Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Francisco Silva

87. Francisco Silva 

For almost two decades, Francisco Silva was the California Medical Association’s general counsel and senior vice president of legal affairs, economic services and health policy. He left last spring to take over as the President and CEO of the California Primary Care Association, which represents almost 1,400 non-profit health organizations across the state. Those facilities collectively treat over 7 million patients a year, many of them low income. He’ll get to prove his worth to them this year as the CPCA is just one of many health groups jockeying for their portion of an $11.1 billion state infusion into the Medi-cal system. With the state now allowing unauthorized immigrants to get Medi-Cal coverage, it will be even more critical for CPCA to be heard amidst the shouting. A first generation American whose parents immigrated from Mexico, Silva got his bachelor’s degree at Santa Clara University, UCLA School of Law, and USC Marshall School of Business and holds both a JD and an MBA.