Priority Sectors
Health
The Bay Area’s 28 community colleges anchor the region’s healthcare workforce with nearly all offering healthcare training and most offering several programs. These prepare students for middle-skill occupations where an associate degree is the entry point. The best known is the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN); most regional nursing programs have concurrent enrollment agreements with CSU, UC, or private nursing schools, letting ADN students earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) alongside their associate degree (AS) faster and at lower cost than a traditional four-year path. Other fields follow this model too: four of five respiratory care programs offer a baccalaureate after the AS and certification, and two dental hygiene programs offer one after the AS.
Colleges also offer certificates of achievement for students who need to enter the workforce faster, giving students options ranging from short-term certificates to bachelor’s-completion pathways.
This work starts before college. In the Bay region, every sub-region has high school healthcare career pathways linked to its local community college, and adult education programs align closely with college healthcare curricula; so, students can move between the two systems.
Regional Director
Nanette Solvason, PhD
nanette.solvason@baccc.net
Nanette serves as the bridge between healthcare employers, high school pathways, community colleges, and universities in our region — leveraging relationships with the BRN, HCAI, DAS, and the Chancellor’s Office to build and strengthen healthcare training programs.
Key Initiatives
Health Improvement Partnership (HIP) of Santa Cruz County
HIP is a Santa Cruz County nonprofit coalition of public and private health care leaders dedicated to increasing access to health care and building stronger local health care systems. Its areas of focus are the Monterey Bay Nursing Clinical Placement Consortium, Health Career Pathway Committee, Monterey Bay Community Health Worker Collaborative, and Health Workforce Council Quarterly Convenings.
Contact: Hayley Mears, MA., Sr. Workforce Development Program Manager (hmears@hipscc.org)
Academy of Health Science Pathway
The San Benito High School District, with Gavilan College and CSU Monterey Bay, proposes to enhance and implement a robust four-year Patient Care pathway. The initiative addresses the region’s critical need for skilled health care workers in high-demand roles such as nurse practitioners, medical and health managers, physician assistants, and occupational therapists.
Contact: Sheyla Tupua, Associate Director (stupua@foundationccc.org)
Bay Area Health Workforce Partnership
The East Bay Health Workforce Partnership (EBHWP) is an employer-led effort that works with community and education leaders to meet employers’ workforce needs, expand opportunities for local residents, and strengthen the economic and social well-being of the East Bay.
Clinical Placement Collaborative
The Clinical Placement Collaborative (CPC), sponsored by the Bay Area Community College Consortium and hosted at College of Marin, brings nursing programs, health care employers, and workforce leaders together to strengthen clinical education in Northern California. Through annual convenings and partnerships, it identifies barriers and builds more coordinated, equitable placement solutions.
Contacts: Angela Olmanson, Director (aolmanson@marin.edu) , Alina Varona, Dean (Arvarona@marin.edu)
Napa/Solano Counties Regional Healthcare Workforce Initiative
In collaboration with Aliados Health, the Napa-Solano Medical Society, and local healthcare and education partners, HealthForce Partners is developing a localized healthcare sector strategy to align workforce and career pathways with community and employer needs. This partnership will help identify priority areas and guide future investment in healthcare training and education.
Contact: Josanna Kiggins (jkiggins@healthforcepartners.net)
California Medicine Scholars Program
The California Medicine Scholars Program is a statewide pathway initiative helping community college students transition to four-year universities and medical schools to become physicians. Its goal is to increase the number of underrepresented and primary care doctors in California through advising, mentorship, clinical exposure, internships, and ties to medical students, residents, and faculty.
Contact: Sheyla Tupua, Associate Director (stupua@foundationccc.org)
Expanding Excellence in Nursing
Salinas Valley Health and Hartnell College are expanding a long-standing partnership to address critical nursing shortages and strengthen the region’s health care workforce. Announced on National Nurses Day 2026, the three-year, $1.5 million investment will enhance Hartnell’s respected program and continue a clinical collaboration giving students hands-on experience in real care settings.
Contra Costa/Tri-Valley
HealthForce Partners has been invited into early-stage discussions with Innovation Tri-Valley and major health care employers to explore forming a regional health care sector partnership. The effort aims to align workforce priorities and create sustainable career pathways that meet the evolving needs of local communities and employers.
Contact: Misty Patton, Regional Director, HealthForce Partners (mpatton@healthforcepartners.net)
Summer Health Career Institute
In collaboration with Sutter Health, SRJC offers SHCI (HLC120) as a 3-unit credit-based course for high school students interested in exploring careers in Healthcare. SHCI is intended for students entering their senior year of high school and recent high school graduates who will be entering their first year of college.
Contact: Yvette Davis (ydavis@santarosa.edu)
Programs & Pathways
Access the comprehensive dashboards of CTE programs across colleges and feeder K12 institutions, highlighting K14 pathway alignment, and college programs in the Health Sector.
Resources
Healthcare Apprenticeships
Cabrillo College Apprenticeships
Community Health Worker Apprenticeship – Cabrillo
Nursing Apprenticeship – Cabrillo
- Interested Employers email Judy Russel.
- Interested students email Jonathon Sandoval.
State Agencies that Regulate Healthcare Training Programs
Statewide Communities of Practice
K-12 Resources
Success Stories
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