UC Merced Study: Power Dynamics and Rushed Encounters Destroy Patient Trust in San Joaquin Valley Health Centers
A UC Merced Center for Health Equity study across 3 Central Valley health centers (8 counties) with 33 health professionals, 39 CHWs, and 403 patient surveys found that power dynamics and rushed clinical encounters destroy patient trust — while culturally respectful, language-concordant care builds it. As FQHCs face staffing cuts from H.R.
1, the risk is that remaining staff will have even less time per patient, accelerating the trust gap. Primary-source evidence that CHW investment is a revenue strategy, not just a cost.
Primary source
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Affected FQHCs
FQHC Talent. (2026, March 20). UC Merced Study: Power Dynamics and Rushed Encounters Destroy Patient Trust in San Joaquin Valley Health Centers. Primary source: UC Merced Center for Health Equity. Retrieved July 28, 2026, from https://www.fqhctalent.com/intel/uc-merced-chw-trust-gap-sjv-study
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