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:
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 29, 2023UC Davis Health celebrates community health center opening
The Sacramento Native American Health Center, where some physicians and residents from UC Davis Health care for young patients, expands to South Sacramento.
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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 31, 2022
UC Davis helps Solano County improve mental health in underserved communities
When Solano County sought to improve the way it delivers behavioral health programs to underserved populations, its leaders turned to UC Davis for help. Five years later, the Behavioral Health Division is more responsive to the needs of diverse communities.
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March 03, 2022Student-run health clinics seek donations to provide free care to underserved communities
For the second consecutive year the annual Silent Auction and Wine Tasting Benefit for the UC Davis student-run clinics has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, donors can still support the cause through an online giving campaign.
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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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February 2022
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February 17, 2022
UC Davis medical students move to Modesto to provide care, improve health equity
A group of seven UC Davis medical students are spending their third year of school at Kaiser Permanente in Modesto where they learn how to provide care to patients in a region that is medically underserved, short on doctors and struggling with health disparities.
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February 01, 2022Medical student selected for distinguished global health fellowship
A first-year medical student who is devoted to improving the health of the underserved in the U.S. and abroad has been selected as an Anne C. Carter Global Health Fellow by the American Medical Women’s Association.
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January 2022
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January 15, 2022New paper proposes diversity, equity and inclusion measures to combat structural health inequities
Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola of UC Davis is one of seven national leaders who wrote an article in the New England Journal of Medicine urging the clinical and translational research community to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in their work as a way to address structural health inequities.
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January 05, 2022
The best birthday gift: Man in hospital for a year finally gets to see his 4 children together
A long-term patient who hadn’t seen his children together in more than a year was treated to a birthday celebration in his hospital bed outside UC Davis Medical Center, thanks to a dedicated team of caregivers
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December 2021
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December 29, 2021UC Davis leads grassroots effort to screen migrant workers and their families for COVID-19
UC Davis Health with the support of community partners has tested more than 17,000 farm laborers, other essential workers and their families for COVID-19 in a crucial effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus among vulnerable populations.
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December 14, 2021Fourth-year medical student wins scholarship for dedication to the underserved
As a child, Josephine Hai relied on free clinics for medical care. Later, she became a steady volunteer at similar community clinics. Now, as a medical student, she’s been awarded a prominent scholarship for her devotion to the underserved.
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December 08, 2021UC Davis students help Afghan refugees navigate life in Sacramento
UC Davis students play an important role in how refugees from Afghanistan adjust to life in Sacramento: A local initiative brings them into newcomers’ homes once a month to share valuable tips on how to navigate their new community.
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December 06, 2021
Record enrollment for UC Davis 3-year medical school program
A unique partnership between UC Davis and Kaiser Permanente puts a select group of students through medical school in just three years instead of four, in a bold effort to more quickly produce primary care doctors for Californians who urgently need them.
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October 2021
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October 29, 2021Volunteers reduce barriers to care by providing COVID-19 shots at local schools
The volunteer-driven effort to give COVID-19 shots in medically underserved areas of Sacramento County took its pop-up clinic to Cristo Rey High School this week. Students were able to get the vaccine in the convenience of their own campus.
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October 20, 2021School of Medicine leads effort to vaccinate vulnerable people who lack access to care
A volunteer-driven effort led by the UC Davis School of Medicine to vaccinate people in medically underserved communities against COVID-19 has resulted in hundreds of shots administered across Sacramento County. They’ve been given in grocery stores, apartment complexes and a farmers market.
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October 07, 2021Marginalized communities to benefit from new breast cancer research
A “mammovan” will be dispatched to rural areas as part of new breast cancer initiatives spearheaded by the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. It is all part of an effort to improve breast health and cancer prevention along with early detection in underserved communities.
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September 2021
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September 09, 2021New research funding aims to improve the health of women
UC Davis School of Medicine will receive funds set aside but no longer needed to settle a class-action lawsuit against Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. The award will fund projects focused on women of color and in underserved communities.
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September 08, 2021COVID-19 pandemic inspires students to pursue medicine and help underserved communities (video)
For the second year in a row, students have entered the UC Davis School of Medicine during a global pandemic. For many, the decision to be doctors was influenced by inequities they observed first-hand during the pandemic.
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September 03, 2021School of Medicine receives state funding to address Native American health needs
The recently adopted California state budget includes $3.4 million for the UC Davis School of Medicine to grow its Rural PRIME program and create a new pathway to train students to address health needs of Native Americans.
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