BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2385
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 20, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Marty Block, Chair
AB 2385 (John A. Perez) - As Amended: March 25, 2010
SUBJECT : Pilot Program for Accelerated Nursing and Allied
Health Care Profession Education at the California Community
Colleges.
SUMMARY : Establishes the Pilot Program for Accelerated Nursing
and Allied Health Care Profession Education at the California
Community Colleges (Pilot Program) within the California
Community Colleges (CCC) Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) to
facilitate the early graduation of participating students by
reducing the amount of time necessary to earn a degree.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the CCCCO to establish Pilot Programs at 5 CCC
campuses geographically distributed throughout the state and
requires the CCCCO to develop, through consultation with
health care employers, and apply criteria for selecting the
campuses.
2)Requires the CCCCO to develop the Pilot Program with the
intent that the participating campuses will implement the
program beginning in the 2012-13 academic year.
3)Provides that the Pilot Program shall facilitate a student's
completion of the program in 18 months or three semesters, or
less.
4)Requires the Pilot Program to include online and distance
learning courses and intensive weekend and evening courses.
5)Provides Legislative intent that the Pilot Programs attract a
diverse and talented pool of students and provides that Pilot
Program campuses may use the multicriteria screening process
established in existing law to select students.
6)Requires that Pilot Program participants are provided with
various student support services, including advisors, tutors,
mentors, financial assistance, and internships.
7)Provides Legislative intent that the Pilot Program be funded
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with a combination of state apportionment, student fees,
federal grants, and private philanthropic resources and
requires the CCCCO to work to secure federal and private
sector funding for the Pilot Program.
8)Requires the CCCCO to collect and analyze Pilot Program data
and report findings and recommendations related to the
effectiveness of the Pilot Program by January 1, 2017.
9)Repeals all of the aforementioned provisions on January 1,
2018.
EXISTING LAW : Establishes an array of initiatives to address
the nursing shortage in California, including: nursing
educational loan assumption programs to provide loan assumption
for nurses who agree to work as nursing faculty or in specified
nursing facilities; CCC faculty recruitment and retention
programs; grants for CCC nursing programs that have low
attrition rates; and programs to increase student participation
in clinical rotations.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Purpose of this bill : The author notes that the CCC
system offers educational programs in a variety of allied health
care professions and trains approximately 70% of registered
nurses statewide. Allied health care educational programs are
among the most costly programs offered by CCCs and in recent
years have been subject to deep state budget cuts. CCCs have
been forced to limit their enrollment capacity. CCC campuses
are struggling to keep pace with program demand. Currently most
associate degree nursing and allied health care profession
courses are offered over two academic years and require the
completion of 70 units in program courses, assuming that the
student has met all of the prerequisite requirements and is
ready to start the program. According to the author, the goal
of this bill is to create an accelerated program that would
allow students to attend programs full-time and earn degrees in
18-months or less. The author believes that a successful
accelerated program could be a center of innovation and testing
for the newest educational technology and curricular ideas.
Allied health workforce shortages : According to the 2007 Health
Workforce Solutions report Closing the Health Workforce Gap in
California, the allied health workforce represents more than 60
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percent of the health jobs in California and more than 200
different occupations. Recent employment numbers available from
California Labor Market Information Division and Federal Bureau
of Labor Statistics show California has only has 73% of the
pharmacists, 65% of the Medical Lab Technologists, and 62% of
the Radiation Technologists and Technicians of the national
average per 100,000 people. The California Employment
Development Department projects that the state will need
approximately 240,000 RNs by 2014. However, in recent months
several news articles have identified newly graduated nurses
finding it difficult to secure employment. Articles pointed to
the economic downturn forcing veteran nurses to stay in their
jobs longer, and some retired nurses to return to work.
Identified factors limiting the supply of allied health workers :
According to the Health Workforce Solutions report, there are a
number of factors that limit the supply of allied health workers
in California, including:
1)Educational Capacity Constraints: Several factors contribute
to capacity constraints, including the high relative costs of
health education programs, a lack of clinical placements, and
faculty shortages. Additionally, the CCC system is struggling
to provide services across all programs in the face of limited
funding, rapid student growth and increasing student needs.
The capacity constraints are also in the range of math,
science, and English classes necessary for entry into health
care programs.
2)Educational System Inefficiencies: There is a lack of bridges
between academic health programs. Many students have
difficulties navigating the California educational system.
Confusion over transfer requirements and a lack of system-wide
agreement on program pre-requisites and curriculum pose
significant barriers to students who, by necessity, must turn
to multiple colleges to complete their educational programs.
3)High Attrition Rates in Allied Health Educational Programs:
Students are not succeeding often because they are not
prepared to navigate the educational system, balance school
and life demands, and achieve academically, especially in math
and science courses. Data on a recent cohort of CCC nursing
graduates showed that 25% graduated behind schedule and 25%
did not graduate at all.
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4)Lack of Student Supports: From financial aid to counseling,
lack of access to student supports are a huge factor in poor
student outcomes. Students need "wrap around" support
services, such as tutoring, counseling, health insurance and
childcare, to be successful.
5)Limited Awareness of Certain Allied Health Professions:
Limited exposure to health careers through outreach programs
and a lack of counselors and mentors in the middle schools and
high schools are commonly cited as reasons for this lack of
awareness of health professions.
6)Retention Challenges in the Workplace: Health care is a
demanding sector, and many new graduates are entering the
workforce ill equipped to handle the corresponding pressures
and expectations, resulting in high turnover rates.
Responding to identified barriers : This bill leaves a
significant amount of the Pilot Program structure up to the
CCCCO. Therefore, it is unclear whether the Pilot Program
established in this bill will respond to the identified barriers
to increasing California's allied health workforce. The bill
does require a report to the Legislature and Governor on the
success of the program by January 1, 2017.
Financial support for this program : While this bill establishes
Legislative intent that the Pilot Program be funded with state
apportionment, student fees, federal grants, and private
philanthropic resources and requires the CCCCO to work to secure
funding, it remains unclear as to exactly how this Pilot Program
will be funded. Will Pilot Program colleges receive additional
state apportionment? Are federal grants and private funds
available? Will students be charged higher fees for the
accelerated Pilot Program?
Amendments : The author's office will propose amendments to, on
Page 4, line 19, change "may" to "shall", and to add coauthors.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees,
AFL-CIO
Association of California Healthcare Districts
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California Postsecondary Education Commission
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
Opposition
None on File
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960