Scotts Valley, Calif., April 30, 2024— Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance) invested $20 million in the first quarter of 2024 to improve access to health care and address social drivers that influence health and wellness for Medi-Cal members. The Alliance is the Medi-Cal managed care health plan for Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.

“We’re pleased to be able to support our provider network and community-based organizations through community investments,” said Alliance CEO, Michael Schrader. “These investments in local communities will increase the availability, quality and access to health care and supportive resources for our members.”

Early 2024 investments are benefiting local communities in the following ways:

• Addressing local provider workforce shortages. Local health care organizations were awarded $2.2 million to subsidize hiring of primary care, specialty, behavioral health providers and community health workers, Santa Cruz Community Health Centers and Castle Family Health Centers in Merced are just a couple of the many funded providers helping Alliance members to connect to critical health services.
• Connecting housing and health. The Alliance partnered with Monterey County to address housing shortages through a$4.9 million investment in a King City housing project. The King City initiative assists individuals transitioning from encampments to interim housing at a local motel and within a year, to a permanent housing solution with comprehensive support services.
• Closing health care gaps and improving overall health of Medi-Cal members. The Alliance invested $3.8 million to support 15 primary care clinics in Merced County, which will help Merced residents get timely care. The Alliance also supported 15 primary care provider organizations in being awarded funding through a Department of Health Care Services program called Equity and Practice Transformation. Through this program, Alliance providers will implement strategies to transform their primary care clinics to reduce disparities in health care access.
• Growing the network of doulas for pregnant and postpartum members. Through investments totaling $978,000, organizations such as the Parenting Connection of Monterey County are supporting doulas in becoming Medi-Cal providers. Doulas are birth workers who offer health education and advocacy – as well as physical, emotional, and non-medical support – before, during and after childbirth. 
• Reducing barriers to member care. The Alliance also invested $6.8 million in community organizations to increase Enhanced Care Management and Community Support (ECM/CS) capacity in its service areas. ECM/CS provides wrap-around supports to members who are underserved or have a higher risk of severe disease or hospitalization. Early 2024 investments will increase the capacity of these services by an additional 3,000 members. An additional $1.3 million was also invested to support technology and interventions to ensure that Medi-Cal members can access high-quality care when, where and how they need it.

In addition to this $20 million investment in local communities, the Alliance’s board also approved $92 million in March 2024 to develop new funding opportunities over the next year that will support the health care workforce and provide critical infrastructure for organizations that serve Alliance members.

About Central California Alliance for Health

Central California Alliance for Health (the Alliance) is a regional Medi-Cal managed care health plan, established in 1996 to improve access to health care for over 456,000 members in Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. Using the state’s County Organized Health System (COHS) model, the Alliance delivers innovative community-based health care services by connecting members with providers that deliver timely services and care, focused on prevention, early detection and effective treatment. As an award-winning managed care health plan with a vision of “healthy people, healthy communities,” the Alliance remains focused on efforts to improve access to quality health care for its members. For more information, visit www.thealliance.health.