned pink in support of Susan G. Komen’s annual MORE THAN PINK Walk on Oct. 12.

Held at Town Square Park and Amphitheater in Murrieta, the event raises funds for the nonprofit’s mission to find a cure for breast cancer through research, education and building community. Nearly 200 team members, leaders and supporters donned their pink IEHP apparel and walked the marked course in support of the work and the mission of both organizations.

“Everyone we know has been touched by cancer in one way or another,” said IEHP Chief Operating Officer Susie White. “We are driven to make good on our promise of not resting until our communities experience optimal care, and that starts by being out here in the community.”

IEHP first sponsored the walk in 2019 and has collectively raised more than $100,000 in sponsorship dollars and team member fundraising efforts. What started as a personal mission for White has now expanded into an enterprise-wide collaboration, with health plan team members forming their own teams, sharing their stories of survival, and amplifying the voices silenced by the disease.

“When I talk about my mom Jo, I speak of her like she’s still here because she is in many ways,” said White. “She continues to inspire me daily from the work we do here at IEHP to championing for a cure. This is all for her.”

According to the nonprofit, breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women in the U.S. and 1 in 1,000 men in their lifetime. In 2025 alone, Susan G. Komen estimates:

• Nearly 317,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 42,700 will die from the disease.
• For men in the United States, 2,800 will receive a breast cancer diagnosis and 500 will die from it.
• Of those numbers, approximately 33,000 Californians will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 4,600 will die.

IEHP and White have been champions for breast cancer screenings and research. In 2024, the local health plan partnered with Alinea Medical Imaging to host mobile mammogram clinics at IEHP’s Community Wellness Centers in Riverside, San Bernardino and Victorville. The partnership was so successful, IEHP is finalizing plans to launch a new mobile clinic series at the end of the year. Dates will be announced at a later time.

“Early detection is key,” said White. “Please schedule your annual checkup today.”

To learn more about the walk and Komen’s advocacy work, head to www.komen.org.

For additional resources on breast cancer and IEHP, go to www.iehp.org.

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 fifth year in a row, certified as A Great Place To Work®. In its 27th year, 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). Today, IEHP has a growing network of nearly 6,800 providers and more than 3,000 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.