California Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development

Healthcare Workforce Development Division

California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission(CHWPC)

The Song-Brown Act originally called for the appointment of a ten-member California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission. Recent amendments to increase the nurse workforce has increased the membership to fifteen. The Commission is composed of the following members:

Governor′s Appointments

• Elizabeth Dolezal
  Representing the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
• Jimmy H. Hara, M.D., Chair
  Representing Family Practice Residents
• Dennis J. Mull, M.D.
  Representing Private Medical Schools
• Cathryn L. Nation, M.D.
  Representing University of California Medical Schools
• Deborah, Rice, MN, RN-C, FNP, CCRN
  Representing practicing Family Nurse Practitioners
• Conrad J. Rios, FNP-C, PA-C, MSN
  Representing practicing Physician Assistants
• Vacant
  Representing practicing Osteopathic Physicians
• Vacant
  Representing practicing Family Physicians
• Vacant
  Representing practicing Registered Nurses

Assembly Speaker Appointments

• Angelica Millan, MSN, RNP
  Representing practicing Registered Nurses
• John J. Troidl, Ph.D., Vice-Chair
  Representing Consumers
• Vacant
  Representing Nursing Students

Senate Rules Committee Appointments

• Vacant
  Representing practicing Registered Nurses
• V. Katherine Townsend, Ed.D., MSN
  Representing Nursing Students
• Bonnie Wheatley, Ed.D., MPH
  Representing Consumers

The Commission adopts standards to determine funding eligibility under the Song-Brown Act and establishes criteria to be used by OSHPD for executing contracts with training institutions. The Commission acts as the applications review panel and makes recommendations to OSHPD for the award of contracts at meetings held three times a year.

For meetings information, go to Public Meetings.

The Commission periodically reviews and designates priority geographic areas in California to address the maldistribution of healthcare services where unmet medical needs persist. This process has divided the state into roughly 541 Medical Service Study Areas (MSSA's) that allows more detailed and in-depth healthcare analysis.

For more information, contact:

Manuela Lachica, HPS II, Song-Brown Program Director
(916) 326-3752
mlachica@oshpd.ca.gov

Melissa Omand, Program Analyst
Telephone: (916) 326-3753
Email: momand@oshpd.ca.gov