Senate BillNo. 131


Introduced by Senator Cannella

(Principal coauthor: Senator Galgiani)

(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Gray and Olsen)

January 22, 2015


An act relating to the University of California, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 131, as introduced, Cannella. University of California: medical education.

Existing provisions of the California Constitution establish the University of California as a public trust under the administration of the Regents of the University of California. The University of California system includes 10 campuses, which are located in Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.

This bill would express findings and declarations of the Legislature relating to the role of the University of California with respect to access to health care in the San Joaquin Valley.

The bill would appropriate $1,855,000 from the General Fund to the regents each fiscal year, commencing with the 2016-17 fiscal year, for allocation to the University of California to support expansion of the San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education, as specified.

Vote: 23. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

3(a) The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
4provides millions of previously uninsured Californians access to
5health services, including physician care. As a result of this
6additional demand for physician services, California’s projected
7statewide physician shortfall is 17,000 by 2015.

8(b) The San Joaquin Valley, which runs from Stockton to
9Bakersfield, is rich in cultural diversity and is the nation’s leading
10agricultural region. However, the valley is disproportionately
11affected by the state’s physician shortage, which is expected to
12intensify in the years ahead given the high rate of population
13 growth in the area. Access to health care is 31 percent lower in the
14San Joaquin Valley than in the rest of California.

15(c) Several regions of the San Joaquin Valley are federally
16designated Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). The calculation
17of MUAs involves four variables: ratio of primary medical care
18physicians per 1,000 population, infant mortality rate, percentage
19of the population with incomes below the poverty level, and
20percentage of the population 65 years of age or over.

21(d) UC Merced’s San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical
22Education (PRIME) is providing a key interim resource for training
23valley health care providers. This program accomplishes all of the
24following:

25(1) Strengthens the desire for new physicians to practice in the
26San Joaquin Valley, which is one of California’s most medically
27underserved areas.

28(2) Reduces health disparities and inequalities in the San Joaquin
29Valley.

30(3) Forms lasting relationships between the program and
31communities, hospitals, clinics, and physicians to enhance health
32care in the region.

33(e) Students who take part in PRIME benefit from firsthand
34experience with interdisciplinary health care by providing care in
35medically underserved communities, working with patients and
36families from culturally diverse backgrounds, and developing a
37true understanding of the issues and conditions that impact access
38to and quality of health care in the region.

P3    1(f) Despite its numerous benefits for its region, PRIME lacks
2an ongoing source of funding for its current enrollment as well as
3the financial resources to expand capacity to meet the needs of the
4valley.

5(g) Given the San Joaquin Valley’s health care needs, it is
6essential for the State of California to continue developing the
7valley’s health care resources by sustaining the current PRIME
8enrollment and expanding that program’s capacity.

9

SEC. 2.  

The sum of one million eight hundred fifty-five
10thousand dollars ($1,855,000) is hereby appropriated from the
11General Fund to the Regents of the University of California each
12fiscal year, commencing with the 2016-17 fiscal year, for
13allocation to the University of California to support expansion of
14the San Joaquin Valley PRIME program to admit up to 12 students
15per year and operate the program with up to 48 student participants
16from across the four-year curriculum annually.



O

    99