Shasta County’s chronic physician shortage has prompted a coalition of local doctors, city council members, and county officials to consider a bold solution: a private medical school anchored at Simpson University, a small Christian college in Redding.

Why the shortage matters

Residents of the county, which is predominantly white and conservative, have repeatedly expressed gratitude for the handful of physicians who serve the area. Yet an aging physician workforce and limited clinical rotation sites have left many communities without adequate medical care. A recent California Health Care Foundation study identified local political divisiveness as one of the top five factors hampering efforts to improve health services.

Proposed private medical school

Redding City Council member and gastroenterologist Dr. Paul Dhanuka, an immigrant from India who has lived in Shasta for decades, has championed the idea of a four‑year medical school that would train doctors of osteopathy. He has spoken with Simpson University president Norman Hall, whose institution has no prior experience in physician education but shares the vision of expanding health‑care training in the region.

The proposal would cost at least $100 million, with $10 million potentially coming from Shasta County taxpayers. The school would start with 100 students, rotating through local hospitals such as Shasta Regional Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, and the nearby Enloe Medical Center in Butte County.

Challenges and support

County Supervisor Kevin Crye, a powerful figure in local politics, backs the plan despite its hefty price tag. Critics warn that the region’s limited patient volume—especially in pediatrics, where seriously ill children are often flown to UC Davis—could make meeting California’s clinical‑rotation standards difficult.

Dr. Mark Servis, a vice dean at UC Davis and longtime advocate for rural health workforce development, called clinical rotations the “rate‑limiting step” in training physicians for underserved areas. He noted that UC Davis recently opened a regional branch on the Central Coast for $4.4 million and suggested a similar branch in the North State could complement the private school’s efforts.

Potential impact

Research shows that doctors often practice where they complete their residency. By expanding residency slots and creating a local pipeline, the proposed school could retain more physicians in Shasta and neighboring counties. Dhanuka estimates that an additional 27 physicians would need to relocate to the area to staff the new program.

While the plan remains in the feasibility stage, the collaboration between local physicians, a Christian university, and county leadership reflects a community‑first approach to a pressing health crisis. If approved, the school could become a model for other rural regions seeking to address physician shortages through locally driven education initiatives.

Original reporting: Shasta Scout (Redding) — read the source article.