Cultural Competency / Health Workforce / PRIME
TCE leads philanthropic efforts to diversify the health workforce and advocate for language access improvements in the health system.
The system’s healthcare workforce is highly unrepresentative of the state’s population, its financing is misaligned- incentivizing volume over value or health outcomes – and a strong power imbalance exists between physicians and patients and communities.
The California Endowment has undertaken several initiatives to fix this misalignment and imbalance.
The 21st Century Pathways to Health Careers initiative allocated grants to support statewide and local programs that create career paths in healthcare for youth in grades 7-16.
The initiative is organized around three strategic goals and outcomes: increased career opportunities in healthcare for young Californians, especially boys and young men of color; a health workforce populated by local residents in frontline jobs supporting primary care, community-based prevention, patient-centered medical homes, and integrated and coordinated care models; and a larger and more skilled healthcare workforce able to provide high-quality, culturally responsive, and linguistically competent primary care and community health services in places of greatest need.
We also focused on supporting high-quality workforce development programs that enabled healthcare workers to improve their skills and prepare for high demand occupations in the public healthcare sector while training community health workers and medical assistants, enabling them to be better integrated into the state’s health services system.
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$78.2M
to CA organizations working to boost the size and diversity of the state's healthcare workforce
“Whether the culprit is COVID-19, or Influenza, or Tuberculosis, or Smallpox – the public’s health is best protected when ALL are welcome and covered in the system.”
DR. ROBERT K. ROSS President & CEO, The California Endowment
Browse Other Changes Planted by Dr. Ross
Building Healthy Communities $1B invested over 10 years
Health4All 38.6 million lives impacted
Youth Awards 37 total awards given
Schools Not Prisons & BMOC Millions reached since 2016
Farmworker Health $50M initiative
TCE Grant Making 2023 $381M awarded
Parks for All Hundreds of millions leveraged for parks investments in CA
Youth on the Board 1st of large foundations in US to have youth on the board
Childhood Obesity & Freshworks $272M to expand access to fresh and healthy foods in low-income communities
CHIS 20,000 households interviewed annually to find health gaps in CA
Kids Health Coverage Campaign $4M to help enroll children in health programs
TCE Headquarters 125,000+ use our facilities every year
Wishing Wall
Dr. Ross,
Best wishes on your journey. Thank you for everything!
-SAJE
Thank you for your leadership and keeping justice at the center of LA philanthropy!
May you spend many days on the beach. Best Wishes, Winnie
Dr. Ross,
The seeds you planted will bloom for generations to come!
Dr. Ross,
Well wishes on this next adventure! Enjoy this time!
- Stephanie Ghayouri
You inspired me to keep endeavoring in education even when it's hard. Thank you.
Bob -
With huge appreciation for an example of excellence, humility, and grace.
Best wishes.
Bob,
Don’t be a stranger.
Love you,
- Ray
Dr. Ross -
Wishing you abundance in this next chapter! Thank you for your infinite sacrifices for justice.
- Sonya Diaz
Bob -
It’s been an honor to work with you through the years. Love you very much!
Love you brother!
Congratulations on a long and impactful career! Best wishes for your next stage of life!
Best,
- Amy
POWER
Celebrate your new life!!
Our very best,
- Lew & Mary
Happiest wishes for a joyous and peaceful retirement after an amazing and productive career! Come back to visit TCE!
- Diana Yang
Wishing you all the love you can handle…. And wonderful memories of years at TCE!
- Elwood
Thank you for your guidance and leadership!
Thank you, Bob! THis Center for Strategic Partnership thrives because you helped nurture the value of partnerships. I will be forever grateful to you and for you. Plus I love that you are not shy about spirituality.
Bob!
Rest. Relax. Renew. Have fun…
- Kisha Grove
Dearest Dr. Ross,
May you be happy in the next phase of your life.
- Susan
Thank you for all your support for the ACA, #Health4All, and everything else.
Unveiling Our
2025 Annual
Report
The California Endowment is proud to present our 2025 annual report. Read about the work we are supporting and our partners who are changing California to a state of belonging and inclusion.
View Report