CBS reports that San Joaquin County will welcome its first medical school in a bid to tackle a severe shortage of health care professionals, officials announced Monday.

The new campus, operated by private nonprofit Aria University, will be housed in a repurposed county building near San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp.

The county signed a 30-year lease for $1 per year, with renovations expected to take about two years.

County Health Services Director Genevieve Valentine highlighted the urgent need for local nurses, primary care doctors, and psychiatrists, warning that by 2030 the region will fall short of staff needed to serve its population.

Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi said the school will increase access to care across the region.

Officials hope the program will retain l

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