Across the state, from small towns to growing regions like the San Joaquin Valley, many residents are struggling to access the physicians they need. The data supports what families and health systems are already experiencing. More than 11 million Californians live in areas without enough primary care physicians. By 2030, the state will need more than 8,200 additional physicians to meet growing demand.

For Latino communities, the gap runs deep. Latinos make up nearly 40% of California's population, yet represent just 6.7% of the state's physicians. That shortage shows up every day in long waits, language barriers, and families who struggle to find a doctor who reflects the community they come from.

The doctors California needs are already here. They are students starting their journey into medicine, graduates working to stay on the path, residents preparing to serve their communities, and internationally trained physicians continuing their careers in California. The talent exists. The pathway needs to catch up.

More Doctors for California (MD4CA) was created to change that. Led by the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC), MD4CA unites over 30 partners across health systems, universities, medical schools, community organizations, physicians, advocates, and statewide partners around one shared goal: a stronger, more connected physician pathway for California. MD4CA brings alignment, advancing eleven initiatives designed to expand Latino representation in medicine and create lasting change.

The reality is that this is more than workforce numbers. It's about whether a mother in Fresno can see a doctor who understands her. It's about whether a student in Boyle Heights can see medicine as a realistic future. It's about whether every community across the state can access timely, culturally responsive care close to home.

Latinos contribute more than $1 trillion to California's GDP, helping power the fourth largest economy in the world. Investing in Latino health and the Latino physician workforce isn't optional. It's central to California's long-term health, stability, and economic future.

More Doctors for California is a statewide effort built for collaboration. We welcome health systems, educators, policymakers, philanthropists, physicians, and community leaders to join the work already underway. California's communities deserve a pathway that works — and we're committed to building it together.