Expanding Community Access and Building the Future of Care at NorthBay Health with Mark Behl

In this episode of the Becker's Healthcare Podcast, Laura Deirdre interviews Mark Bale, President and CEO of North Bay Health, a nonprofit health system serving Northern California’s Napa, Sonoma, Yolo, and Solano counties. Bale discusses North Bay Health’s strategic shift toward expanding community-based ambulatory care, including the opening of seven new neighborhood clinics focused on primary care, urgent care, and specialty services in underserved areas. These locations aim to provide care within a 15-minute drive for every resident, with a strong emphasis on embedding into communities and tailoring services to local needs—such as pediatric care in family-heavy areas or chronic disease management in retirement communities. The initiative has already yielded impressive results, with over 320,000 patient visits in the past year and significant growth in provider capacity. Looking ahead to 2026, Bale outlines three major priorities: expanding access to care amid rising demand, driving operational transformation through technology like AI and the upcoming Epic EHR transition, and maintaining financial stability amid declining reimbursements and Medi-Cal cuts. He emphasizes the need for a value-based, capitated care model and calls for community-wide collaboration to address systemic challenges. Bale stresses that growth lies not in hospital-centric services but in upstream primary and specialty care, where demand far exceeds supply. The conversation closes with a powerful message: despite financial headwinds, North Bay Health remains committed to serving all patients—especially the vulnerable—by innovating responsibly and partnering with communities to build a more equitable, sustainable future for healthcare.