HealthForce Partners California

10/09/2026

This week, we celebrated National Physician's Assistant Week for those who make a difference in the lives of patients and communities every day! PAs play such an important role in healthcare by providing compassionate care to patients and inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals.

At HealthForce Partners, we’re grateful for the people who help strengthen our healthcare workforce and make a lasting impact in the communities they serve. Thank you to all the PAs
who go above and beyond every day! 💙

American Academy of Physician Associates

10/09/2026

10/01/2026

We’re grateful to the San Joaquin Children’s Alliance and the Children and Youth Task Force for recognizing the work of HealthForce Partners California and our fellow community partners.

Investments like these matter because they allow organizations across the region to respond directly to community needs, remove barriers and create stronger pathways to health, education and opportunity.

We’re proud of what this collaboration has accomplished—and especially grateful to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors for investing American Rescue Plan resources in work that supports children, families and communities across the county.

The strongest outcomes rarely come from one organization working alone. They come from partnerships like these.

09/22/2026

Healthcare systems, colleges tackle talent pipeline together

Over the past year, Innovation TRIVALLEY Leadership Group brought stakeholders together with the Stockton-based nonprofit HealthForce Partners California, which has become an expert in tackling workforce pipeline challenges.

Read the feature article in the San Francisco Business Times: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2026/09/17/healthcare-systems-colleges-tackle-talent-pipeline.html

09/15/2026

An honor—and an affirmation of the work ahead.

HealthForce Partners California was honored to receive the 2026 Community Organization Health Equity Leadership Award from the California Oregon Medical Education & Training (COMET) Collaborative for Underserved Communities at its inaugural conference Saturday, held at the UC Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento. HFP CEO Dr. Paul Lanning accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

The recognition came during a convening focused on some of the most consequential challenges facing healthcare: a growing physician shortage, persistent workforce gaps, rural and underserved communities struggling for access, and the need to build new models of medical education and training.

One theme resonated especially strongly with us: “grow your own.”

Building a sustainable healthcare workforce requires reaching local students earlier, creating accessible pathways into healthcare education, expanding clinical training opportunities, and connecting education directly to careers in the communities where people live.

That philosophy is central to HealthForce Partners—and increasingly important as we collaborate with partners to strengthen healthcare career pathways across multiple regions of California, including developing new approaches to physician education and training.

Paul and Tiffani Burns, HFP’s Regional Director of Partnerships & Program Development in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, were also glad to share the day with Dr. Jen Burrows, a colleague and collaborator advancing similar work in California’s rural Eastern Sierra region.

We’re grateful to COMET for this recognition and to the many employers, educators, healthcare leaders, community organizations and students whose partnership makes our work possible.

The award is meaningful. The work ahead matters even more.

09/13/2026

❤️ Walking for healthier communities.

HealthForce Partners California was proud to join today’s American Heart Association 209 Heart & Stroke Walk at Islanders Field in Lathrop—our third year supporting the event as a sponsor.

Members of our team spent the morning connecting with community members, sharing information about healthcare career pathways, and highlighting opportunities to build the next generation of our region’s healthcare workforce.

Events like this are a great reminder that improving community health takes all of us—and that building a strong, diverse healthcare workforce is part of that work.

Thank you to the American Heart Association and everyone who came out to walk, connect and support healthier communities across the 209. ❤️

09/02/2026

🌟 Employee Spotlight: Meet Citlali Vazquez

We’re pleased to welcome Citlali Vazquez to HealthForce Partners California as a Healthcare Careers Navigator in Modesto!

Citlali is a public health professional passionate about helping individuals and communities access opportunities that support healthier, more successful futures. She earned her degree in Public Health from UC Merced, where her experiences as a mentor, student leader, and active member of the university community strengthened her ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and create supportive environments.

With experience in leadership, outreach, and community engagement, Citlali brings a strong commitment to health equity and addressing the barriers that can limit access to education, healthcare, and career opportunities.

In her new role, Citlali will work directly with students across Modesto City Schools sites, helping them explore healthcare career pathways, connect with education and training resources, and envision themselves as future healthcare professionals and leaders.

Please join us in welcoming Citlali to the team!

09/02/2026

🌟 Pathways Success Story: Athena Vega | HPPP Delta College Cohort

Athena Vega joined HealthForce Partners’ Health Professions Pathways Program (HPPP) during her final semester of nursing school at San Joaquin Delta College, gaining additional support and preparation as she transitioned from student to registered nurse.

Through HPPP, Athena strengthened her understanding of HIPAA and culturally responsive care, renewed her BLS certification and earned her ACLS certification.

“This knowledge helps me feel better equipped to contribute to an inclusive healthcare environment where every patient feels valued, supported, and seen.”

Since then, Athena has graduated from nursing school, passed the NCLEX and begun the St. Joseph's Behavioral Health Center Behavioral Health Nurse Residency Program. She has also earned her NIHSS stroke certification and plans to pursue her BSN after completing her residency.

Athena credits HPPP and former HealthForce Partners instructor Tabitha Rodgers with helping build her confidence as she entered the profession. The Health Professions Pathways Program is made possible thanks to investments by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) in developing the future healthcare workforce.

“This program has invested in both my personal and professional development, and I am proud to represent the program as I begin my career as a registered nurse.”

We’re proud to have been part of Athena’s journey—and excited to see where her healthcare career takes her next. 🩺🎓

08/25/2026

24% to under 3%.

That's San Joaquin County's behavioral health clinician vacancy rate, before and after this partnership went to work.

Our 2026 Impact Report — our first full year as an independent nonprofit — is live:
- 4 California regions, 18 employer partners, 14 education partners
- $735,335 in scholarships awarded
- $1,358,406 in new funding secured
- 1,036 students introduced to healthcare careers
- 145 HOPE Program nursing graduates, 100% NCLEX-RN pass rate for the 2025 class

Healthcare workforce development is economic development. Thank you to every partner who made this year possible.

Read it here: https://healthforcepartners.net/resources

08/14/2026

🎉 As their 10-week summer internships with HealthForce Partners California come to a close, we’re proud to celebrate Elise and Hanan, two outstanding Health Career Connection interns who made important contributions to our growing regional healthcare workforce efforts.

Elise researched educational pathways into healthcare careers across Solano and Napa counties, providing crucial benchmarking data as we assess employer priorities, educational capacity, and partnership opportunities in this emerging HealthForce Partners region. A rising third-year student at UC Davis studying Science and Technology with minors in Public Health and Human Development, Elise plans to pursue an MSN and become a nurse practitioner committed to compassionate, patient-centered care.

Hanan continued work begun by our previous HCC intern, Asim Wahab, as we move toward completion of a public-facing Healthcare Capacity Hub for the Northern San Joaquin Valley. The Hub will help residents explore healthcare careers, local education and training programs, workforce demand and compensation, and the certifications, degrees, and licenses required for meaningful jobs serving San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Merced counties. Hanan is a Public Health student at Bakersfield College who plans to transfer to California State University, Bakersfield and is passionate about nutrition, health equity, and improving healthcare access throughout the Central Valley.

We’re grateful for the energy, curiosity, and thoughtful work Elise and Hanan brought to our team this summer. Thank you to Health Career Connection for connecting us with these two future healthcare professionals!