CRHSA
California Rural Health Student Advocates
The California Rural Health Student Advocates (CRHSA) works to make healthcare accessible and affordable for underrepresented communities throughout California: engaging the legislative process, advocating at the state capital, and providing critical testimony so the voices of rural and marginalized populations are heard.
When Madera Community Hospital closed in 2023, more than 150,000 residents were left without an emergency room within 30 miles. It reopened only after years of advocacy and $57 million in state support. Stories like Madera's play out across the Central Valley, where farmworkers and rural families face the state's highest barriers to care.
CRHSA exists so the next Madera does not happen quietly. As future physicians, PAs, and health professionals trained in these communities, we bring firsthand testimony to the Capitol, back legislation that expands rural capacity, and hold decision-makers accountable to the people they serve.
Testimony, letters, and direct meetings with legislators on bills that expand rural healthcare access and affordability.
Engagement with county health departments, community leaders, and regional stakeholders so local realities shape state policy.
A pipeline of student leaders from rural communities who return to practice, teach, and advocate where they are needed most.
CRHSA is an organization of emerging and training health professionals committed to advancing healthcare equity for rural and underserved communities across California. Our leadership is united by a shared mission: to amplify the voices of populations that are too often overlooked in healthcare policy and decision-making.
Madera Community Hospital closed in January 2023 and reopened in March 2025, only after sustained advocacy and $57 million in state support. From Madera to Bakersfield, these are the facilities and communities our work fights for.
See the bills that would help →CRHSA actively engages with legislation impacting rural and underserved communities across California, along with ongoing advocacy involvement.
Keep up with the most recent political developments. Visit regularly for the latest news.
Our advocacy spans the 14 counties of Central California, the Central Coast, and the mountain regions where rural health policy hits hardest: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, Tulare, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin on the Valley floor; Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo along the Central Coast; and Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Inyo in the Sierra. Together these counties are home to millions of Californians, many of them farmworkers and rural families who depend on a fragile network of critical access hospitals, community clinics, and county health departments. When a single facility closes or a reimbursement rate is cut in Sacramento, the effects ripple across these hospitals, campuses, fields, and main streets. They are the communities behind our advocacy, and the reason we bring rural voices to every policy conversation.
Feel free to reach out through this form, or email us directly at info@crhsa.com.
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Thank you for stepping up for rural California. We will be in touch soon with next steps.
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