Tag Archives: shortage

The Central Valley’s reputation as an affordable place to live has been challenged by skyrocketing housing prices. To learn what is behind the sharp increase in home and rental prices, and what this means for the ongoing affordable housing crisis, Valley Edition host Kathleen Schock spoke with Amber Crowell, associate …

A new study from the UCSF Healthforce Center has ominous news for the valley’s health care system. According to the authors, demand for registered nurses in the San Joaquin Valley is projected to grow by 35 percent over the next 12 years. But at the same time, the region’s total …

A study published last week by UC San Francisco argues the San Joaquin Valley has some of the lowest ratios of behavioral health providers like psychiatrists and licensed clinical social workers in the state . The study also predicts that if nothing changes, California is on its way to a …

As part of our series Struggling For Care , we invited listeners to call in with their experiences trying to find doctors in the San Joaquin Valley. Some audio clips below are directly taken (with permission) from voicemails left on our tip line, others from more in-depth conversations. All highlight …

More than 30,000 Merced County residents gained some form of health insurance when Medi-Cal was expanded in 2014. However, there was no corresponding increase in doctors to accept those patients … Click to Continue »

Cierra Shelton, a 30-year-old mother of two, has been struggling to find a consistent primary care doctor in Merced County for as long as she’s been an adult. But her … Click to Continue »

How bad is the deputy shortage in Merced County? It’s so bad that the sheriff himself and his top command staff from the Merced County Sheriff’s Office will work security … Click to Continue »

Lower pay and fewer benefits are not the reasons the Merced County Sheriff’s Office has struggled for years to recruit and retains deputies, according to the County’s Executive Officer Jim … Click to Continue »

We all know the valley doesn’t have enough doctors. But why? Is the high percentage of Medi-Cal patients in the valley, and low reimbursement rates for physicians who accept them? Is it the lack of a stand-alone medical school, or not enough medical residency programs? Or is it quality of …

An extended-day program for students in the Merced City School District faces possible elimination for a second time as officials say they need to raise rates to cover expenses. Elimination … Click to Continue »