Shasta County leaders push for residency expansion, HPSA designation and regional medical training

Shasta County supervisors on Aug. 19 heard a presentation and community response about the county’s shortage of primary care physicians and next steps to expand medical training locally.

The presentation by health care consultant Chris Street summarized county and regional studies that, he said, show local primary care capacity has dropped dramatically and now places Shasta County above federal shortage thresholds. “Today we are 1 primary care physician for every 3,542 residents,” Street told the board, and he said that change opens the county to federal and state funding for workforce development and training.

The shortage, speakers told the board, is driving higher avoidable morbidity and mortality and constraining access to routine care. Dr. Danuka, a local physician who has been convening a coalition of providers and educators, told the supervisors the group is discussing several paths: expanding residency training, creating a regional branch campus or satellite medical school with university partners, and recruiting for short-term physician staffing while the longer programs develop. “We have assembled a coalition of doctors and educators and advocates,” Dr. Danuka said. “We would like to invite the county to designate a representative.”

Why it matters: Primary care shortages affect routine access for patients, pressure emergency departments and create eligibility for federal Health Professional…