California Health Care Safety Net Institute

Our patients tell the story the best. Medicaid (or in California Medi-Cal) funding is critical to the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans. Our public hospitals and health systems are at the heart of providing life-saving advanced medicine to some of the most vulnerable populations. #TheHeartofaHealthyCommunity

Federal funding for health care is on the line—and so are the lives of millions of Californians. Without critical Medicaid support, public health care systems face devastating cuts, reducing access to essential services for our most vulnerable communities. As CAPH heads to D.C. to meet with federal leaders, we urge policymakers to recognize what’s at stake: a future where everyone has access to care, regardless of income or zip code. #HealthCareCrisis #MedicaidMatters #CAPHinDC

My favorite thing about Bakersfield, CA are the mission-driven leaders at Kern Medical...Scott Thygerson, Renee Villanueva, Tyler Whitezell, CPA, Natalee Garrett, just to name a few.? I was thrilled to spend last Wednesday with them and other Central Valley and State leaders, first to be part of the California Department of Health Care Services kick-off for their Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) initiative and release of their Birthing Care Pathway report, and then later in the day for a DHCS site visit to Kern Medical, where leaders highlighted the incredible work they’re doing to expand access and improve care in Kern County.? Here’s a photo of Kern Medical’s Simulation Center, a state-of-the-art medical training facility...incredible work!

Member spotlight: UC Davis Health is making a meaningful impact in building a more diverse, compassionate, and representative physician workforce across California. Programs like the?Accelerated Competency-based Education in Primary Care (ACE-PC)?empower medical students like Dr. Alyssa Milliron to pursue careers in primary care and serve underserved communities — where their expertise and understanding make a profound difference. Dr. Milliron grew up in rural Butte County and returned to her community after completing her residency to provide high-quality care to patients with complex health needs. From addressing mental health challenges to coordinating life-changing surgeries, her dedication reflects why initiatives like ACE-PC are so vital to health equity. UC Davis Health’s holistic admissions and innovative programs are helping doctors deliver trusted, culturally competent care in the communities that need it most. https://bit.ly/4gELOan

Kicked off the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems / California Health Care Safety Net Institute annual conference today with a special session on AI in Health Care featuring Karandeep Singh from UC San Diego Health as the keynote. It couldn’t have gone better! Amazing speaker, engaged audience, exciting topic, and icebreaker bingo ??

During the CAPH Conference, we had the privilege of hearing from Anushay Hossain, author of?The Pain Gap and podcaster. Her remarks were a powerful reminder of the urgent need to include women in health care decisions and studies—and what happens when we fail to do so. She emphasized the tragic reality that women are dying from preventable causes, simply because their voices are not heard, their experiences not validated, and their needs not prioritized. It's time to raise women's stories, listen deeply, and take meaningful action to ensure that health care includes and serves everyone equitably. Thank you, Anushay, for inspiring us to continue this vital work. ?? #HealthEquity #PainGap #WomensHealth #2024CAPH