(AP) — California is in desperate need of more medical workers at facilities swamped by coronavirus patients, and almost no help is coming from a volunteer program that Gov. Gavin Newsom created at the start of the pandemic.
An army of 95,000 initially raised their hands, but just 14 are now working in the field. Newsom says very few volunteers met qualifications for the California Health Corps, and only a tiny sliver have the high-level experience needed to help with the most serious virus cases.
Other states have faced similar difficulties making volunteer programs work.