DATE: May 12, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Joe Prado, Director of Public Health
SUBJECT: Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Public Health for California Pathways into Public Health Initiative
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Public Health for the California Pathways into Public Health Initiative, effective upon execution through June 30, 2027 ($0).
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action, which will allow the County, through its Department of Public Health (Department), to accept placement of student interns participating in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) California Pathways into Public Health (Pathways) initiative. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board could choose not to approve the recommended action; however, doing so would prevent the County from accepting student intern placement through the Pathways program for clinical and field experience through its Department of Public Health.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. CDPH, through its contractor, University Enterprises, Inc. (UEI), will administer payroll and workers' compensation insurance coverage for all student interns participating in the program.
DISCUSSION:
The County regularly maintains agreements with institutions of higher education to support clinical and field experience placements. Students enrolled in various academic programs at these institutions are required to complete supervised practicums, internships, and field placements as part of degree completion. These placements are typically semester based and occur within professional settings such as active County work environments.
Such placements serve as an effective workforce development and recruitment strategy by establishing a direct pipeline of qua...
Click here for full text