Back to Health Workforce

Health Workforce Data

California’s Health Workforce Research Data Center

HCAI’s California Health Workforce Research Data Center (Research Data Center) is the state’s central hub for health workforce data. All health professional licensing boards in California are required to collect core data about the health workforce they oversee and provide this data to HCAI for analysis. The Research Data Center provides this data and analysis regarding issues of workforce shortage, equity, and distribution in order to inform state policy. Core to its mission, the Research Data Center is committed to making data publicly available, aiming to create awareness of the state of California's healthcare workforce. By doing so, it empowers stakeholders, policymakers, and the public to take informed actions based on this valuable information.

Health Workforce Datasets

Health Workforce Dashboards

Demographics

Education

Supply

  • Certified Nurse Assistant and Home Health Aide Supply (Coming Soon)

Practice Information

  • Specialties and Settings of California’s Health Workforce (Coming Soon)

Reports

Research Data Center FAQs

What is the Research Data Center?

Assembly Bill 133 established the California Health Workforce Research and Data Center (Center) within the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to:

  • Serve as the state’s central source of health workforce and health profession education data
  • Inform state policy regarding health care workforce issues.

By statute, the Center is responsible for the collection, analysis, and distribution of information on the educational and employment trends for health care occupations and distribution in the state.

What types of data will the Center collect?

Health and Safety Code Section 128051 requires HCAI to work with the Employment Development Department’s Labor Market Information Division, state licensing boards, and state higher education entities to collect, to the extent available, all of the following data:

  • The current supply of health care workers, by specialty.
  • The geographical distribution of health care workers, by specialty.
  • The diversity of the health care workforce, by specialty, including, but not necessarily limited to, data on race, ethnicity, and languages spoken.
  • The current and forecasted demand for health care workers, by specialty.
  • The educational capacity to produce trained, certified, and licensed health care workers, by specialty and by geographical distribution, including, but not necessarily limited to, the number of educational slots, the number of enrollments, the attrition rate, and wait time to enter the program of study.

How will the safety and privacy of data be ensured?

HCAI has collected, managed, and successfully protected sensitive and confidential health data for decades. For more information, please visit this webpage.

What data products will the Center produce?

Statue requires the department to produce an annual report to the legislature that does all of the following:

  • Identifies education and employment trends in the health care profession.
  • Reports on the current supply and demand for health care workers in California and gaps in the educational pipeline producing workers in specific occupations and geographic areas.
  • Recommends state policy needed to address issues of workforce shortage and distribution.
  • Describes the health care workforce program outcomes and effectiveness.

The Center will also publish data and reports for a range of audiences.  Detailed profession-specific reports and interactive dashboards will be published to the Centers public website, and minimally processed datasets about frequently requested topics will be published to the California Health and Human Services (CHHS) Open Data Portal.  Statute prohibits the department from releasing raw, individual-level data that could be used to identify an individual.

Who will be able to access data from the Center?

Anyone can access the Center’s reports, visualizations, and other data products via the Center’s public website and the CHHS Open Data Portal.

In addition, the Center is establishing policies and procedures to accommodate future custom data requests.  To share your ideas about what data and reports may be helpful to you, please contact HCAI at workforcedata@hcai.ca.gov.

How may I be notified of products that will be released from the Center?

You may be notified of products released from the Center by subscribing to HCAI’s mailing list.

Who may I contact with any questions about the Center?

You may contact HCAI directly at: workforcedata@hcai.ca.gov.

Health Workforce Licensure Data Collection FAQs

What data will be collected about the health workforce?

The Research Data Center will collect data from licensed health care professionals at time of licensure renewal.  This specific data collection effort is prescribed by Business and Professions Code 502. 

In addition to associated license information, Business and Professions Code Section 502 requires the workforce data to include, at a minimum, all of the following information from licensed professionals:

  • Anticipated year of retirement
  • Area of practice or specialty
  • City, county, and ZIP Code of practice
  • Date of birth
  • Educational background
  • Gender or gender identity
  • Hours spent in direct patient care, including telehealth hours
  • Languages spoken
  • National Provider Identifier
  • Race or ethnicity
  • Type of employer or classification of primary practice site
  • Work hours
  • Sexual orientation
  • Disability status

Survey Tool

A copy of survey tool, which includes each question and the available response options, is available here: HCAI Health Workforce License Renewal Survey

Which health professions are included in Business and Professions Code 502?

The statute requires all licensing boards that regulate healing arts licensees/registrants to request this data from their respective licensees/registrants.

How often will these data be collected?

Business and Professions Code Section 502 requires the data to be collected at the time of electronic license or registration renewal.  Most health professions renew their licenses/registrations every two-years on a rolling basis. 

How are these data collected?

In collaboration with the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), the data collection instrument has been integrated into the electronic license/registration renewal process.

How will the safety and privacy of data be ensured?

California law requires departments to maintain the confidentiality of this data and only allows release in aggregate from that cannot be used to identify an individual.  HCAI, or DCA, will never share or publicly release data that can be used to identify an individual.  These data will not, and cannot, be used to impact your licensure status in any manner.

How can health workforce licensees understand how their data will be published and presented?

HCAI will work with DCA and licensing boards to communicate the release of products coming out of the Center to licensees.  In addition, HCAI will present at public meetings Board meetings on a consistent basis with updates on the Center.  Additionally, you can sign up to be notified via email when a new data product is published by subscribing to HCAI’s mailing list.