SideBar: Optimism in Action welcomes Dr. Chad Harris, Natividad Medical Center CEO and CAPH Executive Committee Member

On this episode of SideBar: Optimism in Action, Dr. Harris reminds us that defending health care equity is a fundamental community value important to all of us.

MONTEREY, CA, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SideBar: Optimism in Action podcast, sponsored by Monterey College of Law, welcomes Dr. Chad Harris, CEO of Natividad Medical Center, the safety-net hospital for Monterey County. Natividad is the oldest public hospital in California, established in 1844 under contract to the Mexican government before California became a state in 1850. Dr. Harris also serves on the executive committee of the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (CAPH) that advocates for comprehensive, high-quality, equitable health care services for all Californians, regardless of insurance status, immigration status, ability to pay, or other circumstance.

“On this episode of SideBar: Optimism in Action, Dr. Harris reminds us that defending health care equity is a fundamental community value that is important to all of us,” says cohost, Mitch Winick.

Dr. Harris has been a practicing physician at Natividad Medical Center since 2011, starting as a family medicine staff physician and rising to chief Executive officer after previously serving as chief medical information officer and chief of staff. Dr. Harris also serves as a member of the executive committee of CAPH, a nonprofit policy group that advocates creating and sustaining state and federal policies and programs that promote high-quality equitable health care and continuous quality improvement within California’s public health care systems, as well as the payment reforms that will help drive these efforts and ensure a more solid financial footing.

“During this uncertain time regarding the public funding of health care for all Americans, the work of CAPH has taken an even more important role,” said cohost Jackie Gardina. “The mission of health care equity is something that affects all of us, regardless of whether we personally will need the services of a public safety net hospital,” said Gardina.

“CAPH advances policy and advocacy efforts to support and strengthen California’s 17 public health care systems and their ability to continue to provide high quality equitable health care,” said Harris. “As the core of the state’s safety net, public health care systems are essential, providing a range of comprehensive services from pandemic response to primary care for those most in need.” Serving more than 3.7 million patients annually, California’s 17 public health care systems include county-owned or affiliated systems and the five University of California academic medical centers.

---
Pre-announcement announcement - KAZU/NPR 90.3 radio and SideBarMedia recently entered into a new collaboration that adds the SideBar: Optimism in Action podcast to KAZU’s digital programming on “kazu.org”. Starting later in October 2025, the SideBar: Optimism in Action podcast, will be cosponsored by KAZU/NPR and Monterey College of Law. The podcast will become the first non-newscast, locally produced podcast featured on the KAZU/NPR website.
SideBar: Optimism in Action is cohosted by former law deans Mitch Winick and Jackie Gardina, produced by David Eakin, a local theater composer, media consultant, and podcast producer, and supported by Dena Dowsett, Social Media Marketer. The podcast features nonprofit leaders, advocates, and community members who represent extraordinary work that is improving the humanitarian, public policy, and charitable needs of our local, national, and global communities. The focus this season is on the amazing individuals who are pursuing positive change during challenging times.
New episodes of SideBar: Optimism in Action are published on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

To listen to this episode (and 70 previous episodes) of SideBar: Optimism in Action, go to www.sidebarmedia.org.

Mitchel Winick
SideBarMedia
+1 831-241-8999
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.