November 18, 2025
More than 11 million Californians live without adequate access to a primary care physician. For Latino communities, over 40% of the state's population, the gap is even starker: just 6.7% of California's physicians are Latino. At the current pace, researchers estimate it would take more than 500 years to reach parity.
That urgency was front and center at More Doctors for California: Confronting California's Physician Shortage with Policy and Urgency, a virtual policy roundtable hosted by More Doctors for California (MD4CA) and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC).
The conversation brought together Martha Santana-Chin, CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan and MD4CA Co-Lead; Dr. Hector Flores, Medical Director at Altais/Family Care Specialists and MD4CA Co-Lead; Dr. Pooja Mittal, Chief Health Equity Officer at Health Net; and Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula (District 31). The discussion was moderated by LCHC Executive Director Dr. Seciah Aquino.
"California cannot afford to wait 500 years," said Dr. Seciah Aquino. "We know the talent exists in communities across our state. We just need to strengthen the pathways and get started today."
Panelists made clear that solving the physician shortage requires more than filling open positions. It means rebuilding the pipeline from the ground up. MD4CA's approach spans 11 initiatives across the full physician pathway, from early education and mentorship through medical school, residency training, and community practice.
A central theme was representation as a clinical imperative, because when patients can access providers who share their language, culture, and lived experience, research shows they are more likely to trust their care team, follow treatment plans, and achieve better health outcomes. Conversely, provider shortages in underserved communities translate directly into delayed diagnoses, preventable hospitalizations, and widening health disparities.
Panelists also pointed to financial barriers as among the most persistent obstacles facing aspiring physicians from low-income communities, and called for coordinated investment across every stage of the pathway, not just at the medical school level.
The work is urgent and it's already underway. Watch the full conversation here.