The State of California is considering a budget proposal that would disrupt access to healthcare for tens of thousands of local Medi-Cal members with unsatisfactory immigration status. As CEO of CenCal Health, the local Medi-Cal managed care plan serving Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, I see firsthand how health coverage and local access to care supports the well-being of our community.
I wanted to share personally why I am so deeply committed to an alternative model that would preserve comprehensive managed care for all members while addressing a federal compliance issue. My compassion for this beautiful community began as a child, watching my mother dedicate her life to migrant education as a teacher for 40 years at the Santa Maria-Bonita School District. Her love for community began in her early years teaching in East Los Angeles, where she advocated for bilingual education and for children whose dignity, potential, and needs were too often overlooked. I inherited from her a passion for service and equity, and it has shaped the work I have chosen throughout my career.
Nearly 20 years ago, I worked on the development and expansion of Healthy Kids programs for vulnerable children in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, alongside leaders like Joel Diringer, Dr. Rene Bravo, Tara Dooley, and MaryEllen Rehse. My role then was to help build the provider network for children regardless of immigration status. I went one by one, doctor to doctor, specialist to specialist — asking, explaining, sometimes begging, and always trying to build trust. That work took years. In truth, the network we rely on today took two decades to build, and it rests on hundreds of conversations, local relationships, and a shared belief that everyone in our communities deserves access to care.