Costa, Kaine, Padilla, Gray Introduce Legislation to Build Medical Schools and Curb Physician Shortage in Underserved Areas

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21) and Adam Gray (CA-13), alongside Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the Expanding Medical Education Act, legislation that would authorize federal grants to establish medical schools in underserved regions like California’s San Joaquin Valley.

"The shortage of doctors in the San Joaquin Valley and across rural America has been a serious issue for far too long, and we must continue to address it," said Congressman Costa. "My legislation will help build a medical school in the Valley and strengthen our healthcare system. Training and retaining local doctors are key to tackling this crisis and ensuring people access to quality healthcare."

“Communities of color and Virginians in rural and underserved areas have long faced serious challenges in accessing health care and finding providers that look like them or offer services nearby,” said Senator Kaine. “Research indicates physicians are more likely to practice in the areas they’re from—so supporting medical schools at HBCUs, MSIs, and in underserved areas is a commonsense way to help improve care in those communities. This legislation would help do that and improve recruitment and retention of talented individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds, creating a health care workforce that more accurately reflects the communities they serve.”  

“Expanding opportunities for students of color in medical fields is an essential public health priority,”said Senator Padilla. “By creating more pathways at minority-serving institutions for diverse groups to enter the health care workforce, the Expanding Medical Education Act would help improve access to culturally competent health care providers and address critical workforce shortages.”

“The San Joaquin Valley is experiencing one of the worst physician shortages in the country,” said Congressman Gray.“I’m proud to have secured over $200 million in funding for development at UC Merced, including for the joint medical school program with UCSF, but there is still work to be done to make sure our communities have reliable access to medical care. The Expanding Medical Education Act would deliver much-needed support to medical education programs in rural and underserved areas like the Valley and improve access to care.”

BACKGROUND
The U.S. healthcare workforce shortage, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has pushed an already strained system to the brink. According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States will have a projected shortage of up to 125,100 physicians by 2034. Despite being the fastest-growing region in the state, the San Joaquin Valley has the lowest supply of physicians at a ratio of 47 doctors per 100,000 residents, significantly lower than the state average.

The San Joaquin Valley, a majority Hispanic region with already high rates of chronic illnesses like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease has been hit the hardest. In counties like Fresno, Merced, and Tulare, where over half the population is Latino, many areas are federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), making it harder to access timely, quality care. These shortages, combined with language barriers often lead to worse health outcomes.

The Expanding Medical Education Act would provide federal grants to institutions of higher education by prioritizing minority-serving institutions (MSI) and those located in rural and underserved areas to establish schools of medicine or osteopathic medicines where none currently exist. This would open the door for eligible Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and MSIs, including UCSF-Fresno and UC Merced. 

Funding could be used for planning, construction, accreditation, faculty hiring, student recruitment, and modernizing infrastructure, with a focus on underserved areas. UCSF-Fresno and UC Merced have laid the foundation with its San Joaquin Valley (SJV) PRIME+ BS/MD program, which builds off the existing program that trains medical residents at local hospitals like Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. This legislation would build on that momentum by providing financial resources to assist with the establishment of a medical school in the Valley.

Link to the livestream is available HERE.