UC Merced and Golden Valley Heath Centers are partnering in hosting a symposium at UC Merced on improving outcomes for chronic disease. The symposium will be held Saturday, Nov. 4, in the Lakireddy Auditorium on the UC Merced campus.
Doctors, educators and other health professionals from around the Valley will gather to discuss prevention, patient self-management, mental health, and cultural and language issues related to development of comprehensive treatment plans for chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes.
“The San Joaquin Valley has a higher incidence of several chronic diseases compared to other regions in California and the nation. Environmental, socioeconomic and economic and cultural factors may contribute to the elevated incidence,” said Maria Pallavicini, Dean of the School of Natural Sciences at UC Merced. “Opportunities that increase dialogue and brainstorm around these issues will help to find solutions to these complex health issues in the region.”
Pallavicini said that strengthening and leveraging partnerships with organizations like Golden Valley Heath Centers is a key component of bringing medical education to the Central Valley. UC Merced plans to use an innovative, regional distributed model, integrating practical experience in urban and rural clinics around the region as an essential feature in its medical program.
The symposium is funded by a grant Golden Valley Health Center won from the California Healthcare Foundation along with contributions from Blue Cross and Healthnet. Interested participants can register by contacting Lisa Baladad at (209) 385-5463 or conference@gvhc.org.
