Health Net Invests in Developing California’s Workforce

Healthcare workers are heroes. During the pandemic, safety net clinics offered telehealth services to reach the community. Doctors, nurses, and pharmacy staff vaccinated residents against COVID-19 by the millions. We saw great efforts from our healthcare system during a hard time.

But the pandemic also highlighted the shortage of healthcare workers in California. As one of California’s longest-serving Medi-Cal partners, Health Net is working to help fix these workforce shortages in the state.

Health Net found three main areas to improve the healthcare workforce. These findings came from 15 progress reports from the company’s statewide grant partners.

1. Identify new pools of talent.
   Hire from high schools and community colleges.
2. Provide all levels with opportunity for growth.
   Keep healthcare workers by providing opportunities to upskill.
3. Provide cultural competency training.
   The workforce should be as diverse as the people it serves.

“Building a healthcare system that works for everyone is important for California’s future. We can only achieve this goal through teamwork,” says Brian Ternan, President and CEO of Health Net and a GSEC Board Member. “We must come together to design a workforce that serves all Californians.

Health Net has invested almost $4 million to support California’s healthcare workers, including:

• To bring new doctors into the Medi-Cal system
• To award grants to local nonprofits that support new solutions for California’s most pressing healthcare matters
• To offer leadership trainings for local nonprofits to build stronger teams

Health Net will continue to work with local partners to reverse the workforce trend in California.

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