Newsom launches California Health Corps. to tackle COVID-19 surge

we couldn't be more pleased by the incredible professionalism of our nurses and doctors are professional representatives that came together across many differences and organized around a framework of providing more flexibility. More surge capacity within the system by providing scope of practice reforms by allowing us to utilize our existing resource is in a more resourceful way. I want to thank all of the representatives for putting aside again those differences on meeting this moment head on to provide the flexibility that is required to meet this moment. We have an executive order that went out that will provide flexibility through June 30th. This is temporary flexibility on staffing ratios on scope of practice for nurse practitioners, empties and others were going out now too deeply. Find the kind of talent, though that is necessary beyond the scope of practice changes and beyond the regulatory changes to make sure that we have the adequate workforce Looking for mental health experts looking for Maury Empties Maur pharmacists looking for more phlebotomist looking form or experts in respiratory care and the like. Technicians, administrators, doctors, nurses were calling on you to step up and step in and meet this moment we have Maur licensed health care professionals in the state of California than any state in the nation, some seven 166,000 professionals in the state of California. But we estimate we have the capacity to increase our ranks by an additional 37,000 plus professionals that are in that time of life where they again may have just recently retired or they're in the process of getting their licenses and their degrees. And so we are very, very hopeful with this effort that we will see a surge of individuals to be paid and compensated to participate in the work force on distributed throughout our care delivery system all around the state of California.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched a new initiative to boost California’s health care workforce and recruit health care professionals amid the coronavirus outbreak. Health care professionals, health care students close to getting their degrees and recent retirees are being encouraged to join the new California Health Corps. “If you’re a nursing school student, a medical school student, we need you,” Newsom said in a press briefing Monday. “If you’ve just retired in the last few years, we need you.” The estimated 37,000 who are eligible were asked to register at the California Health Corps website.Newsom also signed an executive order to temporarily expand the health care workforce and allow health care facilities to staff at least an additional 50,000 hospital beds by waiving certain professional licensing and certification requirements to get them in the field faster. In the last four days, hospitalizations have doubled, and the number of patients in intensive care has tripled, Newsom said.As of Monday evening, there had been more than 7,200 confirmed cases in the state and at least 146 coronavirus-related deaths.Testing among the state's 40 million residents has picked up in recent days after a slow start. The state is ramping up testing, and health officials say that will bring a big increase in cases. Newsom said a shortage of swabs is a "principal limiting factor" in getting even more tests done.“The number of pending tests out there is extraordinarily frustrating because of the delay in getting that information back into the system, into the patient's inbox," he said. “Tens of thousands of tests have been conducted, but we do not have the results yet.”With social distancing measures giving the state time to increase hospital capacity and obtain scarce and much-needed supplies such as ventilators and masks and rubber gloves for healthcare workers, the state was trying to add the personnel necessary to cope with an expected crush of cases.“We’ve done nothing more than buying a little time, but we’re not spiking the football," Newsom said later in a Facebook chat with founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan. Facebook pledged $25 million to help provide child care, transportation and lodging to the retirees and students who answer the governor's call. They will be paid by the state and provided with malpractice insurance. --- The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Gov. Gavin Newsom has launched a new initiative to boost California’s health care workforce and recruit health care professionals amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Health care professionals, health care students close to getting their degrees and recent retirees are being encouraged to join the new California Health Corps.

“If you’re a nursing school student, a medical school student, we need you,” Newsom said in a press briefing Monday. “If you’ve just retired in the last few years, we need you.”

The estimated 37,000 who are eligible were asked to register at the California Health Corps website.

Newsom also signed an executive order to temporarily expand the health care workforce and allow health care facilities to staff at least an additional 50,000 hospital beds by waiving certain professional licensing and certification requirements to get them in the field faster.

In the last four days, hospitalizations have doubled, and the number of patients in intensive care has tripled, Newsom said.

As of Monday evening, there had been more than 7,200 confirmed cases in the state and at least 146 coronavirus-related deaths.

Testing among the state's 40 million residents has picked up in recent days after a slow start.

The state is ramping up testing, and health officials say that will bring a big increase in cases. Newsom said a shortage of swabs is a "principal limiting factor" in getting even more tests done.

“The number of pending tests out there is extraordinarily frustrating because of the delay in getting that information back into the system, into the patient's inbox," he said. “Tens of thousands of tests have been conducted, but we do not have the results yet.”

With social distancing measures giving the state time to increase hospital capacity and obtain scarce and much-needed supplies such as ventilators and masks and rubber gloves for healthcare workers, the state was trying to add the personnel necessary to cope with an expected crush of cases.

“We’ve done nothing more than buying a little time, but we’re not spiking the football," Newsom said later in a Facebook chat with founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan.

Facebook pledged $25 million to help provide child care, transportation and lodging to the retirees and students who answer the governor's call. They will be paid by the state and provided with malpractice insurance.

---

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.

Newsom launches California Health Corps. to tackle COVID-19 surge

TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

Top Picks