Physicians for a Healthy California

In 2019, the California Medical Association’s (CMA) foundation – Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) – launched two initiatives to grow the physician workforce pipeline to meet the health needs of California’s medically underserved communities.

Funded by voter-approved Proposition 56 tobacco tax revenues, the CalMedForce and CalHealthCares programs expand residency training opportunities and incentivize physicians to practice in underserved communities. The University of California (UC) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) are the respective recipients of the graduate medical education (GME) and loan repayment funding and have contracted with PHC to administer the programs.

CalMedForce program is committed to growing a diverse physician workforce by supporting, incentivizing and expanding graduate medical education in California. Our goal is to grow and strengthen the physician pipeline to meet the demands of California’s growing patient population, with a focus on medically underserved areas and populations.

CalMedForce works in partnership with University of California (UC) to award eligible residency programs that are new, existing or expanding throughout the state of California. To date, 1,183 residency positions have been awarded including 638 across 31 medically underserved communities.

CalHealthCares is committed to increasing providers accepting Medi-Cal patients by supporting and incentivizing physicians and dentists to increase participation in the Medi-Cal program. Our goal is to increase access to care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

CalHealthCares works in partnership with Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to award loan repayment and practice support grant money to physicians and dentists throughout the state of California. As of June 2024, a total of $229.2 million has been awarded to 1,226 physicians and $49.2 million has been awarded to 188 dentists.

PHC strives to be good partners to good government. Therefore, we are committed to being nimble, flexible and transparent in the management of these very important programs.

PHC also supports future physicians through its Medical Student Community Leadership Grant Program (MSCLGP). Established in 2001, the MSCLGP has awarded over 200 grants to support medical student projects that enhance the wellbeing of California’s communities.

PHC launched the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO) in 2002 to identify strategies for building the capacity of ethnic physician organizations to reduce health disparities and improve access to health care for their communities through increased collaboration with community organizations and policy advocacy in both the public sector and within organized medicine, and address diversity in the healthcare workforce and cultural competency. PHC hosts an annual Health Equity Leadership Summit and has convened ethnic physicians to work together to develop a joint agenda to impact healthcare in California.

PHC has grown into one of California’s leading advocates for improved community health. Our programs continue to improve public health, provide clinical practice support and improvement, and address the social determinants of health and access to care.

CalMedForce and CalHealthCares help address workforce issues through Proposition 56 funding. Proposition 56 allocated $40 million of funding towards Graduate Medical Education (GME) to sustain, retain, and expand California residency positions in primary care and emergency medicine. In addition, Proposition 56 funds the Medi-Cal Physicians and Dentists Loan Repayment Program to recruit and retain providers in Medi-Cal providing up to $300,000 in loan repayments in exchange for a five-year service obligation.

Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC), formerly known as the CMA Foundation, started in 1963 as a charitable arm of the California Medical Association (CMA), disbursing over $1 million dollars in grants and loans to medical students to support future physicians.

In 1995, Board Chair Rolland C. Lowe, M.D. recommended that PHC expand its role to encompass community health. New projects launched in 1996 and 1997, including ComPACT (tobacco education) and the Physician Leadership Recognition Dinner. These programs established our position in the community as leaders of public health initiatives. The Pharmacy Partnership Project, begun in 1996, facilitated public education campaigns, advertisements, and media coverage on increasing consumer awareness about pharmacies selling tobacco. The Project removed tobacco products from pharmacies with a nearly 80 percent success rate.

PHC continues to support future physicians through its Medical Student Community Leadership Grant Program (MSCLGP). Established in 2001, the MSCLGP has awarded over 200 grants to support medical student projects that enhance the wellbeing of California’s communities.

In 2002, the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations (NEPO) was established by visionary physicians Rolland C. Lowe M.D. and Frank E. Staggers, Sr., M.D. Drs. Lowe and Staggers, both Past Presidents of the CMA and Past Chairs of the PHC Board of Directors, established NEPO to identify strategies for building the capacity of ethnic physician organizations to reduce health disparities and improve access to health care for their communities through increased collaboration with community organizations and policy advocacy in both the public sector and within organized medicine, and address diversity in the healthcare workforce and cultural competency. PHC hosts an annual NEPO Summit and has convened ethnic physicians to work together to develop a joint agenda to impact healthcare in California.

CalMedForce: In 2019, hundreds of GME programs in hospitals, medical centers and community clinics received over $76 million to retain and expand physician training programs in primary care (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology) and emergency medicine. Awards reflected urban and rural areas, with a focus on medically underserved populations. Of the 156 residency positions funded during the 2018-19 cycle, 82 are new residency slots. Of those, 60 are in new programs and 22 at existing programs. Further, 74 funded positions are existing slots that could have been eliminated if not for this funding.

CalHealthCares: In 2019, nearly 1,300 health care providers applied to the CalHealthCares loan repayment program, and $67.3 million was awarded to 240 physicians and 38 dentists.
By focusing on young physicians and dentists, CalHealthCares incentivizes providers to make a commitment to serving Medi-Cal patients. The physician awardees are providing services to Medi-Cal patients in 38 counties throughout California, and they represent 40 specialty areas of medicine, including pediatrics, psychiatry and OB/GYN. The dentist awardees are providing services to Medi-Cal patients in 19 counties throughout California. They represent both general and pediatric dentists.

A 2020-25 strategic plan has been developed and approved by the executive committee and board of trustees. The priority for PHC for the next five years will be devoted to strengthening our infrastructure by focusing on diversity in the physician workforce, healthy equity and community health.