SECTIONS 124600-124625 - California Statutes

HEALTH 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.