AB 1311, legislation to evaluate efficacy of allied health programs, signed into law by Governor Newsom
SACRAMENTO – AB 1311, by Assemblywoman Soria, has been signed into law today, July 27th.
The bill directs the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) to evaluate programs in allied health, including nursing programs offered jointly between campuses at the California Community College, California State University, and University of California. This bill seeks to support a growing healthcare workforce to better serve California regions with the greatest healthcare needs, like the San Joaquin Valley and Madera County.
“I am grateful for the Governor’s support in evaluating how we train nurses in California,” said Assemblywoman Soria. “This bill will provide an important opportunity for our state to assess our allied health programs and further bolster our healthcare workforce to serve our neediest communities.”
Throughout the Central Valley, many regions have encountered difficulty in retaining a sufficient number of healthcare professionals to meet the needs of their fast growing populations. Late last year, Madera Community Hospital, the only hospital in Madera County, was forced to close its doors as a result of many factors including the facility’s inability to hire and retain trained medical staff.
A recent UCSF health workforce assessment found that the San Joaquin Valley has the lowest number of licensed medical professionals like doctors, registered nurses, licensed counselors and social workers, and more per capita compared to any other region in California. The San Joaquin Valley is additionally one of fastest growing, poorest, and least healthy regions of California.
“AB 1311 will be the first step toward ensuring communities like those in Madera County and the San Joaquin Valley have enough trained medical professionals to meet their healthcare needs,” said Assemblywoman Soria, “By investigating whether existing allied health programs at California colleges are meeting the workforce needs of the state, we can improve health outcomes for all Californians.”
This is the first of Assemblywoman Soria’s bills to be signed into law.
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Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria represents the 27th Assembly District which includes communities in Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties.