Metrolink Adds More Midday Options

Mar182024 September 30, 2024 Orange County Business Council President and CEO Jeff Ball sat down with Michael Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health, for a Q&A about the organization’s role in keeping Orange County healthy. Metrolink, Southern California’s regional passenger rail provider, will soon offer customers greater flexibility, including more midday options, to better meet the region’s evolving transportation needs. Beginning Monday, Oct. 21, Metrolink is adding 32 weekday trains, accounting for a nearly 23% increase in service. The new schedule will also streamline connections between lines, making it easier for riders to navigate Metrolink’s six-county service area. “Customers and community members have been asking for more frequent trains, midday options and better connections, and we are listening,” Metrolink Board Chair Larry McCallon said. “The new schedule will allow Metrolink to reach beyond the traditional, Monday-through-Friday commuter windows and deliver a service that appeals to even more Southern Californians.” The upcoming schedule change represents the next step in the agency’s transformation from a conventional commuter service to a robust regional passenger rail connector – an evolution dubbed by Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle as “Metrolink Reimagined.” “The pandemic didn’t just change how and where people work,” Kettle said. “It changed how they travel and interact with transit systems. To ensure Metrolink remains a valuable resource for the communities we serve, we are reimagining our role within our region’s broader transportation landscape. We’ll still be here for daily 9-to-5 commuters, but we’re expanding our model to better accommodate a diverse range of customers, including tourists and daytrippers, students and nontraditional workers.” In addition to increasing weekday service levels, the new schedule will optimize connections across the system, reducing wait times for most passengers transferring from one line to another and facilitating travel between counties. The number of connections available throughout the day is increasing by more than 300%, and most customers will experience wait periods of just 10-20 minutes. These operational efficiencies will also allow Metrolink to utilize fewer train sets to run more trains. Metrolink’s Orange County and Inland Empire-Orange County (IEOC) lines will see some of the most significant changes. The Orange County Line will add seven trains with all weekday trips operating at least as far south as Irvine, and four new IEOC Line trains will bolster connectivity between Riverside and Orange counties. The final weekend IEOC Line train from Oceanside to San Bernardino has also been adjusted and will leave three hours later to allow visitors more time to explore the renowned coastal destination. The San Bernardino Line will welcome sixteen new weekday trains, including ten roundtrips from LA Union Station to Covina. The Ventura County and 91/Perris Valley lines will each add two weekday trains, while one underutilized Riverside Line trip has been removed. The new schedule will complement Amtrak Pacific Surfliner codeshare trains between Los Angeles and Ventura, which will not be affected. Last October, Metrolink expanded service and provided similar train options on the Antelope Valley Line, which coincided with the launch of the free Student Adventure Pass. As a result of the additional service, annual ridership grew by 7% between August 2023 and August 2024 when Student Adventure Pass user data was excluded. The number of trains serving the Antelope Valley Line will not change when the new schedule goes into effect, though eight trains that currently operate between Los Angeles and the Via Princessa Station will be extended to and from the Vista Canyon Station. Many existing Metrolink routes have been shifted slightly earlier or later to more effectively space service throughout the day. Times and station stops may not align with current offerings, and customers are encouraged to consult the new schedule when planning their next trip. The full schedule is available at metrolinktrains.com/scheduleupdate.

CalOptima Health Partnerships

Mar182024 September 30, 2024 Orange County Business Council President and CEO Jeff Ball sat down with Michael Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health, for a Q&A about the organization’s role in keeping Orange County healthy. Ball: In prior conversations, you said CalOptima Health prioritizes partnership. Is that the basis for your “Better. Together.” motto? Hunn: Yes! CalOptima Health relies on partnership with the provider community. We are fortunate to have more than 10,000 contracts in place with doctors, hospitals and the whole spectrum of other providers needed for comprehensive coverage. It has been an ongoing challenge to support our providers based on historically low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, so we recently made a bold move to pay significantly more. Ball: How big is that provider rate increase? Hunn: In June 2024, the CalOptima Health Board of Directors approved an investment of $526.2 million to increase rates paid to health networks, hospitals, physicians, community clinics, behavioral health providers and ancillary services providers. It is the largest provider rate increase of its kind in CalOptima Health’s nearly 30-year history. Our goal is to support timely access to critical health care services for members and promote longer-term financial stability of our managed care network. The 7.5% increase is in place through December 2026. Leaders in the provider community have expressed appreciation for the recognition and validation of their important role in supporting the health care safety net in Orange County. Ball: Does the reported shortage of health care workers affect CalOptima Health? Hunn: We are addressing that shortage at its roots — with students pursuing careers in health care. This spring, we awarded $25 million in provider workforce education grants to seven institutions in Orange County. The grants seek to secure the future delivery system and bridge predicted gaps in the health care workforce that serves the Medi-Cal population. We held wonderful events to celebrate with students at UCI, CSUF, Concordia University Irvine and Chapman University to name a few. It was uplifting to see the students’ enthusiasm as they work toward becoming trained health care professionals committed to serving CalOptima Health members. Ball: OCBC has many provider organizations as investors, so I’m certain they welcome CalOptima Health’s innovative support. Thank you, Michael.