CALOPTIMA HEALTH GIVES $25M TO BOLSTER THE SAFETY NET, REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES, AND EASE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES

Grants will support the development and education of future nurses and caregivers. The aim is to provide equitable care to one in three Orange County residents. 

CalOptima Health’s Board of Directors has approved nearly $25 million in workforce education grants to seven institutions in Orange County. These grants mark the first phase of the $50 million Provider Workforce Development Initiative, the largest workforce grant ever awarded by CalOptima Health. The Initiative will help address health disparities and better secure future medical and behavioral health care delivery by safety net providers. It also seeks to ease predicted shortages and gaps in the Orange County healthcare workforce that serves the Medi-Cal population.

CalOptima Health provides essential health care to about one in three Orange County residents. California and Orange County face a workforce shortage of trained healthcare professionals, particularly in community health centers and safety net providers. One major barrier to increasing the healthcare workforce is the lack of economic support for education, training, recruitment, and retention of safety net health professionals. By providing this economic assistance, CalOptima Health’s Board of Directors hopes that more individuals can pursue careers in health care.

The Provider Workforce Development Initiative is intended to increase access to high-quality, equitable care for members by investing in strategies to close gaps in Orange County’s future healthcare workforce.

“CalOptima Health recognizes that our mission to serve members begins with having a strong healthcare workforce to deliver quality care,” said Michael Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health. The challenge of healthcare worker shortages at organizations across Orange County drove CalOptima Health’s landmark community investment in a $50 million Provider Workforce Development Initiative.”

 Orange County-based institutions receiving grant awards in the first phase of funding are as follows:

Cal State Fullerton will receive a $5 million grant to increase concurrent enrollment program admission by 25–40 students annually and admit 200 associate degree nursing to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students. Based on Board of Registered Nursing approval, the funds will also support an expansion of the BSN program by eight students, from 80 to 88 admissions each year.

“The health care system nationwide faces a severe shortage of workers across multiple specialties. We are excited to partner with CalOptima Health and local community colleges to expand our capacity to educate more nurses in Orange County. It takes partnerships and collaborations like this to fully respond to the needs of our region.”
— Sylvia Alva, Cal State Fullerton President

Chapman University will use its $5 million grant to provide full tuition physician assistant (PA) scholarships for first-year and second-year students in training and local practice PA education for academically qualified, low-income students.

“This recognition from CalOptima Health, through the Provider Workforce Development Initiative, reaffirms Chapman’s central role in helping shape the future of health care in Orange County. It also underscores Chapman’s commitment to our local community and to creating opportunities for a world-class health care education for talented students from our own backyard.”
— Daniele C. Struppa, Chapman President

“The CalOptima Health grant represents a pivotal opportunity for Chapman University to not only broaden the diversity of our health care workforce but also to address the pressing need for health care professionals in underserved areas. We are not only dedicating resources to the future of health care but also cultivating a dedication to community service and ensuring fair access to care.”
— Janeen Hill, Dean of Chapman’s Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences

Coast Community College District will receive $2.04 million to expand the registered nurse pipeline at Golden West College by 40 students per year and to develop a pathway to the radiologic technology certificate program at Orange Coast College for 30 students per year.

Concordia University Irvine will receive $5 million in grant funding to expand the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program and provide scholarships to 10 pre-nursing students and 20 ABSN students per year.

Orange County United Way will receive a grant of $1.36 million to expand its UpSkill OC program, focusing on gaps within the healthcare workforce, and provide career coaching, connections to paid training and certification programs, and job placements in the healthcare industry. An additional 25 clients will be served each year.

Santiago Canyon College will receive $1.2 million to increase the behavior technician program from 25–50 students to 50–100 students annually. Its medical assistant program will expand from 50 to 175 students annually. The college will develop a licensed vocational nursing curriculum and attain program accreditation to produce more than 60 licensed graduates annually.

The Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing at the University of California, Irvine, will be awarded $5 million for a program to provide 120 prelicensure nursing students with a one-year externship. Additionally, the grant funds a one-year residency for eight Family Nurse Practitioners and four Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners to address Orange County’s shortage of registered nurses and primary and behavioral health providers.

“Our grants to educational institutions will tackle the problem at its roots by funding training and education for tomorrow’s caregivers for the Medi-Cal population,” explains Hunn. “Closing workforce gaps and building provider diversity is the foundation of health care equity for our members.”

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About CalOptima Health

A county-organized health system, CalOptima Health provides quality healthcare coverage for low-income children, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities in Orange County, California. CalOptima Health’s mission is to serve member health with excellence and dignity, respecting the values and needs of each person. CalOptima Health serves over 934,000 members with a network of nearly 10,700 primary care doctors, specialists, and 39 acute and rehab hospitals.

About the Provider Workforce Development Initiative

The five-year, $50 million CalOptima Health Provider Workforce Development Initiative is designed to increase access to high-quality, equitable care for members by investing in strategies to close gaps and shortages in Orange County’s healthcare workforce. Through a competitive process, grantees will receive funds that increase opportunities for education, training and development, recruitment, and retention of health professionals needed to serve CalOptima Health’s diverse members.