Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of a major new initiative to expand California's health care workforce and recruit health care professionals to address the COVID-19 surge.

"If you're a nursing school student, a medical school student, we need you. If you've just retired in the last few years, we need you. If you are looking to expand your scope of practice and have particular expertise in any particular capacity, we need you and we encourage you to take a look at that healthcorps.CA.gov website," said Newsom. Five simple steps. We'll ask you basic questions, and we'll help you with your re-licensing. We'll help you with the protocols and processes to get you up and running and get you out the door so that you can support the needs of people of the state of California."

Health care professionals are all encouraged to join the new California Health Corps.

This opportunity is also open to respiratory therapists, behavioral health scientists, pharmacists, EMTs, medical and administrative assistants, as well as certified nursing assistants.

The governor also signed an executive order that will temporarily expand the health care workforce and allow health care facilities to staff at least an additional 50,000 hospital beds the state needs to treat COVID-19 patients.