Valley nonprofit HealthForce Partners was recently awarded three state grants totalling more than $2 million to build programs and strategies to address healthcare staffing needs in San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties.
HealthForce Partners, along with Stanislaus Partners in Education, Modesto City Schools and other groups, were collectively awarded the “NextGen MedPros” sub-award grant of $396,759.
The northern San Joaquin Valley organizations plan to create a career pathways website, establish a student advisory council and organize a summit to foster collaboration and address the disconnect between healthcare and education, according to a news release.
The second grant of $384,539 was awarded for Regional Healthcare Pathways Development to HealthForce Partners and a collection of K-12 school districts, colleges, employers and community organizations.
Under the supervision of a Regional Career Pathways Director, these entities plan to provide clinical placements for students, focus on underrepresented communities and create opportunities for workers in the healthcare field to learn in work-based scenarios.
The third award of $1.7 million was awarded to HealthForce and California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) through its Health Professions Pathways Program (HPPP).
The program is dedicated to supporting and encouraging underrepresented individuals to pursue health careers to develop a more culturally and linguistically competent healthcare workforce, according to the HCAI.
The grants are offered in four lettered categories: “A” for pipeline programs, “B” for paid summer internships for undergraduate students, “C” for one-year post undergraduate fellowships and “D” post baccalaureate scholarships.
According to the HCAI, awards were decided in January. University of the Pacific in Stockton was also awarded an HPPP grant this year to implement one-year post undergraduate fellowships.”
We Will! Collaborative
Two projects Healthforce Partners are involved with were awarded through the We Will! Collaborative, a project led by UC Merced’s interim associate vice chancellor of the Center for Educational Partnerships.
Last fall, UC Merced announced the collaborative was awarded over $18 million dollars to fund projects in the greater Stockton, Modesto and Merced areas.
So far, the program has given 19 subawards, $10.6 million in total, according to a UC Merced press release.
“Another round of subawards totaling $4 million will be granted to additional community partners this fall,” the release said.
School districts in Linden, Turlock, Ripon, Stockton and Escalon were among those to be awarded this round.
HealthForce Partners is currently interviewing for career navigators in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties, who will be paid using the HPPP grant funds.
Paul Lanning, the executive director of HealthForce Partners, said the navigators will focus on tracking program outcomes, working with partners who directly work with participants, and building shared tracking systems and databases.