Rooted in Care, Rising Together

Transforming Healthcare Access in the Central Valley One Student, One Family, One Community at a Time

Share This:

DB

By Donna Birch Trahan

10 minute read

Feature Story

detail of University seal on nursing student scrub

Sitting with a group of fellow nursing students, Stanislaus State’s Ted Elijah shared a story about an encounter he had with a fellow Warrior at a local hospital.

She was an OB patient on the floor he was assigned to work that day, recalled Elijah, a student in the University’s Accelerated Second Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ASBSN) program. He could tell that she was really scared.

But when the young woman noticed the Stanislaus State patch on Elijah’s uniform, her fear softened.

“She said, ‘Oh, I go to that school,’” Elijah said. “That connection brought her comfort in a very difficult moment. That one small point of connection helped her feel more peaceful, and it meant a lot to me to see that.”

Elijah, who began his academic career studying biology, had considered becoming a medical doctor, but he realized he wanted to build relationships with patients and provide more direct care.

“When I saw that Stan State offered a second bachelor’s in nursing, a 17-month program, it felt like the perfect way to get into nursing quickly and efficiently,” he said. “The program has a strong reputation in the Central Valley. In fact, even in the Bay Area, people know about Stan State’s nursing program.”

Offering skilled care rooted in compassion is the kind of impact Stanislaus State students and alumni are making every day in Central Valley’s hospitals, clinics and care facilities.

The University is addressing one of the region’s most pressing challenges: a growing shortage of healthcare professionals. Through nationally ranked academic programs, hands-on training and mission-aligned partnerships, Stan State is preparing students to lead in healthcare and improve lives throughout the Central Valley.

When I saw that Stan State offered a second bachelor’s in nursing, a 17-month program, it felt like the perfect way to get into nursing quickly and efficiently.

- Ted Elijah

The Need Has Never Been Greater

California’s Central Valley is one of the fastest-growing regions in the state, and San Joaquin — one of six counties in Stan State’s service area — is among those experiencing the most rapid growth. Despite that momentum, it remains one of California’s most medically underserved areas.

According to the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), a nonprofit philanthropy organization committed to improving the state’s healthcare system, the San Joaquin Valley has only about 47 primary care physicians for every 100,000 residents — well below the state average of 60 and significantly lower than the Bay Area’s 80. In San Joaquin County specifically, the number drops to around 39.

The shortage is even more severe when it comes to mental health professionals and registered nurses. A recent report from Healthforce Center at UCSF highlighted that 13 million Californians live in communities designated as mental health professional shortage areas. CHCF reports that by 2030, California is projected to be short 10,000 primary care providers, and the San Joaquin Valley alone will need 10,000 additional nurses to meet growing demand.

In response, Stanislaus State’s Stockton Campus is growing into a regional hub for health and human services training, designed to expand access, opportunity and impact. A new two-story academic building, set to open in fall 2025, will house a 16-bed nursing skills lab, a two-bed high-fidelity simulation suite and a 13-bed physical diagnosis space to support instruction for nursing students. The space will also support students preparing for careers in roles providing primary care, including family nurse practitioner candidates and potentially future physician assistant students.

The University already offers its ASBSN program at the Stockton Campus, producing 40 graduates every 18 months, with plans to double that number. It also offers a Family Nurse Practitioner program, currently training 15 to 25 students at a time, and a Master of Social Work program that launched its part-time, three-year hybrid cohort last fall.

All of the ASBSN students featured in this story study at the Stockton Campus. It’s where their journeys began, where their families live and where they’re preparing to give back to the communities they call home.

Dean Sarah Sweitzer, who leads the Stockton Campus, sees the impact every day.

“We’re the only public four-year degree-granting campus in one of California’s fastest-growing counties,” she said. “Eighty-three percent of our students are here to earn a bachelor’s degree, and 70 percent are first-generation. That’s transformational.”

She describes the campus as a “homegrown engine” for meeting regional workforce needs, and a critical part of Stan State’s identity.

“We view ourselves as an anchor institution. That means embracing community wealth building and staying rooted in the neighborhoods we serve.”

Sweitzer’s words reflect a mission that lives in the everyday experiences of students who’ve chosen to stay local, serve their communities and lead with compassion.

“I was born at Dameron Hospital, grew up in Stockton, and I’ve worked as an EMT across both San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties,” said student Ryan Louie. “I knew the hospitals, I knew the community, and I knew I wanted to give back.”

Van Le, originally from Sacramento, said the diversity and need in the Central Valley stood out.

“I’ve lived in the Bay Area and Sacramento, and here, there’s a different level of poverty and healthcare need. Getting to serve this population has been eye opening.”

For Francisco Ramirez, the need is especially personal.

“My family didn’t always have access to care,” he said. “Some of them didn’t have legal status, and that meant avoiding the ER, using home remedies. That’s why it’s so important to build more resources in this community.”

Russell Pabalan, whose parents immigrated from the Philippines and became nurses, said his motivation comes from a sense of responsibility to the place that shaped him.

“For me, it’s personal,” Pabalan said. “I grew up here. I want my family to have access to high-quality care. I want my community to have that too because community health impacts everyone. It’s essential that we have more RNs in our own communities.”

He also praised the program’s structure and rigor.

“We’ve rotated through so many departments: pediatrics, hospice, med-surg, so we’re not just getting a narrow experience.

For me, it’s personal. I want my family to have access to high quality care. Community health impacts everyone. It’s essential that we have more RNs in our own communities.

- Russell Pabalan

“And it’s not just working with RNs. We collaborate with dietitians, respiratory therapists, doctors, nurse practitioners — the full multidisciplinary care team. The simulations and curriculum we’ve gone through have directly translated to what we do in the hospitals. It’s been a tough 17 months, but now I see why it was all necessary. I do feel prepared.”

Ted Elijah added that the 225hour senior preceptorship — an intensive clinical placement where students work alongside experienced nurses — made a difference.

“Working under a nurse doing actual tasks has made a huge difference,” he said. “It’s been really valuable for applying all the theory we learned in class to real practice.”

As student Van Le, who joined the program later in life, said the experience has given her a deeper understanding of the region.

“I’m not originally from the Valley, but working with the population here has given me a new perspective,” she said. “I can see how different things are compared to where I’m from.”

Partnerships and Faculty Making a Difference

Health leaders across the region are seeing Stan State’s impact up close and are investing in the future of the Valley’s healthcare workforce.

“Stan State is not just producing clinical professionals — it’s producing leaders,” said Lizeth Granados, CEO of Health Plan of San Joaquin, a not-for-profit health plan that provides MediCal services to more than 400,000 members in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. “The students they train are grounded in community, and that’s what makes the difference.”

Stan State alumna Amy Collier Carroll, vice president and chief communications officer at Golden Valley Health Centers (GVHC), a nonprofit community health center that serves about 175,000 patients each year across three counties and operates 47 clinics, echoed that sentiment.

“Stan State students bring heart, commitment and a deep understanding of the Valley’s unique needs,” she said. “We see the difference they make in our clinics.”

Community-focused partnerships are helping drive Stan State’s impact even further by reducing financial barriers and creating career pathways for students while expanding access to care. U.S. Rep. Josh Harder helped secure $1.68 million in federal funding over three years to support stipends for students in the University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program. The stipends support 35 MSW students who commit to working in the region for at least two years after graduation, directly addressing local behavioral health workforce shortages.

Legacy Health Endowment has also stepped up to support students. The nonprofit foundation has provided scholarship funding to help undergraduate nursing students in the ASBSN program pursue their education and clinical training without taking on significant debt.

GVHC has provided scholarships and mentorship opportunities for students who are committed to improving health access in the Central Valley.

Health Plan of San Joaquin, which provides managed care services to Medi-Cal patients in the region, has supported Stan State through partnerships that promote workforce development for community health workers.

HealthForce Partners Northern San Joaquin has also made a significant investment, contributing $310,000 to Stan State and awarding scholarships of up to $5,000 per student for those pursuing social work, clinical counseling or marriage and family therapy — critical fields facing growing shortages.

Together, these efforts are helping students gain early career experience while strengthening the region’s healthcare infrastructure with compassionate, culturally responsive professionals.

At the Stockton Campus, these partnerships are complemented by significant infrastructure growth. The new academic building now under construction will expand the University’s capacity to train nursing, behavioral health and primary care professionals — advancing its role as a regional hub for health and human services.

The Stockton Campus is also home to vital training programs for community health workers, many of whom are bilingual and bicultural.

“They act as patient navigators and health advocates, and they come with lived experience that makes them trusted messengers,” Sweitzer said.

Stan State is not just producing clinical professionals — it’s producing leaders. The students they train are grounded in community, and that’s what makes the difference.

- Lizeth Granados, CEO of Health Plan of San Joaquin

The University offers three community health worker cohorts per year, each completing an 80-hour curriculum. Some include up to 10 hours of experiential learning. As of spring 2025, Stan State has trained 59 community health workers, including its first Spanish-language cohort.

“We’re focused on building the pipeline for future professionals,” Sweitzer added, noting the University’s work through a grant that introduces high school and community college students to healthcare career paths. “We have alumni and current students leading opioid overdose training, building public health workshops and guiding high schoolers through simulations and case studies. It’s a powerful thing to watch them grow and to see the impact ripple outward.”

Career Pathways and Upward Mobility

Stan State students and alumni are building meaningful, lasting careers in healthcare, both at the bedside and beyond.

Gurjeet Sandhu, vice president and chief financial officer at Golden Valley Health Centers and a Stan State alumna, knows that healthcare impact extends beyond clinical roles.

“From a young age, I helped my immigrant parents navigate their finances,” Gurjeet said. “I understand firsthand the importance of healthcare access — especially for low-income families. That’s why I’m passionate about working in the Central Valley.”

She emphasized that financial infrastructure plays a critical role in healthcare delivery.

“Investing in infrastructure — billing, data systems, operational efficiency — helps reduce burdens on providers and improves patient outcomes,” she said.

Sandhu also credited Stan State for preparing professionals across the systems that make care delivery possible.

“Institutions like Stan State are essential for educating professionals in finance, operations, IT and HR — areas that support healthcare behind the scenes,” she said.

Her message to students?

“Even as a business or nonclinical major, you can make a huge impact in healthcare. Your skills help create the environment that allows care providers to focus on their patients. That work is just as vital.”

Meeting the Moment

As California faces a growing shortage of healthcare providers, the work happening at Stanislaus State is more urgent than ever. Through rigorous training and community partnerships the University is preparing the next generation of nurses and health professionals to meet the needs of the Central Valley.

For alumna Amy Collier Carroll, the road to her role as a communications professional in the healthcare field wasn’t straightforward, but it led her to work she is connected to.

“My dad was a therapist. My mom was a nurse who worked at Memorial Medical Center and retired right when COVID hit. My brother is a nurse, too,” she said. “Growing up, I was surrounded by people in healthcare. But I wasn’t interested in that field at all — not directly.”

Over time, she discovered something more lasting.

“What I’ve realized is that I have this deep desire to serve my community,” she said. “I want to help create a place where people can live well, raise families and grow old with dignity.”

The impact is clear. Whether it’s a graduate stepping into a local clinic for their first day on the job or moment of connection between a student nurse and a frightened patient, Stan State is helping close gaps and open doors.

And for Elijah, that moment of recognition still lingers — a connection that crossed uniforms and uncertainty.

“She was already going through so much,” Elijah said, recalling the young woman who looked up and saw his Stan State badge. “In that moment, I just wanted to be a calm presence — someone who could bring compassionate care alongside the medical care that was already being provided.”