Senator Roth Awarded 2016 Public Service Award

California Hospital Association praises him as a “true champion for patients and healthcare providers”

(Riverside, CA) – Senator Richard D. Roth (D-Riverside) has been awarded the 2016 Public Service Award by the California Hospital Association.

“It is an honor to receive this award,” said Senator Roth. “I have always believed that public service is about working together. I thank CHA for their leadership to improve healthcare access and the quality of healthcare throughout California, especially in our state’s medically underserved areas. I am looking forward to continuing to work with CHA to ensure we can meet the long-term healthcare needs of our region and state.”

This year, Senator Roth and a bipartisan coalition of healthcare leaders and stakeholders successfully secured the investment of $100 million in new and existing primary care residency programs, including family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine and OB/GYN residencies. This targeted investment will help ensure California’s medically underserved areas have the physicians they need to meet growing and complex healthcare demands.

Senator Roth also authored and Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 867 (2016). SB 867 saves a critical source of funding which ensures all patients have access to high quality emergency care. Had this funding been lost, it would have meant a reduction in emergency physicians staffing, leading to longer wait times, worse outcomes, and poorer access to care for all patients with emergencies.

“Senator Roth has been a true champion for patients and healthcare providers, fighting for commonsense solutions to some of the most pressing healthcare issues we face today,” said CHA President and Chief Executive Officer C. Duane Dauner. “We are proud to honor Senator Roth for his leadership and commitment to the public good and look forward to continuing to partner with him in his fight to improve healthcare for all Californians.”

CHA’s Public Service Award is given to leaders who demonstrate a commitment to patients, healthcare providers and the public good through their leadership on healthcare issues and policies. Previous awardees include Senate President Pro Tempore Emeritus Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and former San Francisco County Supervisor and current Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom.

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