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As the Redwood Region RISE initiative concludes, our region stands at a crossroads for <a href="https://healthylife7.com/the-cost-of-waiting-why-healthcare-cant-afford-slow-decisions-with-mark-van-sumeren/” title=”The Cost of Waiting: Why Healthcare Can't Afford Slow Decisions with Mark Van Sumeren”>healthcare and economic development. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to serve on the Leadership Team for the Redwood Region RISE economic development initiative over the better part of the last two years. The experience deepened my understanding of economic development, strengthened my connections across the region, and reinforced the vital role healthcare plays in our region’s overall economic well-being.
Some of the project’s key takeaways included evaluating Employment Development Department Labor Market Information to assess job growth by sector, researching long-term healthcare workforce projections, cultivating a multisector stakeholder advisory council with active participation from educational institutions and employers, and developing implementation-ready priority projects through the Activation Plan. One such project is the Clinical Placement Consortium — a group addressing the pressing need for increased hands-on healthcare student training experiences within the limited capacity of healthcare facilities to host students.
Beyond the work itself, I gained meaningful knowledge of and connections with tribal nations and Native communities throughout the region. Tribal nations are an essential part of the Redwood Region, and honoring their cultures — as well as acknowledging the not-so-distant history of Indigenous people here — has been central to this work and to my own personal and professional growth
In addition to strengthening the local healthcare ecosystem, the initiative fostered regional collaboration and elevated local priorities at the state level through statewide cohorts of Sector Investment Coordinators, as well as ongoing information sharing with local and state workforce development boards and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. The work also contributed to CA Forward’s efforts to refine a roadmap for continuing the successful “Regions Up” approach to economic development funding.
As the multi-year Redwood Region RISE grant concludes in the fall of 2026, the region is also preparing for the impending impacts of HR 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The legislation includes significant changes to Medi-Cal, including work and community engagement requirements beginning in January 2027 and six-month eligibility redeterminations starting March 2027. According to joint research by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the UC Berkeley Labor Center, approximately 10,000 of Humboldt County’s 58,000 current Medi-Cal beneficiaries could lose full-scope coverage by 2028. As uninsured rates rise, people are less likely to seek preventive care, resulting in poorer health outcomes. Healthcare providers will also face increasing levels of uncompensated care, placing additional financial strain on an already stressed healthcare system.
Despite these challenges, the region is actively preparing for the future and working to sustain the progress made through Redwood Region RISE. One promising opportunity is funding through the California Rural Health Transformation (CalRHT) initiative. In the past month alone, three funding opportunities have been released: Accelerator Partners, Rural Workforce Capacity-OB Fellowships, and Recruitment and Retention. A common theme throughout these grant opportunities is the importance of collaboration and implementation readiness. To remain competitive for continued funding throughout the five-year, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-funded initiative, successful applicants must demonstrate measurable outcomes.
Will the Redwood Region receive enough CalRHT funding to help offset the anticipated impacts of HR 1? Local healthcare organizations are competing for these resources, but I remain hopeful that the relationships built through Redwood Region RISE will result in strong regional partnerships and successful collaborative grant applications. That collaboration will be especially important for smaller organizations and less-populated communities that may lack the capacity to pursue these funding opportunities independently. In the current healthcare environment, continued collaboration — not just funding — will determine the region’s success.
Tina Tvedt Schaible, MHA, CMPE, is a project director and past executive with 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. She can be contacted at Tina@transformbizservices.com
