California Health Corps

Health professionals, California needs you!

California is preparing for an increase in the number of people who urgently need health care in our communities during the COVID-19 outbreak. To meet this moment, we’re opening additional health care sites to treat people affected by COVID-19 and to relieve the pressure on our health care system by providing care for non-COVID-19 cases.

To ensure adequate staff for health care sites throughout California, we’re calling on healthcare providers, behavioral health professionals, and health care administrators to register today.

We need:

• Physicians (MD, DO), including medical residents and students
• Pharmacists
• Dentists
• Nurse practitioners
• Physician assistants
• Nurses (RN, LVN, CNA), including nursing students
• Behavioral health professionals (psychiatrist, psychiatric technicians psychologist, psychiatric nurse practitioner, LCSW, LMFT, LPCC)
• Respiratory therapists
• Paramedics
• Medical assistants
• Emergency medical technicians

You will be paid and will be given malpractice insurance coverage. Locations will vary, but we will try to match your geographical preferences.

You have the opportunity to play a critical role in responding to this public health emergency in your region. To care for Californians who need your help, please sign up.

Step 1 –  Are you eligible?

To be eligible for COVID-19 emergency medical staffing roles, you must:

• Be 18 years of age or over
• Be eligible to work in the United States
• Have a valid driver’s license or passport, and a social security card
• Have a valid California License for clinical practice (if you are a MD, DO, etc.) 
• OR are a medical resident or nursing student 
• Have no negative licensure/certification actions (for licensed/certified professionals)

Step 2 –  Register in the California Health Corps system

Both licensed professionals and students will have to register. This is the system we’ll use to verify your medical license (if you have one) and identify your deployment preferences.

Register now

Step 3 – Once verified, we will ask you to submit an application 

This process may require you to fill out additional paperwork to complete the hiring process.

Step 4 – Once you’ve applied

We will review your skills, experience, location preferences and interests to see where you match our placement needs.

Step 5 – Finalize hiring and placement process

You will be hired at time of placement. Bring a formal valid driver’s license and a social security card to provide at time of hire. 

Questions and answers

What are the pay and benefits for California Health Corps professionals?

Salary rates for most of the health care professionals being hired for this emergency are listed in the CalHR Pay Scales (pages 5.12 and 5.13). In addition, CalHR has established pay rates for medical roles that don’t have a corresponding regular classification and pay schedule, such as paramedics and EMTs. CalHR will determine specific salary and benefits after conducting a review of each application.

Some healthcare professions are not listed. Are health professionals who are not listed (e.g., Medical Technicians, Lab Technicians, etc.) eligible for the California Health Corps?

California Health Corps are currently only accepting applications for the healthcare professions listed on the website. However, we are constantly re-evaluating our needs during this fluid situation and will open the registration for other professionals, if the need arises.

When can I expect to hear a response after completing my California Health Corps registration?

Currently we anticipate the process may take up to two weeks, since an incredible number of responses are received and need to prioritize certain parts of the state, where the needs are the greatest. We will begin to contact the volunteers after verification of credentials, and based on current and anticipated needs.

How do I return to the California Health Corps application after logging out?

Visit https://healthcarevolunteers.ca.gov/ and use the account you created while applying to correct or update any information you want.