“Sometimes the emergency department is the front door of care … but there’s a whole landscape of health and social needs outside the hospital that are really critical," said CHA’s behavioral health expert Kirsten Barlow at @Capitol_Weekly's CA Health Care event. Californians’ behavioral health outcomes are determined by more than hospital visits — that’s where health care community partners and state leaders come in, because patients need community support, behavioral health resources, and a true health care safety net that prioritizes their care before they’re in crisis.

“By 2040, 9M Californians will be 65+ … that’s a quarter of CA’s population,” said Dr. Mohanty of @TheSCANFndtn at @Capitol_Weekly CA Health Care event. As aging Californians require more acute and more expensive care, hospitals and health care will have to prepare to meet their growing needs. That means federal, state, and local policymakers partnering with the health care system to support services that aging patients rely on, while minimizing red tape that impedes access to care.

Hospitals are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to all who walk through their doors. That kind of care requires significant state and federal support to ensure patients can access emergency and specialty services when they need them. But the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is reducing federal resources for patients, and “[hospitals] can’t sustain billions of dollars in cuts" while meeting the health care needs of millions, said Katie Rodriguez of @CAPHSystems at @Capitol_Weekly’s CA Health Care panel on the impact of OBBBA on communities. "We need broader solutions for patients and providers," Rodriguez continued, to protect the health care services Californians rely on.