State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > California > Hsc > 124600-124625HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTION 124600-124625
124600. The Legislature makes the following findings and declarations: (a) There is a maldistribution of health services in California. Most rural areas of the state do not have adequate health services because there are insufficient health personnel and facilities and inadequate transportation to such services. (b) The lack of health services in rural areas has a negative impact on the health and safety of the public. (c) Existing public programs to meet the problem of inadequate health services in rural areas are not sufficient in scope or properly coordinated to significantly improve the availability of health services. (d) It is unlikely that the situation will improve without substantial state and local action. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to establish a program of rural health services in the department. The purpose of the program is to improve the coordination of rural health services and to increase the amount and availability of the services. The Legislature intends that the program consist of all the following: (1) The California Health Services Corps in which health personnel are assigned to health care delivery organizations. (2) Health services development projects, in which new health care delivery organizations are established. (3) An organizational unit within the department to coordinate rural health programs. 124605. The department shall implement a program to remedy deficiencies in health services in rural areas. The department shall have responsibility for the following elements: (a) California Health Services Corps. (b) California Rural Health Services Development Projects. (c) Coordination of Rural Health Programs. 124610. The director shall administer this chapter and shall adopt any regulations and standards as are necessary to implement this chapter. 124615. No services provided under this chapter shall substitute for current services and obligations of a county including those required by state law. 124620. Funds expended pursuant to this chapter shall be supplemental to those made available by the federal government for the National Health Services Corps and shall not duplicate, or replace, but may supplement and complement, any commitments made by the federal government to provide health personnel as needed. 124625. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Rural Health Services Development Program be funded annually through the budgetary process. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department may, to the extent funds are available, provide for advance payments for services to be performed under any contract entered into pursuant to this chapter with any small community based public or private nonprofit agency with modest reserves and potential cash flow problems, where the department determines that such advance payments will further the purposes of this chapter. Advance payments shall not be made more than once a year.
