AB 2232, as amended, Gray. 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 $1,225,000 from the General Fund to the regents each fiscal year, commencing with the 2015-16 fiscal year, for allocation to the University of California to support expansion of the San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical Education, as specified.
Vote: 2⁄3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,
4when fully implemented in 2014, will mean that millions of
5previously uninsured Californians will be seeking health services,
6including physician care. As a result of this additional demand for
7physician services, the projected statewide physician shortfall is
817,000 by 2015.
9(b) The San Joaquin Valley, which runs from Stockton to
10Bakersfield, is rich in cultural diversity and is the nation’s leading
11agricultural region. However, the valley is disproportionately
12affected
by the state’s physician shortage, which is expected to
13intensify in the years ahead given the high rate of population
14growth in the area. Access to health care is 31 percent lower in the
15San Joaquin Valley than in the rest of California.
16(c) Several regions of the San Joaquin Valley are federally
17designated Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). The calculation
18of MUAs involves four variables: ratio of primary medical care
19physicians per 1,000 population, infant mortality rate, percentage
20of the population with incomes below the poverty level, and
21percentage of the population 65 years of age or over.
22(d) UC Merced’s San Joaquin Valley Program in Medical
23Education (PRIME) is providing a key resource for training valley
24health care providers. This program accomplishes all of the
25following:
26(1) Strengthens the desire for new physicians to practice in the
27San Joaquin Valley, which is one of California’s most medically
28underserved areas.
29(2) Reduces health disparities and inequalities in the San Joaquin
30Valley.
31(3) Forms lasting relationships between the program and
32communities, hospitals, clinics, and physicians to enhance health
33care in the region.
34(e) Students who take part in PRIME benefit from firsthand
35experience with interdisciplinary health care by providing care in
P3 1medically underserved communities, working with patients and
2families from culturally diverse backgrounds, and developing a
3true understanding of the issues and conditions
that impact access
4to and quality of health care in the region.
5(f) Despite its numerous benefits for its region, PRIME lacks
6an ongoing source of funding for its current enrollment as well as
7the financial resources to expand capacity to meet the needs of the
8valley.
The sum of one million two hundred twenty-five
10thousand dollars ($1,225,000) is hereby appropriated from the
11General Fund to the Regents of the University of California each
12fiscal year, commencing with the 2015-16 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 andbegin insert toend insert operate the program with up to 48 student
16participants from across the four-year curriculum annually.
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