Access to healthcare should never depend on where you live, but for too many families in the Antelope Valley and High Desert, it does. Clinics are few and far between, doctor shortages are worsening, and basic services like mental health care or maternal care often require long drives and even longer wait times.

That’s not just inconvenient. It’s dangerous.

San Bernardino County consistently ranks among the lowest in California for primary care access. Many residents rely on Medi-Cal, but coverage doesn’t mean much if there are no providers nearby. Telehealth has helped in some areas, but it’s useless without strong rural broadband, which is still lacking in many towns.

I’ll fight to expand healthcare access where it’s needed most.

That means building more local clinics, recruiting and retaining doctors and mental health professionals through targeted incentives, and investing in tele-health backed by real broadband improvements. It also means ensuring critical services like prenatal care, emergency response, and behavioral health support are available close to home. In rural communities, healthcare infrastructure can literally be the difference between life and death, so we have to treat it that way.