California is nicknamed "The Golden State" because of its rich history of gold mining that includes the infamous California Gold Rush of 1848. Known for its beautiful landscapes, California is where you will find the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Lake Tahoe, and the giant Sequoia and Redwood trees. California covers 155,959 square miles, with a 2012 estimated population of 38,041,430 people – 836,441 living in rural California (USDA-ERS). Sacramento, the capital, is located in the north-central region of the state. The state’s largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 74.0% of the state’s population is white, 6.6% is African American/Black, 13.6% is Asian, 1.7% is American Indian and Alaska Native, and 38.1% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2011).
There are 343 hospitals in California (Kaiser, 2010), 34 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 31 hospitals identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (March 2013). There are 293 Rural Health Clinics in California (Kaiser, 2012), and 118 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 895 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2010). Most Californians have some form of health insurance coverage, although 20.0% of its residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2011).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Californians in 2011 was $43,646, although rural per-capita income lagged at $35,452. Estimates from 2011 indicate a poverty rate of 18.2% exists in rural California, compared to a 16.6% level in urban areas of the State. 2011 ACS data reports that 13.0% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 19.3% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural California is at 13.2%, while in urban California it is at 11.7% (USDA-ERS, 2011).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets; North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center;
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Administration for Children and Families: Region 9 (ACF)
Federal government
Dedicated to promoting and enhancing the economic independence and social well-being of children, families, individuals, and communities. ACF Region 9 serves Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Border Counties Coalition
State/regional organization
A nonpartisan, consensus-based policy and technical forum founded to address challenges facing county governments located on the United States/Mexico Border.
Border Health Education Network (BHEN)
State government
A San Diego Border Health Education Training Center with the objectives to create a cross-border affiliation of healthcare professionals. Available in Spanish.
California Area Health Education Center Program (CAL-AHEC)
State/regional organization
An organization of partnerships, brings together community and academic interests to improve access to health care and decrease health disparities for all Californians.
California Association of Rural Health Clinics (CARHC)
State/regional organization
Improves communication among RHCs and other community providers, and various California state agencies through education and outreach in order to ensure improved care of patients.
California Critical Access Hospital Network (CCAHN)
State/regional organization
A statewide organization which exists for creating collaborative working relationships among California critical access hospitals to strengthen its members through sharing resources, education, and innovation.
California Department of Child Support Services
State government
Promotes the well-being of children and the self-sufficiency of families by delivering first-rate child support establishment, collection, and distribution services that help both parents meet the financial, medical, and emotional needs of their children.
California Department of Education: Special Education Division
State government
Provides information and resources to serve the unique needs of individuals with disabilities so that each person will meet or exceed high standards of achievement in academic and non-academic skills.
California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
State government
Protects and promotes the health status of Californians through the financing and delivery of individual health care services.
California Department of Health Care Services Primary and Rural Health Division (PRH)
State government
Improves the health status of population groups living in medically underserved urban and rural areas of California by making more accessible primary and preventive health care services and other public health services for at-risk persons, including the medically uninsured or indigent, and those who experience cultural or language barriers.
California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)
State government
Provides leadership, policies and programs to expand and preserve safe and affordable housing opportunities and promote strong communities for all Californians
California Department of Mental Health
State government
Entrusted with leadership of the California mental health system, ensures through partnerships the availability and accessibility of effective, efficient, culturally competent services. This is accomplished by advocacy, education, innovation, outreach, understanding, oversight, monitoring, quality improvement, and the provision of direct services.
California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
State government
Provides focused state leadership in public health and health care financing and creates a more effective public health infrastructure in California.
California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR)
State government
Works in partnership with consumers and other stakeholders to provide services and advocacy resulting in employment, independent living and equality for individuals with disabilities.
California Department of Social Services (CDSS)
State government
Serves, aids, and protects needy and vulnerable children and adults in ways that strengthen and preserve families, encourage personal responsibility, and foster independence.
California Department of Social Services: Adult Protective Services
State government
Provides county adult protective services telephone listings. County APS agencies investigate reports of abuse of elders and dependent adults who live in private homes and hotels or hospitals and health clinics when the abuser is not at staff member. For additional information call the California Department of Social Services Adult Programs Branch at: 916.229.4000.
California Department of Transportation
State government
Works with partners in other state agencies, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and local governments to meet California's transportation needs.
California Endowment
Nonprofit/Foundation
Mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians.
California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS)
State government
Administers state and federal programs for health care, social services, public assistance and rehabilitation.
California Health Facilities Financing Authority (CHFFA)
State government
CHFFA was created to be the State's vehicle for providing financial assistance to public and non-profit health care providers in California through loans funded by the issuance of tax-exempt bonds.
California Health Information Partnership and Services Organization (CalHIPSO)
State/regional organization
One of four State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) serving California that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
California Hospital Association (CHA)
State/regional organization
Provides member hospitals and health systems with representation and advocacy in the legislative and regulatory arenas. CHA advocates maintaining and improving access to high quality, cost-effective, safe hospital and hospital-related services.
California Hospital Association (CHA)
State/regional organization
CHA is the statewide leader representing the interests of hospitals, health systems and other health care providers in California.
California Institute for Mental Health (CIMH)
State/regional organization
Promotes excellence in mental health services through training, technical assistance, research and policy development in California.
California Institute for Rural Studies (CIRS)
State/regional organization
Works toward a rural California that is socially just, economically viable, and environmentally balanced.
California Labor and Workforce Development Agency
State government
Oversees seven major departments, boards, and panels that serve California businesses and workers. The goals of the agency are to improve access to employment and training programs, and to ensure that California businesses and workers have a level playing field in which to compete and prosper.
California Office of Binational Border Health (COBBH)
State government
Mission is to protect and improve the health of California communities affected by border or binational conditions and activities through facilitating cooperation between California and Mexico health officials and health professionals.
Available in Spanish.
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN)
State/regional organization
Works to ensure that all Californians have access to quality health care and can live healthy lives.
California Primary Care Association (CPCA)
State/regional organization
Promotes and facilitates equal access to quality health care for individuals and families through organized primary care clinics and clinic networks that maintain cost-effective, affordable medical services, as well as meet the linguistic and cultural needs of California's diverse population.
California State Office of Rural Health (CalSORH)
State government
Collaborates with public and private entities statewide, and at the regional and national levels to increase rural access to health care and to link small rural communities with State and Federal resources.
California State Rural Health Association (CSRHA)
State/regional organization
A nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots organization that works to improve the health of rural Californians and the quality and accessibility of the health care they receive.
California Telehealth Resource Center (CTRC)
State/regional organization
One of the telehealth resource centers funded by the federal Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. Assists health care organizations, health care networks, and health care providers in the implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs to serve rural and medically underserved areas and populations in California.
California-Baja California Border Environmental Program
State government
A collaborative effort that includes the California Environmental Protection Agency, other California State Agencies, Baja California, and Tribal Nations located along the border region.
California/Nevada Community Action Partnership
State/regional organization
Provides services to members throughout California and Nevada including: Head Start, senior nutrition, job training, community economic development, homeless shelters, after school and other youth programs, Food Banks, community gardens and other anti-hunger programs, energy assistance and home weatherization services.
CalOptima Regional Extension Center: California (COREC)
State/regional organization
One of four State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) serving California that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture (CESLAC)
Academic/Research
Conducts research and provides information about Latinos/as in California. Provides technical assistance to community organizations. Reports and data can be obtained on the website.
Center for U.S. - Mexican Studies, UCSD
Academic/Research
Supports research relevant to current policy issues in Mexico and to the binational relationship in close collaboration with social scientists at Mexican institutions. In addition, most of the Center's research involves comparative studies with a substantial Mexico component.
Central Valley Health Policy Institute
Academic/Research
The mission of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute is to facilitate an interactive regional process to identify, monitor, and analyze emerging health policy issues that influence the health status of people living in Central California.
Health Professions Education Foundation
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides scholarships, loan repayments, and programs to encourage people from underrepresented communities to become health professionals and to increase access to health providers in medically underserved areas of California.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: California
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias (IRSC)
Academic/Research
Provides San Diego State University with a forum for the investigation, discussion, and dissemination of information about the United States-Mexican border region. The Institute has undertaken multidisciplinary applied research projects on important regional concerns including transborder environmental issues, policy perspectives of the California-Mexico relationship, quality of life, and sustainable development.
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)
State/regional organization
A statewide organization with a specific emphasis on Latino health, founded in 1992 by health care providers, consumers and advocates to impact Latino health through enhanced information, policy development and community involvement.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Pacific Southwest Region (NN/LM-PSR)
State/regional organization
Supports collaboration among libraries and information centers that serve health information needs in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the U.S. Territories in the Pacific Basin.
Office of the California Department of Public Health: Office of Multicultural Health
State government
Works to increase the capacity of the State health agencies, health care providers, and ethnic/racial communities to eliminate health disparities among and improve the quality of life of California's diverse populations.
Pacific Health Association (PHA)
State/regional organization
PHA is comprised of the California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems and Washington State Hospital Association. Formed to provide information, support and representation to current members of the three state associations and future members. PHA provides a vehicle for the three state associations to collaborate and provide better service to their members on a multi-state basis.
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
International organization
Works to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. Serves as the specialized organization for health of the Inter-American System and as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. It is an international public health agency, and part of the United Nations.
Public Health Institute (PHI)
National organization
Dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Helps rural communities in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming to improve community infrastructure. Offers numerous services including loans for housing and environment.
San Diego Dialogue
Academic/Research
Contributes to the advancement of research, relationships and solutions to the San Diego-Baja California crossborder region's long-term challenges in innovation, economy, health and education.
San Diego-Tijuana Border Initiative
State/regional organization
A bi-national coalition whose mission is to encourage closer collaboration among social and community service providers in the region with the specific intent of promoting institution building and policy development for issues of equal importance to both sides of the border. Includes a Binational Prevention Information Clearinghouse, a database of information about alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention materials. Information is available in Spanish.
SANDAG Borders Committee
State/regional organization
An organization governed by a board of directors composed of mayors, council members, and a county supervisor from each of the California border region's 19 local governments. SANDAG builds consensus, makes strategic plans, obtains and allocates resources, plans, engineers, and builds public transportation, and provides information on a broad range of topics pertinent to the region's quality of life.
State of California Department of Developmental Services (DDS)
State government
Provides services and supports to children and adults with developmental disabilities. These disabilities include mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism and related conditions.
Trans-Border Institute (TBI)
Academic/Research
Created in 1994 with two main objectives: 1) to promote border-related scholarship, activities and community at the University of San Diego, and 2) to promote an active role for the University in the cross-border community.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: California
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
Academic/Research
A major policy research institute based at UCLA and is affiliated with the School of Public Health and School of Public Affairs.
United States - Mexico Border Health Commission (USMBHC)
International organization
Provides international leadership to optimize health and quality of life along the U.S.-Mexico border. Comprised of the federal secretaries of health, the chief health officers of the ten border states and prominent community health professionals from both nations. The USMBHC brings together the two countries and its border states to solve border health problems.
USDA Rural Development California State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Western Rural Development Center (WRDC)
State/regional organization
One of four regional development centers in the nation. Participates in rural development research and extension (outreach) projects cooperatively with universities in the West. Serves a 13 state area in the Western region and 4 U.S. Pacific Territories, which includes WA, UT, WY, NV, ID, HI, CA, AZ, AK, OR, NM, MT, and CO.
Tools
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Rural Resources
Website
Provides a listing of opportunities available to rural California communities through the ARRA of 2009.
Border Health Topic Guide
Website
Information and resources about US-Mexico border health issues.
Cal Hospital Compare
Website
A website that includes ratings for clinical care, patient safety, and patient experience for 210 hospitals in California that have chosen to participate in this voluntary project.
CalAgrAbility
Website
The California AgrAbility Project, or CalAgrAbility, is a non-profit collaboration of the University of California at Davis Farm Safety Project and California Superior Easter Seals. Together, our mission at CalAgrAbility is to help individuals working in agriculture who have permanent conditions or injuries that hinder their efforts to continue working on farms. Some conditions are very common, such as arthritis, deteriorating vision, hearing loss (tractor ear), or mobility problems. Other folks face more serious challenges, such as amputations or spinal injuries.
CalHealthReform.org
Website
Created to keep Californians up-to-date on the major proposals, analyses, hearings, and news related to health reform. Also provides resources to help explain the issues and a discussion forum to share ideas.
California County Data Book 2007
Website
Provides county-level data on children's health in California.
California Diabetes Program
Website
A statewide public health program in the California Department of Health Services. Works with organizations in California and nationwide to monitor diabetes and implement diabetes interventions, to initiate or sustain good public health policy for diabetes, to increase access to quality diabetes care and treatment, and to raise public awareness about diabetes. Maintains the Diabetes Information Resource Center, a portal to help organizations exchange information and tools to support their work to prevent or control diabetes or other chronic diseases.
California Health Centers Research & Data
Website
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
California KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Website
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
California QuickFacts
Website
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
California State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
California STD/HIV Prevention Training Center
Website
Provides training courses that are designed to meet the needs of medical, health, and community professionals serving persons and communities impacted by STD and HIV. Service area includes the federal Health and Human Services Region IX: California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and the following Pacific Islands: American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
California Telehealth Network (CTN)
Website
Group of partners working together to create new telecommunications infrastructure, allowing California's rural communities to access a broad range of technology-enhanced services to improve the quality of health care services.
EHR Selection Toolkit for Community Health Centers
Website
Provides a list of criteria to review with vendors of EHR systems to insure the unique needs of community health centers (CHCs) are met.
ERS State Fact Sheet: California
Website
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Guide to Health Programs
Website
A bilingual resource to help find free or low-cost health-related programs for Californians.
Health Initiative of the Americas
Website
Coordinates and optimizes the availability of health resources for Mexican immigrants and their families through bilateral training, research, and health promotion activities. Facilitates the development of complementary and coordinated projects involving key stakeholders in Mexico and the United States. Formerly known as the California-Mexico Health Initiative.
Listing of Migrant-Serving Non-Profit Organizations in San Diego County
Website
Provides a list of non-profit organizations serving migrants in San Diego County.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: California
Website
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
National Latino Research Center (NLRC)
Website
Specializes in applied research, training, technical assistance and research-based services that contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the rapidly growing U.S. Latino population.
NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region: California Resources
Website
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for California.
Swords to Plowshares
Website
Provides services and support for returning veterans and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Programs and services include health and social services, housing, employment and training, a veterans academy, and legal assistance, plus an Iraq Veteran Project.
U.S.- Mexico Border HIV/AIDS Resource Directory
Website
Connects HIV/AIDS resources with community needs along the U.S.-Mexico Border. Provides local, regional and national information on HIV/AIDS training resources for a range of health care providers, and HIV/AIDS-related services for both providers, and consumers.
United States - Mexico Public Health
Website
Provides information about health issues unique to the border region, CDC's border and binational programs and activities, the Technical Guidelines for United States—Mexico Coordination on Public Health Events of Mutual Interest, and resources for colleagues working on border/binational public health issues.
See also: State-by-State Resources: Tools
Funding
Aetna Foundation Regional Grants
Funds community wellness initiatives focusing on healthy food and activity that serve low-income, underserved, or minority populations.
California Wellness Foundation Grants
Funds to support nonprofit organizations in California in the areas of diversity in the health professions, environmental health,
healthy aging, mental health, teenage pregnancy prevention, violence prevention, women's health, and work and health.
Community Facility Loans
Loans to help create and improve essential community facilities in the rural West.
Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants
Funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading.
Environmental Infrastructure Loans
Loans to finance water and waste facility projects in the rural West.
Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
Supports local organizations with funding priority given to programs that focus on education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation, and cultural enrichment.
Georgia-Pacific Foundation Grants
Grants for organizations projects that focus on education, the environment, community enhancement, affordable housing, arts and culture, and entrepreneurship.
HELP II Loan Program
Loans for California's non-profit small and rural health facilities.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Housing Loans
Offers loans to create, improve, or expand the supply of affordable housing for communities in the rural West.
Wells Fargo Corporate Giving Programs
Funding for nonprofit organizations in the areas of community development, education, human services, arts and culture, civic responsibility, and environmental consciousness.
Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund
Awards grants in various rural and urban areas where Weyerhaeuser does business. Funds programs that work in the areas of affordable housing and shelter; education and youth development; environmental stewardship; and human services.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
2012 WICHE Workplan: It's All About Outcomes
Sponsoring organization: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Discusses WICHE's focus in 2012 which includes finance, access and success, workforce and society, technology and innovation, and accountability. Highlights students exchange programs in rural and underserved areas, rural healthcare initiatives, and rural primary care clinics. Date: 09 / 2011
Accountable Care Organizations in California: Programmatic and Legal Considerations
Author(s): William S. Bernstein, Jonah P. B. Frohlich, Francis J. LaPallo, Arun R. Patel, Martin J. Thompson Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Starting point for the identification and discussion of policy and regulatory issues likely to arise in connection with MSSP, Pioneer, and commercial ACOs in California.
Date: 07 / 2011
Adding Specialty Services to a California FQHC: Legal and Regulatory Issues
Author(s): Regina M. Boyle Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Outlines for FQHCs (and FQHC Look-Alikes) the state and federal laws and regulations that govern the provision of specialty services. Date: 07 / 2009
Adequacy and Affordability of Healthcare Coverage in Rural California
Sponsoring organization: California State Rural Health Association Provides facts and statistics on the current characteristics of healthcare coverage in rural California Date: 01 / 2008
Advancing California’s Leadership in Telehealth Policy: A Telehealth Model Statute & Other Policy Recommendations
Author(s): Bonnie Preston, Patricia E. Powers, Mei Wa Kwong Report puts forth a Model Statute, a platform for the ideal California telehealth policy environment, developed by the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP). Date: 02 / 2011
Advocating for Equity in California’s Rural Communities
Author(s): Phoebe Seaton, Ilene J. Jacobs Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council California Rural Legal Assistance advocates for designated colonias and those communities outside the border region that have similar infrastructure and housing problems. Journal citation: Rural Roads Volume 14 Issue 1 Date: 2009
Border County Health Workforce Profiles: California
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration Provides information on the health workforce, relevant population characteristics, and basic health indicators for the U.S.-Mexico Border region in the State of California. Date: 05 / 2007
Border Health Status Report: Report to the Legislature 2009
Author(s): Michael Welton, Aline Dang, Saranette Sotomayor, April Fernandez. Sponsoring organization: California Office of Binational Border Health Presents important health indicators - demographics, environmental health, influenza, injury, dental health, and substance abuse - for border and binational communities in California. Date: 2009
California Can Lead the Way in Health Information Technology: Recommendations to Governor Schwarzenegger's eHealth Action Forum
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Provides 10 recommendations related to health information technology (HIT) as a means to transform health care in California. Date: 10 / 2006
California Farm Labor Force Overview and Trends from the National Agricultural Workers Survey
Sponsoring organization: California Office of Binational Border Health A report to help the EPA and other Federal and State agencies and nonprofit organizations in their efforts to protect the health of farmworkers. Date: 06 / 2005
California Health Care Landscape
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured Overview of the demographics, population health, the uninsured and Medicaid in the State of California. Date: 12 / 2011
California Health Reform: What’s at Stake for Rural Communities?
Author(s): Cathy Martin, Desiree Rose, Jessica Wilson, John Capitman, Deborah Riordan Sponsoring organization: California State Rural Health Association Provides the perspective and feedback of the 50 diverse rural stakeholders, including local health care providers, regional and state-wide coalitions, and county representatives who took part in roundtable discussions on health reform in rural California. Date: 08 / 2007
California Nurse Education Initiative Annual Report 2008
Author(s): California Nurse Education Initiative Illustrates that California faces a nurse shortage despite an increase in graduates and provides background information about the California Nurse Education Initiative. Date: 03 / 2009
California's Uninsured
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation An overview of the uninsured in California providing data on likelihood of being uninsured by employer size and type, family income, eligibility for public programs, age, ethnicity, and citizenship.
Date: 12 / 2010
California’s Agricultural Workers
Author(s): Sara Watson Sponsoring organization: California Wellness Foundation An examination of the possible impacts of reform on farmworkers. Date: 07 / 2010
Celebrating California’s First Native American–Based Community Housing Development Organization
Author(s): Darlene Tooley, Matt Tomas Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council The United Native Housing Development Corporation tells how its status as a CHDO opened up new funding sources previously untapped by the Native American community in California. Journal citation: Volume 14 Issue 3 Date: 2010
Changing West: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center Provides baseline data for identifying population changes in the western states for use in advancing rural development. Date: 2008
Chronic Conditions of Californians: 2007 California Health Interview Survey
Author(s): Camillia Lui, Steven P. Wallace Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Provides data to help counties and local health systems identify those areas of California bearing the heaviest burden in terms of chronic disease. Survey includes a map feature.
Date: 03 / 2010
Compendium of Best Practices/Models - Innovations to Strengthen Rural Health Care: Technology, Training and Workforce Development
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association Document Developed by NRHA's National Rural Task Force. Highlights workforce programs in California, Mississippi, and New Mexico. Date: 09 / 2010
County Health Status Profiles 2013: 20th Anniversary Edition 1993-2013
Author(s): John Rudzinskas, Alicia Van Hoy, Scott Fujimoto, et al. Sponsoring organization: California Department of Public Health Report contains selected health status indicators recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for monitoring state and local progress toward achieving goals, as set forth in its Healthy People 2020 report. Date: 2013
Creating EHR Networks in the Safety Net
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Discusses how a network approach to implementing EHR systems can ensure clinics and health centers to remain in the forefront of delivering quality care to the safety net. Date: 03 / 2008
Demographic and Economic Profile: California
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, and more. Includes maps and graphics. Date: 01 / 2009
Designing Safety-Net Clinics for Cultural Sensitivity
Author(s): Amy Keller, Anjali Joseph, Ellen Taylor, Xiaobo Quan Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Design strategies for building and renovating safety-net clinics, with special attention to cultural sensitivity. Date: 03 / 2011
Designing Safety-Net Clinics for Flexibility
Author(s): Amy Keller, Anjali Joseph, Ellen Taylor, Xiaobo Quan Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Overview of several studies from an acute care environment that includes application and examples of clinic design with attention to the organization response and business case. Date: 03 / 2011
Designing Safety-Net Clinics for Innovative Care Delivery Models
Author(s): Xiaobo Quan, Anjali Joseph, Ellen Taylor, Amy Keller Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Identifies key characteristics of the physical environment design for new care delivery models and to provide design recommendations. Date: 03 / 2011
Education: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center Explores education characteristics in the western states and examines how it impacts rural development. Date: 2008
Employment, Income and Poverty: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center Examines and compares employment and income in western states with both rural and urban data. Date: 2008
Evaluation Findings from The California Wellness Foundation’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI)
Sponsoring organization: California Wellness Foundation Highlights the findings from the evaluation of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI) during the period 1995 through 2006. Date: 06 / 2007
Exploring California's Rural Health System: From the Redwood Forests to the Baja Border (March 29-31, 2005)
Author(s): Eileen Salinsky, Jessamy Taylor Sponsoring organization: National Health Policy Forum Describes a 3-day site visit to explore California's rural health system. Discusses the financial health of inpatient and outpatient providers and how that affects access to care, telemedicine as a tool for expanding access, and special needs of vulnerable populations such as farmworkers. Date: 06 / 2005
Fact Sheet: Rural Hospitals Struggle to Attract Patients and Remain Viable
Author(s): Elizabeth Maggio Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation Describes the characteristics of rural hospitals and those who use them and discusses the challenges these hospitals face. Date: 2009
Federally Qualified Health Centers and State Health Policy: A Primer for California
Author(s): Mary Takach, Elizabeth Osius Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Discusses how California has an opportunity to improve the performance and sustainability of federally qualified health centers by integrating technology, adapting to changes in health policy, and tapping new sources of funding. Date: 07 / 2009
Fewer and More Specialized: A New Assessment of Physician Supply in California
Author(s): Kevin Grumbach, Arpita Chattopadhyay, Andrew B. Bindman Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Presents the findings of the first comprehensive study of the Medical Board of California survey data on practicing physicians in the state. Date: 06 / 2009
Financial Health of California Hospitals: Snapshot
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Examines the financial health of California hospitals, including data on ownership, utilization, payer mix, and financial strength.
Date: 2007
Financial Health of California's Critical Access Hospitals
Author(s): Shelley Oberlin, Brian Thygesen, Scott Walters Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Examines the financial health of California CAHs by looking at their performance over the past six years and comparing it with all of the state's acute care hospitals on a number of measures. Also examines the before-and-after financial experience of hospitals that converted to CAH status in 2005.
Date: 02 / 2010
Getting Connected: The Outlook for Electronic Prescribing in California
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Assesses the progress of transmitting of prescriptions electronically in California and examines how greater coordination between providers, health plans, and pharmacies could help overcome persistent barriers. Date: 11 / 2008
Good Practice: Treating Underserved Dental Patients While Staying Afloat
Author(s): Scott, Mary Kate Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Outlines techniques and tools related to creating a strategic plan, the reimbursement process and payer mix, achieving a smooth patient flow and staffing patterns, the importance of effective business systems, and implementing new technologies and clinical programs. Website also offers access to an audio clip of three dentists describing their experiences with treating uninsured and Medi-Cal patients and how they were able to improve their practices. Date: 08 / 2008
Health and Longevity: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center Examines health and longevity for states in the western region. Date: 2008
Health Care Costs 101
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Provides general background on U.S. health
spending, with detail for California where available. Date: 04 / 2011
Health Information Technology: Are Long Term Care Providers Ready?
Author(s): Sandra Hudak, Siobhan Sharkey Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Findings of a study of California nursing homes, residential care facilities and community based service providers to determine HIT readiness and stages of adoption. Date: 04 / 2007
Health Status and Unique Health Challenges of Rural Older Adults in California
Author(s): Eva M. Durazo, Melissa R. Jones, Steven P. Wallace, Jessica Van Arsdale, May Aydin, Connie Stewart Sponsoring organization: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Examines the health of rural elders and their
urban counterparts, and finds that both groups are more likely to be unhealthy than suburban
older adults.
Date: 06 / 2011
Healthcare Workforce Shortages in Rural California
Sponsoring organization: California State Rural Health Association Provides facts and data on the shortage of healthcare workers in rural areas of California Date: 01 / 2008
Humboldt County, California: A Promising Model for Rural Human Services Integration for Transformation
Author(s): Mario Gutierrez, Kathleen Belanger, Jane Forrest Redfern, Larry Goolsby, Jocelyn Richgels Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Summary of an in-depth assessment of the Humboldt County, CA fully integrated health and human services delivery model, which included multiple extended site visits to Humboldt County in 2010 by the Rural Human Services Panel, RUPRI and others. Date: 02 / 2012
Improving Access to Care for Medically Underserved Californians: Securing Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Designations
Author(s): Annette L. Gardner, Tina Tvedt Sponsoring organization: California Endowment Case study describes an initiative conducted by North Coast Clinics Network (NCCN) to increase health care provider capacity in medically underserved areas. Date: 01 / 2010
Increasing Access to Dental Care in Medicaid: Targeted Programs for Four Populations: Issue Brief
Author(s): Andrew Snyder Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy Describes strategies used by several states to better address the oral health of young children, pregnant women, people with developmental abilities, and people living in rural areas. Date: 03 / 2009
It's Elementary: Expanding the Use of School-Based Clinics
Author(s): Julia Graham Lear Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Explores the history of school-based clinics in urban and rural California and the plans to increase these clinics from 146 to 500. Date: 10 / 2007
Land Use and Resources: A Regional Overview
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center Examines land use and resources in the western states. Date: 2008
Making it Work: Combating Rural Homelessness
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council This entire issue of Rural Voices is dedicated to the topic of rural homelessness. Highlights some of the innovative ways rural homeless providers are accessing and using
resources in Michigan, Minnesota, California, Georgia, and Kentucky. Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 12 Issue 3 Date: 2007
Measure for Measure: Analyzing California Hospital Characteristics and Performance
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Examines whether California's hospital characteristics are independently associated with hospital performance. Date: 12 / 2008
Medi-Cal Facts and Figures: 2009
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Profiles California's Medicaid program, providing the fundamentals of program eligibility, enrollment, benefits, and service delivery, as well as the Medi-Cal budget and forces affecting costs.
Date: 09 / 2009
Mexico-U.S. Migration: Health Issues
Sponsoring organization: University of California, Office of the President Presents a general overview of the conditions faced by Mexican residents in the United States concerning their health care. Date: 2005
National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services Meeting Minutes, Sacramento, California, September 9-11, 2009
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Discusses the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, part of the Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Rural Health Policy. Meeting included the following topics: setting the context for rural California, California Rural Health Association, California Department of Healthcare Services, and community & home based options for seniors. Date: 2009
Outside the Box: Case Studies in Creative Clinic Design
Author(s): Dana Dubbs Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Examines the need for and role of well-conceived facilities within the safety net system. Highlights two rural California clinics that used outside-the-box thinking to create buildings that support new models of care. Date: 06 / 2010
Pay-for-Performance in the Medi-Cal Managed Care and Healthy Families Programs: Findings and Recommendations
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Examines state Medicaid and SCHIP pay-for-performance programs, assesses the feasibility of such a model in California, and explores options for applying it to Medi-Cal managed care and Healthy Families. Date: 08 / 2009
Promising Practices in Safety-Net Clinic Design: An Overview
Author(s): Amy Keller, Anjali Joseph, Ellen Taylor, Xiaobo Quan, Callie Unruh Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Overview of design strategies for building and renovating safety-net clinics, with special attention to health care interactions, patient flow, and the use of new technology. Date: 03 / 2011
Quality of Care Facts and Figures: 2010
Author(s): Jennifer Joynt Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation An almanac chartbook that provides facts and figures for California's performance on a wide variety of health care quality measures, from birth to end of life. Date: 08 / 2010
Racial, Cultural, and Ethnic Factors Affecting the Quality of End-of-Life Care in California
Author(s): LaVera Crawley, Marjorie Kagawa Singer Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Examines the causes and patterns of death and dying across California's populations and the impact on the delivery of health care. Date: 03 / 2006
Ready for Reform? Health Insurance Regulation in California Under the ACA
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Discussion about health insurance regulation in California and the policies, structures, and new responsibilities needed to implement the ACA.
Date: 06 / 2011
Rehab - Renew: Housing Rehabilitation for Seniors
Author(s): Keith Griffith Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council Describes a private nonprofit community-based organization serving rural communities in California by providing affordable housing to low and moderate income persons and for providing assistance to qualified persons in the areas of housing, energy and water conservation. Journal citation: Rural Voices Volume 17 Issue 4 Pages: 8 Date: 12 / 2011
Reinventing Health Care Delivery: Innovation and Improvement Behind the Scenes
Author(s): Bonar Menninger Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Leaders at health care innovation organizations nationwide, including rural, share perspectives about how their centers operate, the objectives they are pursuing, and some of the challenges they face. Date: 09 / 2009
Retail Dental Clinics: A Viable Model for the Underserved?
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation This report, based on interviews with dentists and other experts, consumer surveys, and published reports, examines factors that would support or inhibit the emergence of retail dental clinics in California and elsewhere. Date: 11 / 2009
Rural Dental Practice: A Tale of Four States
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Denise M. Lishner, L. Gary Hart Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center Reports the findings of a study investigating rural dentist issues, such as: demography, training, practice characteristics, staff, and job satisfaction in Alabama, California, Maine, and Missouri. Date: 03 / 2006
Rural Dropout Problem: An Invisible Achievement Gap
Author(s): Jerry Johnson, Marty Strange, Karen Madden Sponsoring organization: Rural School and Community Trust Reviews high school dropout rates and related factors in rural high schools throughout 15 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia. Date: 2010
Rural Health in California: A Summary of Recent Findings
Sponsoring organization: California State Rural Health Association Illustrates with statistics and facts the current state of rural health in California. Date: 01 / 2008
Rural Latino Families in California Are Missing Earned Income Tax Benefits
Author(s): K.P. Varcoe, N.B. Lees, M.L. López Sponsoring organization: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Discusses the findings from the 1999 National Survey of America’s Families, which identified low-income Latino families nationwide as the population group least likely to know about or to ever have received the Earned Income Tax Credit or EITC. Date: 2004
Rural Providers and eHealth: The Future is Now
Author(s): Speranza Avram Sponsoring organization: California State Rural Health Association A summary of the current eHealth environment in California of relevance to California rural health providers and those that use the rural health care delivery system, identifies the
barriers and challenges associated with rural health providers successfully adopting eHealth technologies, the opportunities available to rural health providers to overcome these barriers and a discussion of the policy implications associated with these opportunities. Date: 02 / 2010
Safety-Net Providers Bring Patients Online: Lessons from Early Adopters
Author(s): Susan Baird Kanaan Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Provides a look at the experiences of early adopters of electronic health record (EHR) portals and personal health records (PHRs), focusing on how initiatives were undertaken; services provided; benefits and challenges encountered and lessons learned. Date: 04 / 2009
School-Based Telehealth: An Innovative Approach to Meet the Health Care Needs of California's Children
Sponsoring organization: Children's Partnership Outlines how telehealth in schools is emerging as a valuable way to complement and expand the capacity of schools to meet the health care needs of children, particularly those who are low-income and living in medically underserved areas. Date: 09 / 2009
Shelter in the Desert: The Center for Family Solutions
Author(s): Barbara M. Shaver Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council The Center for Family Solutions taps into local resources in California's poorest county to provide shelter and educational opportunities for homeless women and their
children. Date: 2007
Small Business Profile: California
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment. Date: 2 / 2013
Snapshot of Children on the California Border
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation A fact sheet covering various issues children face on the California-Mexico border. Date: 2005
State of California: Population Brief
Author(s): Don E. Albrecht Sponsoring organization: Western Rural Development Center Access baseline information for the advancement of rural development that examines population changes and characteristics within California. Files are available for each county or as a statewide overview. Date: 2008
State of Health Information Technology in California, 2008
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Reports on a survey of HIT adoption and use in California physician practices, hospitals, clinics, and long term care facilities. Date: 01 / 2008
State of Health Information Technology in California, 2011
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Describes the use of HIT by physicians, hospitals, and community clinics and reveals overall growth in adoption, with certain key gaps. Date: 05 / 2011
State of Health Information Technology in California: Use Among Hospitals and Long Term Care Facilities
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Provides an overview of the current utilization of health information technology (HIT) in hospitals and long term care facilities. Date: 2008
Staying Connected - A Progress Report: Reimbursement under the Telemedicine Development Act of 1996
Policy brief focuses on implementation of the TDA provisions related to health plan, insurer, and Medi-Cal telemedicine coverage and payment policies. Date: 03 / 2010
Telehealth in Community Clinics: Three Case Studies in Implementation
Author(s): Christine Duclos, Julie M. Hook, Michael P. Rodriguez Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Highlights the experience and lessons learned of three community health centers as they planned and implemented their telehealth programs. Date: 11 / 2010
Telemedicine in California: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities
Author(s): Barbara Johnston, Neil A. Solomon Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Examines the evolution of telemedicine in both rural and urban California and identifies the technological, financial, regulatory, and user-related hurdles that may be stifling further progress. Video included. Date: 07 / 2008
Tools for Clinics: Four Health Centers Use Chronic Disease Management Systems
Sponsoring organization: California HealthCare Foundation Profiles four community health centers in California using Chronic Management Disease Systems (CDMS). Date: 12 / 2008
USDA Rural Development 2012 Progress Report
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development Reports on investments made by USDA Rural Development intended to have a lasting, sustainable impact on rural American by supporting economic growth, broadband implementation, housing programs, and public utility projects. Features programs implemented in Minnesota, Georgia, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Louisiana, Illinois, Arizona, North Carolina, North Dakota, Colorado, Florida, and Wisconsin. Reports total funds granted to each of the 50 states from 2009 - 2012.
Working Hard, Falling Short: Investing in California's Working Families
Examines the prospects of California's low-income working families in the context of a changing economic and demographic environment. Date: 12 / 2004
See also: State-by-State Resources: Documents
Journals
California - Rural Health Advocate
Quarterly newsletter which includes funding resources, rural research and publications important to providers and consumers of health care in rural California.
Rural Migration News
Summarizes the most important immigration and integration developments affecting residents of cities and towns in the agricultural areas of California and rural areas throughout the United States. It is published quarterly, in mid-October, January, April, and July.
Success Stories
Tulare County Children's Health Initiative
The focus of the project was to increase the number of children with health insurance and to increase
access to and utilization of dental treatment and health care.
Mendocino County Health Department
The project was designed to address adolescent substance abuse by providing youth with knowledge, refusal skills, and opportunities to bring positive change to their communities.
Dancing to Deter Diabetes
The "Reach Out" project in rural Lake County, California, helps diabetics learn about nutrition and medication, and they dance.
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