Primary Care's Essential Role in Advancing Health Equity in California

Primary care is the most fair, efficient, and accessible way for all people — regardless of race, ethnicity, or income — to enter the health care system and obtain the services they need. Yet it is frequently absent from policy conversations about advancing health equity in California. This report explores the unique role of primary care in the health care system, outlines the large body of evidence demonstrating its essential contribution to advancing health equity, calls for a paradigm shift in our thinking and actions, and recommends a new forum for leadership and accountability. In addition, it provides example recommendations that a variety of actors can take now to strengthen primary care and advance health equity in California.

This paper is part of a broader body of California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) research on the importance of primary care in California. Learn more at CHCF’s Primary Care Matters Resource Center.