January 25, 2019
The Honorable Senator Richard Roth
Senatorial District 31
California Senate
State Capitol, Room 2080
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Senator Roth:
Inland Action is pleased to report its support for SB 56 (Roth), University of California, Riverside School of Medicine: expansion. Inland Action is a non-profit organization of business and community leaders dedicated to the economic and community betterment of the Southern California region. The Inland region is in dire need of additional primary and specialty care physicians, and we must move this bill forward.
The Inland Empire has the most severe shortage of primary and specialty care physicians in the County, and we have the greatest shortage of these physicians of any region in the State. This region has only 35 physicians for every 100,000 residents, and it is estimated that there will be a shortage of 8,000 physicians here by 2030. SB 56 will provide for the expansion of the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine and will help increase enrollment and produce more primary and specialty care physicians who are likely to stay in this region and State.
This bill will appropriate $80 million to build a dedicated facility for the UCR School of Medicine and will also provide an additional $25 million in annual operational support. Both appropriations would allow the UCR School of Medicine to accommodate 500 physicians in training – double its current enrollment – thereby increasing the supply of primary care physicians in our underserved region.
Thank you for your leadership on this important issue. SB 56 addresses one of the most critical challenges for the Inland Empire and Southern California region, and for that reason we support SB 56. Please feel free to contact us if we can be of assistance in moving this bill forward.
Sincerely,
Deborah Barmack
President
1601 E. Third St., Suite 138, San Bernardino, CA 92408 | Tel. 909-457-2830 | www.InlandAction.com