Employers of Choice: Clinics Compete for Talent Through Culture, Growth and Mission
California's community health center (CHC) workforce provides high quality care to everyone who walks through their doors, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Health centers are economic engines in their regions, employing thousands of Californians and serve as training hubs for the next generation of health professionals.
Clinics are grappling with rising labor costs tied to SB 525’s health care minimum wage, which took effect without a corresponding increase in Medical-Cal reimbursement and has accelerated wage compression across roles. At the same time, persistent shortages of healthcare clinicians leave critical positions unfilled, and ongoing threats to Medicaid funding at both the state and federal levels create deep uncertainty for future planning. As a result, clinics are under real pressure to maintain services and continue to expand access.
Health Center Response
California’s CHCs are carrying out their mission despite these challenges – doubling down on their people, expanding services to meet growing demand, and aligning their internal investments with what staff members say they need to stay, grow, and thrive. When asked to identify their top workforce priorities as part of CPCA’s 2025 Workforce Development Survey, health centers sent a clear message about where they believe their future success lies. Improving employee experience was the most frequently selected priority statewide (57.5 percent), followed by expanding clinical services (55 percent) and supporting staff through professional development (49.2 percent). These choices represent a shift from simply filling vacancies to cultivating long-term careers in community health.
Doubling Down on People and Mission
According to the Workforce Survey, clinics are responding to labor market disruptions by leaning into their greatest asset: their people.
Improving engagement and reducing turnover
67 percent reported intentional efforts to improve employee engagement as a way to stabilize their teams.
Building Local Talent Pipelines
64 percent are partnering with community organizations and academic institutions to create pipelines of trained talent.
Adapting staffing models
63 percent are implementing alternative staffing models, such as expanded use of team-based care, cross training, and redesigned roles to better match patient needs.
Deepening Commitment as Employes of Choice
Clinics are also deepening their commitment to becoming employers of choice. Four in five health centers (80.8 percent) report offering competitive salaries and benefits. Over three quarters (76 percent) are intentionally creating diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace cultures. Nearly three quarters (73 percent) are investing in practices that foster collaboration and support, including mentorship, wellness activities, and regular communication from leadership. About half of health centers (49 percent) have received formal recognition as a great place to work.
Expanding Talent and Transforming Care
One of the most encouraging stories in the data is how often clinics point to internal talent development as a workforce success. Within the past twelve months, nearly two thirds of health centers (63 percent) have promoted internal staff into leadership roles through structured coaching and development. About three in five (58 percent) have created or enhanced partnerships with academic institutions for student placements and externships. These strategies help clinics “grow their own” leaders and future clinicians, which is essential in a tight labor market.
Clinics are also transforming how care is delivered. Among clinics participating in Population Health Management (PHM), a majority have incorporated new positions into care teams (59 percent) or redesigned existing roles to include PHM responsibilities (51 percent). Clinics integrating PHM into daily practice reported success expanding the role of behavioral health providers, community health workers/promotoras, and case managers or care coordinators.
Staff Sentiment: Investments Are Paying Off
The investment in employee experience and expansion of clinical services is resulting in overwhelmingly positive employee sentiment towards health centers:
Together, these findings tell a consistent story. In the face of rising costs, workforce shortages, and funding uncertainty, California’s community health centers are choosing to invest in people and purpose. Their resilience is not accidental; it is the result of deliberate strategies that center staff experience, foster growth, and keep communities at the heart of every decision.