News

April 30, 2026

PHC releases 2025 Annual Report

Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) is pleased to announce the publication of its 2025 Annual Report, available here. This annual report memorializes PHC’s major achievements, highlights program successes and shares the organization’s financial statements. We look forward to continuing our work in the coming years.

April 29, 2026

PHC to convene statewide GME summit to address physician workforce challenges

Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) will host a statewide Graduate Medical Education (GME) Leadership Summit this summer, convening experts and stakeholders to address California’s most pressing physician workforce challenges.

The virtual event, titled Building California’s GME Ecosystem — Together, will take place on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The summit will bring together CalMedForce and CalMedForce+ awardees alongside GME thought leaders from across the state, creating space for meaningful dialogue and collaboration across the physician training continuum.

Through a mix of discussion and peer exchange, participants will explore practical solutions to key challenges facing GME, including long-term funding sustainability, persistent workforce shortages, and the need to recruit and retain physicians in rural and underserved communities.

The summit is designed not only to share ideas, but also to surface strategies that can be implemented and scaled across California.

The event will also mark the launch of a new statewide GME Learning Collaborative. Attendees will play an active role in shaping the initiative by identifying priorities, strengthening partnerships and helping build a more coordinated, long-term approach to supporting California’s physician workforce.

For more information, visit phcdocs.org/gme-summit. Questions? Contact Kristy MaKieve at kmakieve@phcdocs.org.

April 6, 2026

PHC programs strengthen California’s workforce

Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) has released new regional fact sheets that show the impact of its programs across California’s health care system. Through its graduate medical education (GME) programs, CalMedForce (Prop 56, 2016) and CalMedForce+ (Prop 35, 2024), and its loan repayment program, CalHealthCares (Prop 56, 2016), PHC invests in training, supporting, and retaining health care professionals serving California’s medically underserved communities.

Since 2018, applicants across these programs have requested more than $1.7 billion in funding, total of $678.3 million awarded to support workforce development statewide. While these investments have made meaningful progress, they also highlight a persistent gap between available resources and the level of need. Together, these programs play a critical role in sustaining and expanding California’s health care workforce and improving access to high-quality care.

As conversations continue at the federal level, including drastic changes to health care funding, PHC remains committed to advocating for sustained investments that strengthen training pathways and support communities across the state. Building on this momentum, PHC will host its inaugural GME Leadership Summit virtually on July 21, 2026, with additional details to be shared in the coming months. For questions about the upcoming summit, contact Kristy MaKieve at kmakieve@phcdocs.org.

Explore PHC’s impact in each of California’s regions:

February 6, 2026

Congratulations to this year’s MedStudentsServe awardees advancing community health across California

Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) is proud to award more than $30,500 in MedStudentsServe grants to outstanding medical students leading innovative projects to expand access to care and strengthen the health of underserved communities across the state.

This year’s awardees are taking a hands-on, community-centered approach to care. Their projects include partnering with local clinics and organizations to provide memory screenings and caregiver education for Asian American seniors; deliver street-based medical and wound care services to individuals experiencing homelessness; and offer mobile vision screenings with prescription eyeglasses in community settings.

Additional awardees are reducing practical barriers to care through transportation support, expanding routine childhood vaccinations, and leading culturally responsive mental health education programs for youth and families. Together, these projects meet patients where they are—in neighborhoods, schools, shelters, and trusted community spaces—helping ensure care is accessible, welcoming and responsive to local needs.

Through the MedStudentsServe program, PHC invests in the next generation of physician leaders by funding student-driven educational, advocacy, service, and outreach efforts that improve health and well-being throughout California. By empowering students to design and lead real-world solutions now, PHC helps cultivate physicians who are deeply connected to the communities they serve and committed to advancing health equity statewide.

View the full list of this cycle’s awardees and project descriptions here.

February 5, 2026

AMA accepting applications for Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship

The American Medical Association (AMA) is now accepting applications for the next cohort of its Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship, a leadership development program designed to help physicians build skills in policy advocacy and advance more equitable health outcomes.

The fellowship, offered in collaboration with the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, focuses on preparing physicians to address social and structural drivers of health through advocacy, community engagement and systems-level change. The program is designed for physicians who want to strengthen their ability to influence policy and lead efforts that improve health in historically underserved communities.

The fourth fellowship cohort will run from September 2026 through November 2027. The program begins with a three-day, in-person learning intensive and continues with monthly virtual sessions featuring national experts, scholars and policy leaders. Fellows will also participate in additional in-person convenings held in conjunction with key AMA meetings, providing opportunities for networking, mentorship and collaboration.

Physicians and residents with a demonstrated interest in advocacy and advancing optimal health outcomes are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have relevant professional experience; internships and graduate assistantships alone do not meet the program’s experience requirement. AMA membership is not required to participate.

Fellows who successfully complete the program receive a $15,000 stipend and are eligible for continuing medical education credit associated with fellowship activities.

Applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on March 16, 2026. In addition to the application and curriculum vitae, candidates must arrange for three professional recommendation forms, which are due by April 10, 2026. Additional information and application materials are available on the AMA fellowship webpage.

December 22, 2025

2025 Impact at a Glance

As we close out 2025, I want to thank you for the partnership and shared commitment that made this year’s progress possible. Together, we continue advancing a common mission: expanding access to care and promoting health equity. Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished together in 2025.

Investing in the Education Pathway and Delivering Care

We awarded $85 million to 231 residency programs across California, funding 270 new physician training positions focused on regions serving high Medi-Cal populations. Demand approached $460 million, underscoring both the scale of need and the importance of sustained investment in graduate medical education (GME) in underserved communities.

Investing in Physician Leaders

We awarded more than $30,000 to 13 medical student projects statewide, reaching over 2,300 people through free clinics, mobile health fairs, screenings and community outreach—while preparing the next generation of culturally responsive, community-centered physicians. Further, in partnership with the Shared Harvest Foundation, we are documenting the impact of loan forgiveness on physician wellness and retention in underserved areas—demonstrating how targeted financial support advances workforce diversity and health equity.

Advancing Equity

PHC’s work continues to gain recognition beyond California. We hosted our annual Health Equity Leadership Summit and were featured on the Centering Health Equity podcast for our analysis of the Chief Health Equity Officer landscape. We also presented at state, regional and national forums, elevating conversations about workforce diversity and investment in under-resourced communities.

GME Startup Solutions

This year, we re-launched GME Startup Solutions to provide technical assistance to health systems and regional collaboratives building and scaling GME programs in underserved communities—expanding PHC’s role as a capacity builder and thought partner.

Looking Ahead

Progress like this is built on a shared belief that where someone lives should never determine their access to high-quality care. In the year ahead, we will host our inaugural GME Leadership Summit, expand GME Startup Solutions, and continue serving as champions, catalysts and conveners for health equity across California.

Together, we are building a healthier, more equitable California.

With gratitude,

Lupe Alonzo-Diaz
PHC President & CEO

December 22, 2025

Free CME Webinar: Words matter—Reducing bias in clinical communication

The words clinicians use every day—in conversations with patients and in the medical record—have a powerful impact. Language that casts doubt on patient experiences, implies blame, or defines individuals by their conditions can unintentionally increase shame, reinforce bias and undermine treatment engagement.

On January 29, 2026, at 12 p.m., the California Medical Association (CMA) is hosting a live webinar “Words Matter: Removing Biased and Stigmatizing Language from Clinical Communication,” that will examine how stigmatizing language disproportionately affects patients with diabetes, obesity, substance use disorders, and chronic pain, and how these patterns can influence provider perceptions and patient outcomes.

Designed to build awareness while offering practical, real-world solutions, the presentation will help clinicians identify common forms of biased language and replace them with neutral, respectful alternatives that support patient-centered care and help reduce health care disparities.

The live webinar is eligible for one AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM and is free for CMA members and their staff, and $35 for all other interested parties.

The California Medical Association (CMA) is accredited by Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The California Medical Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

December 3, 2025

PHC awards $85 million to expand California’s physician workforce

Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) today announced $85 million in CalMedForce and CalMedForce+ grants to expand graduate medical education (GME) opportunities across California. For the first time, all specialties were eligible for funding, compared to just five in previous cycles.

In this cycle, programs submitted record requests totaling more than $460 million, underscoring the need for additional training positions to keep pace with California’s growing patient population.

This is the first cycle to include CalMedForce+, which uses voter-approved Proposition 35 funds—passed in 2024 with 67.9% of the vote—to broaden eligibility and expand support for GME programs. Prop. 35 provides $75 million in GME investments. CalMedForce, now in its eighth year, continues to be funded through the Proposition 56 tobacco tax. Together, the programs will support 270 residency and fellowship positions across 231 GME programs in this cycle, directing resources to California’s most medically underserved regions.

“The demand we saw this year reflects what communities have been telling us for years—California must train more physicians to meet the health care needs of its growing population,” said PHC President and CEO Lupe Alonzo-Diaz, MPA. “CalMedForce and CalMedForce+ are essential to expanding access to care and building the workforce Californians will rely on for years to come.”

This year’s awards are nearly four times last year’s total, underscoring both the magnitude of need and the critical role these programs play in supporting access to care across California. As the state faces a projected shortfall of 4,100 primary care clinicians by 2030, sustained investment in GME will be essential to ensuring Californians can get the care they need.

“By supporting impactful programs that expand medical education, California can grow its physician workforce in high-need areas and specialties—making care more accessible for patients with Medi-Cal coverage and those without insurance,” said Deena McRae, M.D., associate vice president for Academic Health Sciences in the UC Office of the President. “I’m pleased that CalMedForce+ will offer additional impactful grants, helping to strengthen our health care workforce and advancing a healthier future for all Californians.”

Proposition 35 funding also enabled PHC to support fellowship programs for the first time, expanding subspecialty training opportunities critical to California’s future workforce. This approach balanced broad distribution with the need to provide adequate support where it is most critical.

About CalMedForce and CalMedForce+
PHC administers the CalMedForce and CalMedForce+ grant programs in partnership with the University of California (UC). As a state public institution, UC oversees the distribution of Proposition 56 and Proposition 35 funds to support GME programs statewide. Any accredited GME program is eligible for funding, with priority for programs serving under-resourced populations and communities with significant shortages. UC contracts with PHC to administer the award cycles.

Since its launch, CalMedForce has awarded over $275 million for 855 grants to 181 GME programs throughout California, supporting the retention and expansion of residency slots in primary care—including family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology—as well as emergency medicine. CalMedForce+ begins its inaugural year with $64 million to 162 GME programs, expanding both residency and fellowship positions across the state.

For more information, visit phcdocs.org/CalMedForce. (@PHCdocs / #CalMedForce)

October 28, 2025

New MedStudentsServe application opens Nov. 10

On November 10, 2025, Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) will open its fifth application cycle for MedStudentsServe, which provides funding to medical student organizations to support educational, advocacy, community service and outreach programs that enhance the health and well-being of California’s communities.

MedStudentsServe empowers California medical student organizations, clubs, and group projects that go beyond the traditional scope of medical education and community support.

Applications will be accepted through January 12, 2026. Past projects have included free vision screenings for uninsured patients, mental health outreach to Indigenous farm workers, facilitation of Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented patients, free ultrasound services to uninsured minorities and development of culturally sensitive educational resources for Mixtec-speaking migrant workers. Through these projects, MedStudentsServe positively impacted over 7,588 individuals, underscoring PHC’s commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of communities across the state.

Priority is given to projects addressing gaps in funding not typically provided by medical schools or local sponsors. Learn more about MedStudentsServe here.

August 28, 2025

New CalMedForce application cycle opens Sept. 4

CalMedForce, Physicians for a Healthy California’s graduate medical education (GME) grant program, will launch its next application cycle on Sept. 4. The CalMedForce program, in partnership with the University of California, administers annual grants to fund new, existing, and expanding residency positions at GME programs throughout California. Made possible by Proposition 56 (2016) funding, the program addresses the state’s physician shortage, particularly in underserved communities where patients often lack access to timely and quality health care.

Last cycle, CalMedForce awarded a total of more than $25 million to 142 residency programs in support of 184 resident positions. To date, CalMedForce has awarded over $255 million to support 1,381 resident positions across 32 counties.

Eligible GME programs can apply to support up to five residency positions. GME programs must be located in California, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and train residents in primary care (family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, and obstetrics/gynecology) or emergency medicine, allopathic or osteopathic, and serve medically underserved areas and populations.
The application cycle will close October 8 at 7 p.m.