Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola appointed to state committee to advance health equity
(SACRAMENTO)
Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed the director of the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities to a state committee charged with finding ways to improve health care access for underserved residents.
Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, appointed to a state health care advisory committee, founded the UC Davis Center for Reducing Health Disparities nearly 20 years ago.
“The committee’s work is important, relevant and timely for those who haven’t had access to health care or mental health care,” Aguilar-Gaxiola said. “I hope to join the other distinguished advisory committee members in contributing solutions to effectively advance health and mental health equity.”
The purpose of the committee is to advise the Department of Health Care Services on how to increase access to health care by improving Medi-Cal services.
About a third of Californians (12 million to 15 million people), rely on Medi-Cal for their health care coverage, Aguilar-Gaxiola said. Medi-Cal is the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program.
Aguilar-Gaxiola founded the Center for Reducing Health Disparities nearly 20 years ago. The center’s work is closely aligned with the committee’s purpose.
“The committee will work across sectors to develop a roadmap for improving access to health care,” Aguilar-Gaxiola said. “My programmatic work for decades has been to study disparities in access to health and or mental health care and develop and evaluate strategies to increase access, particularly for historically underserved populations.”
Committee members include leaders from health care organizations, insurers, nonprofit organizations and other groups that serve or assist underserved health care consumers.
