4140 Statewide Health Planning & Development
Program Descriptions

30 - HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE

The Health Care Workforce Program supports the development and expansion of primary care, mental health and allied health training throughout the state, promotes health care workforce diversity and cultural competency, encourages providers to work in underserved areas, and promotes the recruitment of students into health professions. It includes the following program areas:

  • Health Careers Training Program - Serves as a health professions resource and liaisons between public and private partnerships to promote recruitment, training, placement, and retention of a multicultural and linguistically competent health workforce in California
  • California State Loan Repayment Program - Increases the number of licensed primary care physicians, dentists, dental hygienists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and mental health providers practicing in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas. Repays educational loans of health professionals, who in turn must provide direct patient care in public or private non-profit entities for a minimum of two years and maximum of four years.
  • Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Program - Grants funds to family practice residency, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, mental health, and registered nurse training programs to increase the number and improve the distribution of these professionals in underserved areas of the state.
  • Health Workforce Pilot Projects Program - Provides the opportunity for health care related organizations to demonstrate, test and evaluate new or expanded roles for health care professionals or new health care delivery alternatives prior to amending regulations or laws. Under this program, trainees in approved pilot projects are exempted from other provisions of law. Pilot project results help guide changes to the Business and Professions Code.
  • Shortage Designation Program - Liaisons between the federal government and health care provider sites applying for designation as a Health Professional Shortage Area or a Medically Underserved Area/Population. These designations enable clinics to be eligible for assignment of National Health Service Corps personnel or apply for Rural Health Clinic certification, Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike certification, and the New Start/Expansion Program.
  • Health Care Workforce Clearinghouse Program (Clearinghouse) - Established to serve as the central source of health care workforce and education data in the state. The Clearinghouse is responsible for the collection, analysis, and distribution of information on the educational and employment trends for health care occupations in the state.
  • Mental Health Services Act Workforce Education and Training - Remedies the shortage of qualified individuals to provide services to address severe mental illnesses by providing stipends and loan repayments to qualified mental health practitioners, funding educational institutions to provide training to physician assistants, supporting psychiatric residency programs, designating mental health professional shortage areas, as well as funding regional partnerships and a technical assistance center.
  • Health Professions Education Foundation (a non-profit public benefit corporation) - Provides scholarships, loan repayments, and programs to health professional students and graduates who agree to provide direct patient care in a medically underserved area of California for one to four years. Programs serve allied health, nursing, mental health, and medical health professionals.