Shasta County Backs New Medical School Plan with Unanimous Vote
- Elisa Ballard
- Jan 21
- 3 min read
January 20, 2026
Planning for a medical school that would serve the North State is continuing as the Rural Northern California Medical Education Consortium (the Consortium) gave a brief eight-minute presentation at the Shasta County Board of Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, January 20. After hearing the presentation by Dr. Paul Dhanuka, Dr. Norman Hall, and Dr. Irene Salter, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to provide them a letter of support for the project, which is an important step forward. With the letter of support, the Consortium can begin engaging in conversations with state and federal government agencies, as well as other philanthropic organizations, to identify sources of potential funding for the project.
The Consortium is composed of at least 11 regional leaders from medicine, public health, higher education, tribal health, and community organizations. These leaders have been meeting monthly and volunteering their time toward the planning process. Dr. Norman Hall, President of Simpson University, has been leading the group. Dr. Paul Dhanuka has been spearheading the project, along with Supervisor Kevin Crye, who was instrumental in hiring a consultant, Chriss Street, to assess the current critical shortage of healthcare professionals in Shasta County.
Shasta County has now been designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area by both state and federal metrics. Residents are experiencing wait times of up to four weeks to receive medical care, which negatively impacts health outcomes and puts a strain on hospital emergency services.
Having a medical school in the area would be beneficial in attracting practicing physicians. Studies have shown that an average of 41% of medical school students end up practicing within the area after graduating. Currently, California ranks 42nd in the number of medical students per 100,000 residents since most medical schools are located in the Eastern region of the U.S. In California, there are only 23 medical school students enrolled per 100,000 residents. Also, California medical schools are located mainly in Southern California, with Sacramento being the northernmost location. There are no medical schools located between Sacramento and Portland, Oregon. There are currently 17 counties in Northern California that are facing a shortage of practicing physicians.
Dr. Norman Hall warned that the physician shortage in Shasta County will continue to worsen until we have a medical school up and running. The medical school will be especially beneficial for local youth wanting to enter the medical field.
Medical schools are proven to generate huge economic impacts with job creation and the ripple effects of housing, retail, and other infrastructure. Statistics presented by the Consortium at the board meeting highlighted that 866 jobs are created on average by a medical school, with tens of millions of dollars of annual economic impact. The Consortium has been studying the impacts of several recently established medical schools in Pikeville, Kentucky; Great Falls, Montana; and Cincinnati, Ohio, among others. The plan is to conduct site visits in February to learn more about a successful path forward.
Simpson University in Redding has a well-regarded nursing program and is willing to be a partner in the medical school project. The University of California, Davis (UCD) is also a possible partner for the project; however, the project is still in its infancy, and more planning work needs to be done. The conclusion of the presentation to the board was hopeful as the Consortium did a detailed financial analysis and now sees a viable financial path toward creation of the much-needed medical school.
Supervisor Allen Long voiced his approval for the project but was clear that he does not intend to use County funds to support it. Supervisor Kevin Crye does not share Long’s view, saying “Can we afford not to?” [support the project financially].
Consultant Chriss Street voiced his support for the project during public comment, saying that there are many governmental agencies that could provide grant money for rural health projects and that Simpson University is widely regarded as a leader in medical education. He is optimistic about the future of Shasta County in the long term.
