​Summary: In 2019, nearly half of the residents in the San Joaquin Valley were covered by Medi-Cal (44%), and 8% were uninsured. Despite the expansion of the safety net after implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including growth of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), the San Joaquin Valley continues to face problems with access to care, especially for behavioral health services, and struggles to recruit physicians and other health care professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic — which hit the region particularly hard, though later than the rest of California — has compounded these challenges.