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The drive for a UC Merced
School of Medicine to serve the San Joaquin Valley takes another step
forward by going on the road for a nine-county “Community Listening
Tour” beginning this week at California State University, Fresno.
Fresno State hosts the first session on Tuesday, July 7, for Fresno
County residents from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Satellite Student Union
(2485 E. San Ramon Ave., at Maple Avenue, south of Barstow).
The tour is presented by the Valley Coalition for UC Merced Medical
School as part of its outreach and education project to gain support for
a medical school in the Valley. In February, the coalition received a
$147,000 grant from The California Endowment to ensure communities
throughout the San Joaquin are involved in the planning of the medical
school through events such as the Community Listening Tour.
The Valley Coalition for a UC Merced Medical School – created in
February, 2008 as a Valleywide effort to support the development of the
school – is composed of nearly 200 elected officials, cities and
counties, health care professionals and community groups including
Congressmen Jim Costa and Dennis Cardoza.
In 2003, Fresno State President John D. Welty was named to a Blue Ribbon
Panel for the UC Merced School of Medicine and is now hosting the first
public session of the Community Listening Tour.
He said Fresno State’s support is in line with one of the university‘s
central themes of – helping to create a healthier Valley.
Fresno State produces the majority of the medical and social service
professionals in the region and work is under way to expand the nursing
program so that more top students can pursue careers in nursing and
other related health care professions. Fresno State now offers a
Doctorate in Physical Therapy in a joint degree program with UC San
Francisco and San Francisco State and planning continues for the
Doctorate in Nursing Practice.
“Faculty and students are conducting pioneering research to understand
and address the special health problems of Central California,” Welty
said. “A medical school at UC Merced combined with the many health
program initiatives in the area like ours will help create a healthier
Valley for our residents and provide other benefits to the region. We
encourage Fresno County residents to come to the coalition’s listening
tour and be heard.”
Dr. Andrew Hoff, new dean of the College of Health and Human Services,
will represent the university at the July 7 session.
"The Central San Joaquin Valley faces significant shortages of doctors
and other trained medical personnel," Hoff said. “The establishment of a
medical school in our region will encourage more doctors to stay in the
valley to address this great need. All interested parties should attend
this important event."
The two-month tour will provide residents in Fresno, Mariposa,
Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Madera, Merced, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties
the opportunity to learn more about the medical school project as well
as highlight the needs of their respective areas at the 90-minute
sessions.
The Listening Sessions will start with a brief presentation on UC
Merced’s proposal for the medical school and then be opened up for
questions and discussion.
For more information on the tour call The Rios Company 559.485.1320, or
e-mail info@theriosco.com.
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