RSBCIHI, Torres-Martinez to host HCAI chief on rural Tribal health care needs

Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc. and the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians will host California health leaders on Oct. 21 in Thermal to highlight rural Tribal care needs in the eastern Coachella Valley. The visit will focus on workforce, transportation and infrastructure gaps, and how state Rural Health Transformation funds could help expand culturally responsive care closer to home.

Why it matters: - Rural Tribal communities in the eastern Coachella Valley face access barriers that can delay or limit care. - The Oct. 21 visit is meant to connect those needs with California Rural Health Transformation resources. - State decisions on workforce, transportation and infrastructure funding could affect care delivery close to home for Native families.

What happened: - Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc. and the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians will host California Department of Health Care Access and Information Director Elizabeth Landsberg and department leaders at 1:00 p.m. on Oct. 21 in the TM community in Thermal. - The visit will show HCAI leaders how the Torres-Martinez Indian Health Clinic delivers rural Tribal health care in the eastern Coachella Valley. - RSBCIHI and Torres-Martinez Tribal representatives will discuss the clinic’s history, the communities it serves, patient needs, and its programs and services.

The details: - The discussion will cover workforce shortages, transportation barriers, infrastructure gaps and geographic challenges. - Tribal leaders will also highlight local innovations that support care delivery in a rural desert community. - The conversation will focus on how California Rural Health Transformation resources could support sustainable, culturally responsive care closer to home. - Desiree Hill, RSBCIHI Board Vice President and a member of the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, said distance, transportation and workforce shortages shape access to care in the rural desert community. - Hill said the visit offers a chance to share experiences, solutions and investment needs for timely, culturally responsive care. - Teresa Sanchez, RSBCIHI Board President and a member of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, said Tribal communities need a strong voice in decisions shaping California’s health care system. - Sanchez said the visit could strengthen the HCAI partnership and direct Rural Health Transformation resources toward access, workforce and better outcomes. - Dr. Mark LeBeau, RSBCIHI CEO, said the board asked him to expand advocacy and that strengthening the HCAI relationship is central to that work. - LeBeau said the visit gives state leaders a chance to hear directly from Tribal representatives, patients and care teams. - California received about $233.6 million in federal fiscal year 2026 through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Rural Health Transformation Program. - That award was the third-highest in the nation. - HCAI leads the state’s work to use the program to address gaps in rural access, workforce and infrastructure through state-driven solutions. - Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Landsberg in December 2020. - Landsberg previously served as a deputy director at the California Department of Managed Health Care. - Landsberg also spent more than 16 years advocating on health reform, Medi-Cal, Covered California and issues affecting low-income Californians.

Between the lines: - The visit signals that Tribal providers want rural funding decisions to account for geography, culture and local delivery realities. - The emphasis on workforce and transportation suggests those barriers remain as important as clinic capacity itself. - HCAI’s presence indicates the state is treating rural Tribal access as part of a broader rural health strategy, not a niche issue.

What's next: - HCAI leaders are expected to hear directly from Tribal representatives, patients and care teams during the Oct. 21 visit. - RSBCIHI and Torres-Martinez will likely use the meeting to press for investments that improve access and outcomes in the eastern Coachella Valley. - The visit could help shape how Rural Health Transformation funds are prioritized for rural Tribal communities.

The bottom line: - The Thermal meeting is a bid to turn federal rural health dollars into more local, culturally responsive care for Native families in one of California’s most remote service areas.