About Us

The focus of Californians for Patient Care is on access-to-care and the patient’s perspective in the improvement of our health care system.  CPC also promotes and is an advocate for shared decision-making between patients and their health care providers.

Established in November 2004 in Sacramento, Californians for Patient Care (CPC) is recognized as a statewide healthcare resource. CPC is a non-profit, patient care advocacy organization that believes health care is a human right. CPC also believes in 'Patient Centered Care' or care that is focused on the needs of the patient and respects each person’s unique needs, preferences, values, culture, language, family situation and independence within the delivery of health care. CPC recognizes that at one time or another - past, present or in the future – we will all be recipients of medical care. It is our goal to ensure that all residents’ voices are heard as changes are made to improve the healthcare system and that access to care is available to all Californians.

Services

Advocacy
CPC has provided public awareness to elected officials, journalists, employer and community groups, healthcare organizations and the public on the healthcare crisis. Some of those efforts are noted below.

MyHealthResource On-line Service
The MyHealthResource program is self-help, user-friendly on-line data base that provides pertinent information appropriate to healthcare programs and services in each California resident’s area. Californians for Patient Care is working to ensure that all California residents have a complete list of health care programs and access to care services. It is committed to ensuring that individuals are educated and informed on:

• Health care programs in each community
• “How” and “Where” to access these healthcare services/programs
• Resources for determining eligibility for these programs
• Resources for better understanding specific diseases and health care programs

Phase I of the MyHealthResource program started in the first quarter of 2007 and has included developing a database for primary care health services for all of California’s 58 counties. During the development of Phase II, which will begin in 2008, other MyHealthResource resources, such as Vision, Dental, Homeless and Senior Services will be added.  Californians for Patient Care will update, add programs and resources to the database on an ongoing basis.

Health Illiteracy: “The Silent Epidemic”
CPC partnered with California Literacy Adult Education, Reach Out and Read, a national pediatricians’ group, and the state Department of Health Services to address health illiteracy in California. Health Literacy is an important issue for all Californians.  Patients, for instance, must be able to read, understand, agree to and carry out a medical treatment plan issued by their health care practitioner. Patients must also be able to understand the actual benefits and exclusions provided by their insurance plan(s). It is also important for healthcare professionals to properly communicate verbally and in writing, the specific directions on health care management to patients. Public policy experts and elected officials must also consider health literacy when they communicate healthcare issues to all voters.
                       
“Dead Last” - Nursing Shortage in California (California 50th in RNs per Capita)
Without sufficient RNs, our access to care will be greatly limited. To help resolve the RN education crisis, CPC organized two successful statewide community awareness tours. As a result, the Governor’s Office requested that CPC develop and coordinate several RN educational summits and legislative briefings, which also resulted in Californians for Patient Care’s participation at statewide conferences.

CPC participated in several remedies for the lack of RNs including: Senate Bill 1309 (CPC helped develop) whose goal was to increase the RN education capacity to meet the needs of California patients; Tobacco Tax Initiative, which would have provided $92 million annually for nurse education; and Help RNs Help RN Students, which created Flo’s Cookie Jar for which CPC was honored with the Best Practice Award by the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL). Additionally, CPC developed and conducted the annual Back to Nursing School Survey which found that more than 80 per cent of qualified applicants were turned away by California’s nursing schools due to a severe lack of faculty, equipment and space.

Patient’s Perspective On-line Forum
The Patient’s Perspective is an on-line communication forum for the patient’s voice to be heard -- it is their opportunity to tell their story about their healthcare experience and point of view on current health care issues. The Patient’s Perspective will be posted on- line for others to contribute and will also be included in the Quarterly newsletter. The on-line Forum is under further development.