|
The Chapman Connect
Chapman Consulting's Newsletter | Issue 7
| | Hello, and welcome to our summer newsletter! | | | | | As I write this, I am spending my annual month in Maine, a tradition I look forward to every year and a welcome change from the 105-degree days back home in Davis. There is something special about slowing down just enough to enjoy early mornings on the lake, beautiful summer scenery, time with family, and, of course, the lobster. Unfortunately, this marked the third year in a row that a family vacation in Maine included an unexpected trip to the emergency room with my older son. This year's adventure ended with just a few stitches after a dirt bike wipeout, and thankfully, he was back to enjoying the rest of the trip in no time. | | | |
It was also a timely reminder that health emergencies don't pause for vacation. No matter where we are, having health coverage and timely access to care matters. Experiences like this reinforce why the work we do alongside our clients is so meaningful. Every effort to improve access to care, strengthen our health care system, and identify ways to make care more affordable has a real impact on people and families when they need it most.
The experience also reminded me that I am fortunate. We were able to walk into an emergency room, receive the care my son needed, and leave without worrying about whether we could access care or face a devastating medical bill. That is not everyone's reality, and it underscores why our collective work to build a more accessible, equitable, and sustainable health care system is so important.
This edition of our newsletter takes a closer look at California's budget and what it means for healthcare stakeholders across the state. While the challenges are significant, so are the opportunities for thoughtful collaboration and innovation, and we are so appreciative to see the on-the-ground work happening with our clients and partners every day.
At Chapman, we have been busy supporting clients and partners across a wide range of initiatives. In this issue, we are excited to highlight our work supporting the Department of Healthcare Access and Information’s (HCAI’s) Data Exchange Framework (DxF) Advisory Committee. Additionally, our team did a fantastic job with successful spring DHCS PATH CPI Resource Fairs, which brought stakeholders together to share Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports resources. These are just a few of the projects that demonstrate the great work of our team and our clients to demonstrate how Chapman’s expertise and experience can help organizations strengthen stakeholder engagement strategies to drive meaningful outcomes. These projects reflect what we enjoy most about our work: connecting people, building partnerships, and helping turn complex policy goals into practical action.
I also wanted to share my gratitude for the incredible energy, insights, and partnerships that emerged from our inaugural Medicare Convening earlier this year. We are already hard at work planning an even stronger gathering for 2027. Get on our list and be on the lookout for upcoming details on sponsorship opportunities and registration for this limited capacity event.
As always, thank you for being part of the Chapman community. Whether we are connecting in-person, collaborating virtually, or exchanging ideas from opposite sides of the country we are grateful for your engagement and partnership.
Wishing you a wonderful summer,
- Athena Chapman
President and Founder
Chapman Consulting
| | | Conference season is just around the corner, and the Chapman Team is looking forward to connecting with clients, partners, and colleagues across California and beyond. If you will be attending any of the conferences below, we would love to carve out time for coffee, catch up on your latest priorities, and explore opportunities to work together. | | |
We are thrilled to announce the return of Chapman Consulting’s Medicare Convening on February 11, 2027, in Sacramento. This year’s theme, From Vision to Action: Advancing Medicare through Leadership, Collaboration, and Innovation, will bring together leaders from across the healthcare, aging, and policy landscape to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of Medicare in California.
Building on the success of our inaugural convening, we are excited to expand the event and welcome both returning participants and new voices committed to improving outcomes for older adults and people with disabilities. Early sponsorship opportunities will open later this month, with registration launching in September.
We look forward to continuing this important conversation and hope you will join us.
| |
HCAI Data Exchange Framework Stakeholder Advisory Committee Facilitation
At Chapman Consulting, we love work that brings diverse stakeholders together to tackle complex challenges, which is why our work with the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to facilitate the Data Exchange Framework (DxF) Stakeholder Advisory Committee is so special to us.
| |
| | |
The DxF is helping lay the foundation for more seamless and secure sharing of health and social services information across California. The implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 660 builds on the progress that has been made through the DxF while establishing additional requirements around transparency, accountability, and enforcement. The stakeholder advisory committee was established to ensure that the governance framework is informed by the expertise of organizations and individuals that have diverse perspectives and experience working to expand and improve data exchange across California. Through this work, we are supporting quarterly meetings that bring together healthcare providers, health plans, technology leaders, community-based organizations, consumer advocates, and government partners to discuss implementation challenges, identify opportunities for alignment, and help shape the future of data exchange in California. We are grateful for the opportunity to support these conversations and continually impressed by the level of engagement, expertise, and commitment stakeholders bring to the table. Together, these discussions will lead to a legislative report that will inform the legislature and other stakeholders on key policy issues and identify ways to advance a more connected healthcare system through regulation, collaboration, and innovation.
These bi-monthly meetings are open to the public, and we encourage interested stakeholders to click here and learn more and participate in the process or reach out to us directly if you have any questions about the work of this committee.
| | | |
CLIENT KUDOS
PATH RESOURCE FAIRS
| |
| |
This issue’s kudos goes out to the San Francisco and SouthBay Providing Access and Transforming Health (PATH) Collaborative Planning Implementation (CPI) workgroups. In May, both PATH CPI workgroups hosted Resource Fairs, bringing together community-based organizations (CBOs) and local healthcare ecosystem partners to cultivate conversation and collaboration. The Resource Fairs began with a CPI meeting in the morning, followed by introductions and an afternoon of engagement. Participants had the opportunity to interact with and learn from the tabling organizations; organizations provided informational materials that participants could take home and utilize in future collaboration. The Resource Fairs strengthened pathways for local partnership and community.
Chapman Consulting has facilitated monthly virtual and quarterly in-person meetings through PATH CPI for nearly four years, and May’s meeting brought together community partners from San Francisco and Santa Clara counties. Launched in 2023, the PATH CPI workgroup aims to support the network of providers and community partners delivering essential benefits and services such as care coordination, addressing nutritional needs, providing housing support, and reducing barriers to care. The PATH CPI Resource Fairs were full of collaborative spirit and important conversations about how to continue to foster community engagement.
| | | |
Chapman is so grateful to be bolstering this network of dedicated partners bringing essential services to the community. |
| |
|
CHAPMAN IN ACTION
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT THAT MOVES IDEAS INTO ACTION
| | |
At Chapman Consulting, we believe the best solutions are built with the people who will ultimately implement, deliver, and benefit from them. Whether we're supporting a statewide policy initiative, facilitating a strategic planning process, or bringing together diverse partners around a complex challenge, our goal is always the same: create meaningful engagement that leads to better decisions and measurable results.
While our expertise is rooted in California's healthcare landscape, we also partner with organizations across the country, applying the same collaborative, stakeholder-centered approach to support national, regional, and multi-state initiatives.
We partner with state agencies, health plans, providers, counties, foundations, and CBOs to design engagement strategies that build trust, surface diverse perspectives, and move conversations from discussion to action.
| | | | |
We Bring the Right Voices Together
- Identify and engage the stakeholders who matter most
- Build inclusive advisory councils, workgroups, and steering committees
- Ensure diverse perspectives are represented and heard
| | | | |
We Create Productive Conversations
- Design and facilitate meetings that encourage meaningful dialogue
- Navigate complex and sometimes competing priorities
- Build consensus around shared goals and practical solutions
| | | | |
We Turn Input Into Action
- Synthesize stakeholder feedback into clear recommendations
- Develop actionable implementation roadmaps and strategic priorities
- Help organizations move from planning to execution
| | | | |
We Deliver Results
- Stronger partnerships and stakeholder buy-in
- More informed policy and program decisions
- Practical, implementable recommendations
- Sustainable governance and engagement structures that continue long after the meetings end
| | From statewide advisory committees and strategic planning initiatives to listening sessions, regional collaboratives, and large-scale convenings, we understand California's healthcare landscape and what it takes to engage stakeholders in ways that are thoughtful, inclusive, and focused on results. | | If your organization is planning a strategic planning process, advisory council, stakeholder engagement effort, or multi-partner initiative, we'd welcome the opportunity to discuss how Chapman Consulting can help turn collaboration into meaningful action. | | |
On June 30, Governor Gavin Newsom signed California's $351.7 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2026–27, concluding months of negotiations between the Administration and Legislature. The budget marks Governor Newsom's final spending plan before California elects a new governor this November. A number of significant health care decisions were made against the backdrop of ongoing state fiscal challenges and uncertainty surrounding future federal Medicaid funding and federal policy changes resulting from the passage of H.R.1 last year. The final agreement develops a new, federally compliant plan for the state's Managed Care Organization (MCO) tax financing structure, continues funding for many existing Medi-Cal, behavioral health, and health and human services programs, and increases state reserves to nearly $29 billion.
The budget also adopts several Medi-Cal cost-containment measures while deferring and/or postponing action on others. Beginning January 1, 2027, individuals with unsatisfactory immigration status will maintain eligibility for Medi-Cal, but transition from managed care to fee-for-service; a change that the state estimates will affect approximately 2 million beneficiaries. Previously proposed reductions to certain dental benefits and provider payments were delayed until July 2027, while a decision on monthly premiums for undocumented adults enrolled in full-scope Medi-Cal was postponed to the next administration. Although the final budget resolves California's spending plan for the coming fiscal year, it leaves several longer-term financing and policy questions unresolved as the state continues to face structural budget pressures and prepares to implement significant federal Medicaid changes over the next several years.
| | | |
Assessing the Financial Impact of Recent and Proposed Policy Changes on California’s Community Health Centers: Implications of H.R. 1 and California’s State Budget for Federally Qualified Health Centers and Look-Alikes
In May 2026, Chapman, with support from the California Primary Care Association, released a report examining the potential impacts of recently enacted federal policy changes and California's budget proposals, as they existed at that time, on the state's community health centers. The report estimated that between 2.3 million and 3 million Californians could lose access to full-scope Medi-Cal coverage, resulting in $1.1 billion to $1.4 billion in lost revenue for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and FQHC look-alikes, with additional financial impacts tied to Medi-Cal reimbursement changes. As providers prepare to navigate these significant policy shifts, the report offers analysis to help stakeholders understand the potential implications for California's healthcare safety net and the communities it serves.
| |
- Strategic Planning
- Project Management
- Operational Support
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Regulatory, Policy, and Legislative Support
- Grant Management
| |
- Request for Proposals/Funding Opportunity Development
- Market Research and Analysis
- Meeting Facilitation
- Event Planning
- Education and Outreach
| | | | |
