HealthForce Partners California

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!

08/06/2026

Today we celebrated our Stanislaus State hybrid social work students as they completed their summer practicum hours!

HFP’s Behavioral Health Workforce Partnership Director, Stephanie McCoy, joined the group for a farewell lunch—a chance to recognize their hard work, reflect on the summer, and celebrate another important step toward careers serving individuals, families, and communities across our region.

Congratulations to these future social workers, and thank you, Stephanie, for the guidance and support you provided throughout their practicum experience!

08/06/2026

HealthForce Partners California is hiring!

We're seeking qualified candidates for the role of Healthcare Career Navigator in Modesto, working with local schools, employers, and community partners to deliver workshops, provides healthcare-focused career guidance, and connect participants to healthcare education, training, and wraparound services such as mentoring and counseling for Modesto City Schools students.

In addition, this role functions as a liaison between participants, educational institutions, employers, and community partners to ensure alignment between healthcare workforce needs and participant success.

This position also supports career center–style services, including healthcare career exploration, resume development, and access to career resources, while maintaining accurate program records and ensuring compliance with grant requirements.

This role contributes to broader community efforts to strengthen the local healthcare workforce pipeline, with an emphasis on pathways into medicine and allied health professions.

Check out the full position description and apply here: https://healthforcepartners.net/about/careers

Explore careers and open roles

08/05/2026

Community Health Centers couldn’t do this work without the talented and dedicated people who make it all happen.

To the 330,000 clinical and non-clinical staff across the country— thank you.

Whether you’re providing care, managing schedules, keeping buildings running, or supporting patients in other ways, you are the heart of the health center mission.

We're proud to partner with Community Health Centers including Community Medical Centers, Golden Valley Health Centers, Lumira Healthcare, and SJ Health, and with all of our education and training parters, to provide opportunities for healthcare workers to advance their careers serving the public.

This National Health Center Week, we celebrate all who fill these critical roles in our communities.

08/01/2026

It’s official!

✨ Julissa Ramos joins our team as our Bilingual Career Navigator for our Health Professions Pathways Program, serving both San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties. While she is currently training part-time, she will come aboard full-time on August 17. Julissa most recently served as the Health Careers Pathway Coordinator at the Stockton campus for Stanislaus State, where she coordinated grant-funded student programs, built partnerships with schools and community organizations, advised students, and connected thousands of students and community members to healthcare career opportunities. Her experience in student success, healthcare pathway development, and bilingual outreach will be a tremendous asset to the communities we serve.

We met on Tuesday and discussed our Career Navigator team charter. Our Career Navigators came up with this awesome Team Commitment:

“We commit to serving with integrity, leading with empathy, communicating with purpose, and following through on every opportunity to make a difference. Together, we will support one another, represent HealthForce Partners with excellence, and help every participant navigate a path toward a meaningful healthcare career.”

Our Health Professions Pathways Program is made possible through funding provided by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information.

07/27/2026

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Misty Patton, the inaugural Director of HealthForce Partners California’s new Contra Costa/Tri-Valley Region!

Misty brings more than 26 years of experience across healthcare, higher education, workforce development, and community-based organizations. Her career has included leadership roles with Stanford University School of Medicine, Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences, and 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic, along with ten years of clinical practice at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

In her new role, Misty will lead the development of a regional healthcare workforce partnership alongside our initial partners: Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, Kaiser Permanente Diablo Area, Sutter Health, John Muir Health, and the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District.

Together, we will engage additional healthcare employers, educational institutions, workforce agencies, and community organizations to identify shared priorities, strengthen the regional healthcare workforce, and create more accessible and sustainable pathways into healthcare careers.

We are thrilled to have Misty leading this important new chapter for HealthForce Partners and look forward to growing the partnership throughout Contra Costa County and the Tri-Valley.

Welcome to the team Dr. Misty!

07/22/2026

Our July e-newsletter is now online…check out the latest news and more from HealthForce Partners California at https://healthforcepartners.net/newsletters