California: the record

Central California Alliance for Health reinvested $44.9 million in 2025

The Central California Alliance for Health reported in April 2026 that it reinvested $44.9 million in 2025 across Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, Merced and Mariposa counties, including support for health centers.

San Ysidro Health prescribes art to 250 young people for mental health

San Ysidro Health is piloting arts prescriptions for 250 young people ages 12 to 25 with anxiety, depression or isolation, with Art Pharmacy, KTLA reported in April 2026.

Prop 40 health funding tax trails in the semi-official count

SEIU-UHW is leading a ballot drive for a one-time 5% wealth tax on California's ~200 billionaires (~$2T combined wealth), which proponents say would raise about $100B…

Clinica Sierra Vista buys its first owned headquarters in Bakersfield

Clinica Sierra Vista, one of California's largest health centers, bought a 99,368-square-foot building from Chevron at 9525 Camino Media in Bakersfield for $15.7 million, effective April 1, 2026.

Health Net Commits $1M to Prepare 4.7M Members for Work Requirements

Health Net (Centene subsidiary) launched 'Get Informed, Stay Covered' — an early $1M multilingual education campaign for the January 2027 work requirements.

Health Net commits $1 million to prepare Medi-Cal members for work rules

Health Net launched a $1 million Get Informed, Stay Covered campaign in April 2026 to prepare its 4.7 million Medi-Cal members for work requirements starting January 2027. California will check eligibility every six months.

Fresno County warns H.R. 1 could open a $69-$295 million deficit

Fresno County projects a $69 million to $295 million budget deficit from H.R. 1, as Fresnoland reported in March 2026. Public Health Director Joe Prado estimates 11,000 to 30,000 residents will need county indigent care, costing $41 million to $241 million.

HCAI plans new CHW and promotora funding phase for May 2026

HCAI committed to a new phase of its Amplifying Impact Initiative launching in May 2026, after applications closed March 30. It is the first new state funding for community health workers and promotoras since the 2024 budget cuts.

Contra Costa County faces $307 million loss as 93,000 may lose Medi-Cal

An analysis reported by Richmondside in March 2026 puts Contra Costa County's H.R. 1 losses at $307 million, with 93,000 residents at risk of losing Medi-Cal.

California plans $233.6 million for rural health, including telehealth and workforce

HCAI published California's Rural Health Transformation Plan in March 2026 with $233.6 million across three areas: new care models such as e-consults and telehealth, rural workforce pipelines and loan repayment, and cybersecurity and data sharing.

CCALAC holds its first workforce summit June 17, 2026 in Los Angeles

The Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, whose members serve 2.02 million patients at 450+ sites, announced in March 2026 its first workforce summit on June 17 in Los Angeles.

Tehama supervisors warn H.R. 1 shifts $9.5 billion a year to California

The Tehama County Board of Supervisors warned in a March 2026 letter that H.R. 1 would shift $9.5 billion a year in safety-net costs onto California's state and county governments, hitting rural counties hardest.

AltaMed residency picks 6 doctors from 627 applicants

AltaMed's Family Medicine Residency welcomed six residents on Match Day, March 20, 2026, from 627 applicants and 87 interviews. It has trained 18 family doctors since 2020, with support from a CMA and LACMA partnership that began in 2019.

2023 Kaufman Hall analysis put 1 in 5 California hospitals at risk

An April 2023 Kaufman Hall analysis, which the California Hospital Association still cites as its baseline, found 1 in 5 California hospitals at risk of closure, and nearly half of rural hospitals lose money.

CalOptima and IEHP each project losing 650,000 members by 2028

CalOptima in Orange County forecasts losing 650,000 of its 2.2 million members by 2028, and IEHP in the Inland Empire projects a similar 650,000 loss from 2.5 million, IE Voice reported in March 2026. Together, 1.3 million members could lose coverage.

Fresno County faces a $241 million gap in uncovered health costs

Fresno County faces an estimated $241 million in uncovered health costs as residents lose Medi-Cal, GV Wire reported in March 2026.

CHCF looks at how AI can safely widen language access

The California Health Care Foundation published a brief in March 2026 on how AI interpretation and translation tools could cut language service costs and widen access for patients with limited English.

UC Berkeley says Medicaid cuts could cost California up to 217,000 jobs

The UC Berkeley Labor Center estimated in March 2026 that federal Medicaid cuts could eliminate up to 217,000 California jobs, about 145,000 of them in health care.

Dan Walters calls Medi-Cal a $200 billion funding emergency

In a March 2026 CalMatters commentary, Dan Walters called Medi-Cal a $200 billion-plus a year funding emergency, as Governor Newsom pulls back immigrant coverage after wrongly projecting a surplus.

Full Medi-Cal dental continues through June 30, 2027, DHCS guidance says

Current DHCS guidance keeps full dental through June 30, 2027, later than the July 2026 date in KVPR's March 23, 2026 story on Altura Centers for Health.

UCI Health lays off 150 and closes pediatric units at Fountain Valley

UCI Health laid off 150 workers and closed the pediatrics department and pediatric ICU at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital on March 23, 2026, moving patients mid-care, NBC Los Angeles reported.

CalOptima membership falls to about 877,000 as Medi-Cal rules tighten

CalOptima, Orange County's Medi-Cal plan, has fallen from nearly 1 million members in 2024 to about 877,000, with about 27,000 leaving in a recent two-month span, NBC Los Angeles reported in March 2026. Some cite immigration fears.

California hospitals have laid off 3,400+ workers since mid-March

California hospitals have laid off more than 3,400 health care workers since mid-March 2026, 1,600 of them from Santa Barbara to Orange County and the Inland Empire, the Orange County Register reported. Executives warn of a second wave as H.R. 1 phases in.

UC Merced study finds rushed visits erode trust at Valley health centers

A UC Merced Center for Health Equity study of three Central Valley health centers, with 33 health professionals, 39 CHWs and 403 patient surveys, found in March 2026 that power dynamics and rushed visits erode patient trust.

Neighborhood Healthcare secures $7.8 million for a new Lakeside facility

Neighborhood Healthcare, a San Diego County health center, secured funding in March 2026 for a $7.8 million facility in Lakeside, saying community need has outgrown its capacity, the San Diego Business Journal reported.

CHCF says federal Medicaid cuts would devastate rural Northern California health systems

A CHCF analysis in March 2026 found that at Shasta Community Health Center, 82% of visits are Medi-Cal, bringing 60% of revenue. Hill Country's CEO said a 30% revenue loss would mean a 30% cut in staff and services.

San Joaquin County projects a $76.9 million hit from H.R. 1

San Joaquin County projects a $76.9 million budget impact from H.R. 1, the Lodi News-Sentinel reported in March 2026. County clinics could lose up to $9 million, and 314,058 residents, 39% of the county, rely on Medi-Cal.

Neighborhood Healthcare opens its first San Bernardino County site in Rialto

Neighborhood Healthcare opened its health center at 1205 W. Foothill Blvd. In Rialto on July 21, 2026, about two months after its planned May opening.

OCHIN and C3 launch a Medicare ACO for OCHIN Epic health centers

Community Care Cooperative (C3), a health-center-governed ACO, announced with OCHIN on March 17, 2026 a Medicare ACO built for health centers on OCHIN Epic.

NLRB complaint seeks a bargaining order at Innercare, which denies the allegations

SEIU-UHW filed more than 30 unfair labor practice charges against Innercare (Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo) over a 2024 union drive. The NLRB complaint that followed alleges illegal firings and seeks a bargaining order without a new election.

Corrected Oct 13, 2026: The record said the NLRB found violations. The NLRB complaint alleges them, Innercare denies them, and no judge has ruled. An unsourced ranking of the case was removed.

Innercare NLRB case awaits a judge's decision

SEIU-UHW filed more than 30 unfair labor practice charges against Innercare (Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo) over its 2024 organizing drive.

Corrected Oct 13, 2026: The entry stated the firings as fact and called the case the most serious against a California FQHC. The NLRB complaint alleges them, Innercare denies them, and no judge has ruled.

OCHIN brief finds many California health centers unprepared for Medicare patients

An OCHIN brief with CHCF in March 2026 found many California health centers lack the billing, credentialing and clinical workflows Medicare patients need. As Medi-Cal patients age into Medicare, those gaps put revenue at risk.

Sen. Durazo Introduces SB 1422 to Reverse the UIS Medi-Cal Enrollment Freeze

California Sen. María Elena Durazo introduced SB 1422 to reverse the January 1, 2026 freeze on new Medi-Cal enrollment for immigrant adults 19 and older.

Corrected Oct 14, 2026: The record named August 31, 2026 as the deadline that had passed for SB 1422. The deadline the bill missed was May 29, 2026, the last day for each house to pass its own bills.

Study says SEIU's 90% measure would shift $1.7 billion from health centers

A March 2026 Berkeley Research Group study commissioned by Protect Patients CA says the SEIU-UHW 90% spending measure would redirect $1.7 billion from health centers and push two-thirds into deficits.

H.R. 1 caps Medi-Cal directed payments, pushing rates toward Medicare by 2028

H.R. 1 caps state-directed payments, ending California's ability to have managed care plans pay providers at commercial rates, a CHCF analysis explained in March 2026. Provider rates will move toward Medicare levels starting in 2028.

San Ysidro Health plans three new centers in 2026

San Ysidro Health planned three new centers in 2026: Julian Family Medicine in March, the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center in the fall and Chula Vista Specialty Care in winter, the San Diego Business Journal reported.

Open Door says over half its North Coast patients use Medi-Cal

Open Door Community Health Centers, the largest obstetrics and primary care provider in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, said that over half its patients are on Medi-Cal, the Lost Coast Outpost reported. As rural practices close, it is often the only option.

SB Neighborhood Clinics Receives $5M Wyatt Family Donation, Largest in History

Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics received a $5 million donation from the Wyatt family — the largest in the organization's history. The gift will expand capacity by 41%, enabling SBNC to serve up to 28,000 patients annually.

AltaMed earns Great Place to Work certification with 85% staff approval

AltaMed Health Services, the nation's largest health center, earned Great Place to Work certification in March 2026, with 85% of its 5,700+ employees calling it a great place to work, 28 points above the 57% national average.

Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics gets a $5 million Wyatt family gift

The Wyatt family of Montecito gave Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics $5 million, its largest family gift, the Santa Barbara Independent reported in March 2026.