In normal times, medical training is challenging and stressful. The amount of time away from loved ones can bring giants to their knees. Add in the fears and uncertainties of a pandemic, I’m amazed that anyone, and any relationships, are surviving.
My heart goes out to the families, such as many of my patients at Harbor-UCLA, who are struggling to make ends meet, while also navigating all of their responsibilities and relationships, during the pandemic.
As chief medical officer of the largest public health plan in the Central Valley, serving 335,000 Medi-Cal patients, I am very worried about our vulnerable members.
We have to act now to flatten the infection curve and save lives, including those of our health care professionals. This is particularly crucial in this part of California. In the Central Valley, we have been battling a severe, long-time shortage of doctors and nurses.
As our cities have grown, California has made little effort to provide for those who are at, near, or below the poverty level. Many of these residents are also service workers, the backbone of the state’s economy.
Although the lack of affordable housing is central to this increase in homelessness, we must recognize that the solution to ending homelessness is not in the provision of housing alone.
What medical professionals don’t realize is that their medical setting is full of potential “triggers” for people with traumatic experiences. It should be standard practice for medical professionals to screen and assess for trauma in a safe environment.
We’re proposing state legislation to mandate trauma-informed care education in all California medical, dental and nursing programs.
California is experiencing a worsening shortage of doctors in rural and low-income communities, in part because of decades-old laws that no longer serve our needs. I have worked as a “country doctor” for 22 years. It’s the kind of work I always wanted to do, but it’s a tough sell for younger doctors today – even for those who see it as their professional calling. College and medical school tuition and subsequent debt are exorbitant. More patients in rural communities are uninsured or on Medi-Cal than privately insured. The doctors who treat them are routinely paid less than half of the cost of care.