California Future Health Workforce Commission Kevin Barnett, DrPH, MCP, Co-Director at the California Future Health Workforce Commission and Senior Investigator at the Public Health Institute, presented a recently established multi-stage statewide workforce development plan. The program aims to improve the following health-related sectors: primary care & prevention, behavioral health, and aging. Core principles of the plan include socioeconomic & geographic equity and diversi

State Legislation Impacting the Safety Net During June’s HIPC meeting, Victor Christy, Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs from the California Health+ Advocates of the California Primary Care Association (CPCA), provided an update on state legislation impacting the safety net via teleconference. CPCA clinics include federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), community clinics and free sites, and rural health centers (RHCs). They serve 6.2 million patients and provide c

The Great Santa Cruz Trail In March, Bud Colligan, Co-chair of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP), came to HIPC to describe the projects and policies of the partnership. MBEP is a regional nonprofit partnership consisting of over 75 public, private, and civic entities throughout Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz County aiming to improve the economic health and quality of life for all residents in the region. MBEP operates using four main strategies. The first is

September’s HIPC meeting began with state policy updates from CA State Senator Bill Monning, followed by a review of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), and finally a presentation by County staff on the “Next Generation” of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). State Policy Updates Senator Monning discussed the content and his engagement in the following legislation relevant to HIPC: SB115: requires that insurance companies notify patients and providers of t

2017 Central California Alliance for Health Mega-Projects Since 1996, the Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance) has worked to “improve access to health care for lower income residents who often lacked a primary care ‘medical home’ and so relied on emergency rooms for basic services.” To continue to fulfill this mission and to address its 28,000 new members since Affordable Care Act (ACA) expansion in 2014 in Santa Cruz County alone, the Alliance is taking on t

Measure Q For over 50 years, Cabrillo College has been educating the Santa Cruz County with a variety of undergraduate, AA level, and certification classes. Cabrillo has robust programs focused on the medical field, such as Medical Assisting and Nursing. However, the facilities that house many of these classes are over 30 years old. Dr. Laurel Jones, Superintendent and President of Cabrillo College came to the HIP Council to petition support for Measure Q. The Measure Q bond,