Stories in Action
Our Commitment to Serving Under-resourced Communities
At UC Davis Health and School of Medicine, we provide some of the nation’s leading and most expert health care with the goal of improving our community’s health. Here are some of the many ways we are living our missions and serving as a cornerstone of our region’s health care safety net:
March 2025
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March 20, 2025Free cancer screenings in April for Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month
Two free Sacramento cancer screening days will be held in April to mark Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month.
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February 2025
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February 27, 2025Medical student creates app to empower women and save lives
When second-year medical student Ijeoma Uche isn’t studying or researching, she’s plugging away at an app she co-created that’s gaining attention for reducing health disparities
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February 12, 2025Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola appointed to state committee to advance health equity
California Gov. Gavin Newsom appoints Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola to a state committee that seeks to improve health care access for underserved residents
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December 2024
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December 18, 2024
Student-run Clínica Tepati celebrates 50th anniversary
Clínica Tepati, the UC Davis student-run free clinic in Midtown Sacramento, celebrates 50 years of caring for underserved patients.
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November 2024
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November 07, 2024Willow Clinic student volunteers host health and resources fair Saturday in Sacramento
Physical exams, flu vaccines and housing resources are among the services students will provide Saturday at the annual Veteran’s Day Health Fair.
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October 2024
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October 31, 2024Medical school awarded grant to share best practices on socially accountable admissions reform
UC Davis School of Medicine and UMass Chan Medical School have partnered to create a toolkit on socially conscious admissions to change the landscape of medicine.
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October 24, 2024UC Davis medical residency programs expand to Central Valley
UC Davis resident physicians training in OB-GYN and cardiothoracic surgery are caring for patients in Modesto under a new partnership with Doctors Medical Center.
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July 2024
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July 30, 2024San Joaquin County teens learn from UC Davis medical students
The UC Davis School of Medicine hosted 24 high school students from San Joaquin County who aspire to become doctors in Central Valley communities.
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June 2024
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June 27, 2024‘Ending Unequal Treatment’: National report finds little progress in health equity over two decades
The U.S. has made little progress in advancing health equity over the past two decades according to a new report. But report co-author, psychiatrist Ruth Shim, finds room for hope.
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June 12, 2024Ultrasounds and EKGs: High schoolers get hands-on learning about STEM careers
A partnership between the UC Davis Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and Project Lead the Way gives local high school students hands-on experience in anesthesiology and medical sciences.
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May 2024
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May 24, 2024New family medicine residency training site cares for underserved patients in West Sacramento
The UC Davis family medicine residency program collaborates with CommuniCare+OLE to start a new training site to care for underserved patients in West Sacramento.
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April 2024
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April 25, 2024
School of Medicine hosts Merced County teenagers and encourages them to become physicians
Nearly 20 high school students from Merced County visited the UC Davis School of Medicine to learn what it takes to become a doctor.
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April 05, 2024Free cancer screening day to mark Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month
Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month is being observed with a free cancer screening day for the public on April 13 at the student-run Shifa Clinic.
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March 2024
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March 14, 2024Medical student uses research to advocate for the unhoused
A UC Davis medical student takes to a national audience of family medicine physicians to advocate for better health care access for people experiencing homelessness.
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February 2024
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February 27, 2024
Street medicine team improves lives of unhoused patients
Twice a week, providers from UC Davis Health board Sacramento County’s mobile health clinic to care for patients in and around homeless encampments.
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November 2023
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November 16, 2023
UC Davis medical students reach underserved populations between Sacramento and Portland
A new training program sends UC Davis medical students to Klamath Falls, OR, in an effort to increase the number of doctors in underserved areas.
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November 07, 2023UC Davis surgeon recognized nationally for commitment to diversity in medicine
UC Davis thoracic surgeon Luis Armando Godoy awarded The Association of American Medical Colleges Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship in recognition of his leadership in fighting inequities in medical practice and education.
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November 02, 2023Medical student receives national award for diversity efforts
Andrés Maldonado is the latest UC Davis medical student to win the prestigious Nickens Scholarship from the Association of American Medical Colleges for his leadership in diversity initiatives.
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October 2023
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October 04, 2023Medical students earn top honors at national conference
A poster by UC Davis medical students highlighting care for immigrants at the Knights Landing student-run clinic won top honors at the national Latino Student Medical Association’s national conference.
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September 2023
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September 15, 2023Prep Médico inspires Latino students to pursue health careers
An innovative pathway program led by the UC Davis School of Medicine and Kaiser Permanente to boost the number of Latino health professionals has helped hundreds of undergraduate students pursue careers in medicine.
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August 2023
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August 16, 2023JAMA article recounts School of Medicine’s holistic admissions practices
Three deans with the UC Davis School of Medicine explain in a JAMA commentary how representation of historically excluded learners tripled in the past 15 years.
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August 08, 2023Urology resident honored for devotion to diversity, equity and inclusion
Urology resident Gabriela Gonzalez has been honored with the 2023 Ifeanyi Onyeji, M.D. UCDH Trainee Award in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
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June 2023
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June 30, 2023
High school students enjoy a preview of health careers
Some 60 teenagers from throughout the Greater Sacramento region converged at UC Davis Health over the past week to learn about careers as part of the Health Equity Academy.
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June 23, 2023
School of Medicine prepares students to advocate for patients
The School of Medicine has launched a new program to teach health care advocacy and policy to students passionate about being a voice for underserved patients.
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June 01, 2023
Trio of medical students create community health conference
Three UC Davis medical students created and hosted a community health conference that drew about 150 fellow students from throughout California.
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May 2023
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May 17, 2023California surgeon general urges future doctors to screen patients for childhood trauma
California Surgeon General Diana Ramos visited with UC Davis medical students and urged them to advance health equity in their future careers.
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January 2023
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January 23, 2023Medical student to study mental health needs of Mexican-American parents
Medical student Jacqueline León, a Fresno native, has received a scholarship to study the mental health needs of immigrant families in the Central Valley.
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December 2022
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December 28, 2022UC Davis School of Medicine leader tapped for federal government panel
Tonya Fancher, the UC Davis School of Medicine associate dean for Workforce Innovation and Education Quality Improvement, is one of 17 health professionals selected to serve on an advisory committee for the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services.
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November 2022
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November 23, 2022School of Medicine staff collect books and funds for local children
The Office of Medical Education’s Community Involvement Committee held a book drive for students at an Oak Park elementary school. They collected 345 books and $270.
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November 09, 2022Willow Clinic Veterans Day Health Fair takes place Saturday
The 12th annual Willow Clinic Veterans Health Fair on Saturday will offer medical and psychological screenings, haircuts, a coat giveaway and other services for vulnerable populations including veterans and people experiencing homelessness.
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November 07, 2022UC Davis School of Medicine’s Bayanihan student-run clinic now offers ophthalmology care
The Bayanihan student-run clinic now offers ophthalmology services, thanks to a dedicated volunteer who saw a need for specialized care and recruited two physicians to screen and treat underserved patients for eye diseases.
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September 2022
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September 06, 2022Register for the NorCal Symposium on Climate, Health, and Equity
UC Davis is hosting the 3rd annual NorCal Symposium on Climate, Health and Equity on September 23rd, 2022. This online CME opportunity is for students, trainees, health professionals, researchers and policymakers interested in climate crisis and health inequities.
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August 2022
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August 24, 2022
Medical students help soothe farmworkers on 300-mile trek
More than 30 UC Davis School of Medicine students eager to serve the community have signed up to provide first aid and foot care to dozens of farmworkers and their advocates on a 335-mile walk from Kern County to the state Capitol.
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August 12, 2022UC Postbaccalaureate Consortium receives renewed funding
The UC Postbaccalaureate Consortium has received renewed funding to continue its efforts to assist students from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds in gaining admission to medical school.
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August 03, 2022Angelica Martin: The health policy whisperer
Even before she enrolled at the UC Davis School of Medicine, Angelica Martin was a champion for the underserved, rallying hundreds of advocates to change health care policies. Now a fourth-year student, she’s on a mission to persuade classmates to do the same.
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June 2022
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June 28, 2022UC Davis creates new pathway to medical school that starts in community college
A new initiative involving more than two dozen colleges seeks to boost the number of doctors in rural Northern California. Avenue M will identify talented community college students from rural regions, guide them into four-year universities and eventually steer them toward the UC Davis School of Medicine.
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June 23, 2022Medical students provide care in remote area of Honduras during summer program
After a two-year pause, the UC Davis School of Medicine has resumed its global health clinical rotation elective. Seven students are spending a month in Honduras providing medical care and presenting health topics during community outreach
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June 22, 2022
Medical center kitchen team prepares meals for people experiencing homelessness
Over the past three months, UC Davis Health has prepared and delivered 15,000 meals to a community-based program where people experiencing homelessness recover from illness after being discharged from Sacramento hospitals.
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June 21, 2022Holistic care promotes health equity and improves outcomes
Patients at the Sacramento County Health Center are receiving more than physical and mental care – they’re also getting non-medical needs met. The holistic approach to care started by a UC Davis resident and his attending physician has led to a decrease in emergency room utilization.
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May 2022
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May 27, 2022Record 66% of School of Medicine graduates match in primary care residencies
The School of Medicine is leading the charge in cultivating and training new physicians to address the alarming shortage of primary care providers throughout California. A record 66% of graduates this year matched into primary care residencies.
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May 24, 2022Students open endocrine clinic for underserved patients
Imani Clinic, a UC Davis School of Medicine student-run clinic that serves many African American patients, is offering a new service based on the community’s needs: It has launched an endocrine clinic to help underserved patients with diabetes care.
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May 23, 2022Stage play screening highlights challenges, resources for dementia care
Roughly 200 people joined in person and virtually for a community event in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento for a screening of the play “Forget Me Not.” The screening was punctuated by an interactive discussion between the playwright, audience, and a panel of community members and UC Davis Health experts in dementia and caregiving.
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May 23, 2022Serotonin Surge Charities fundraiser to benefit safety net medical clinics
The annual Serotonin Surge Charities fundraiser which supports clinics that care for the underserved in Sacramento, and provides scholarships to medical students, will be held Wednesday evening in downtown Sacramento.
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March 2022
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March 02, 2022
Vulnerable groups receive COVID-19 shots from UC Davis Health, thanks to federal grant
Supported by a $5 million federal grant, the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities leads an effort to offer COVID-19 vaccines to African Americans and Latino farmworkers. These two groups are still hesitant about the vaccine or have difficulty accessing it.
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March 2021
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March 31, 2021UC Davis School of Medicine ranks No. 4 nationally in diversity
The UC Davis School of Medicine is ranked No. 4 in diversity nationwide, thanks to a number of innovative programs over the past decade that draw underrepresented minority groups.
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October 2020
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October 01, 2020UC Davis to offer free COVID-19 testing for Central Valley farmworkers
Four UC Davis research centers will partner with 10 community organizations to offer free COVID-19 testing for Central Valley farmworkers under a new federal grant
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August 2020
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August 28, 2020NIH grant will allow UC Davis Health to train community health workers in COVID-19 contact tracing
New grant allows for improved training of community health workers to engage with underserved populations in research such as testing, case identification and contact tracing for culturally and linguistically diverse groups.
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