Central Valley Health Policy Institute News

Why COVID-19 Is Disproportionately Affecting Black And Latinx People In The Valley

July 10, 2021

Black and Latinx Americans are three times as likely to catch COVID-19 compared to whites. Join Professor Whitney Pirtle, Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner, and Chet Hewitt as they discuss the implications of these findings.

Residents in south Fresno more impacted by COVID-19 than those in north Fresno, data shows
July 27, 2020

Interview with Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner, discussing the health disparities in the Central Valley for more than a decade. 

Bearing the Burden: Unequal from Birth
2018

“We're talking about the impacts of racism and poverty and how our public systems do or do not mediate those impacts on people's health status... In a way that's a litany of the impacts of of racism and poverty on people's lives. That in turn both produce greater risk of disease and less access to health care.” - Dr. John Capitman, PhD

"Low-Income Californians Feel Twice The Burn From Wildfires"

August 23, 2018

“Without a doubt, these communities are at higher risk” when fires break out, said Emanuel Alcala, a postgraduate fellow with the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at California State University-Fresno. “Especially because you already have other environmental hazards: toxic waste sites, poor quality of water, and poor quality of air.”

"A Mother’s Zip Code Could Signal Whether Her Baby Will Be Born Too Early"

2018

John Capitman, director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute, was one of the early developers and leaders of the initiative. He doesn't believe that commonly cited risk factors accurately represent the cause of birth-related health disparities. For example, the CDC lists “black race” as a factor associated with preterm births. Capitman and his colleagues argue that it’s not race, but racism that should be recognized. “We're talking about the impacts of racism and poverty and how our public systems do or do not mediate those impacts on people's health status,” Captiman says.

Study examines link between community poverty and bad health
January 4, 2018
YourCentralValley.com

FRESNO, Calif. - UC Merced PhD student and Fresno State researcher Emanuel Alcala sits down with KSEE24's Evan Onstot to discuss a new study examining the link between poverty at a neighborhood level and poor health.

Report: Valley Hospitals Need To Do More To Improve Community Health
August 22, 2017

Leading a healthy life is about much more than being able to see a doctor or get into a hospital. It is also about access to fresh foods, and places to go to exercise like parks. That is a major struggle for  people in many communities in the San Joaquin Valley. A new report from the advocacy organization Building Health Communities and the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State says hospitals should be doing more to improve ‘neighborhood health’. 

Jody Hironaka-Juteau: Valley institute provides tools for longer, healthier lives
July 15, 2015
Fresno Bee

Today’s students are deeply committed to making a difference in our community.

For Fresno State health and human services students, this goal includes helping Valley residents have a fair opportunity for long, meaningful lives. The Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State helps students and community members develop tools to shape our region’s health policies and practices.

The Bee recently published a series of reports detailing public-health problems impacting children and families in our region. These reports underscore the importance of timely, appropriate care in promoting health and well-being, but they also highlight causes that range from individual behaviors to the social environment. Through research, analysis and education, the institute helps Valley residents and leaders understand these health challenges and actions required to improve outcomes.

Foundation Examines Oral Health Inequities in Central Valley
June 25, 2015
California Healthline

FRESNO -- When a national oral health advocacy organization, the DentaQuest Foundation, asked Fresno State University's Central Valley Health Policy Institute (CVHPI) to examine the state of oral health in the region and take a grassroots approach to prioritizing needs, it made perfect sense. It was essentially a continuation and expansion of the institute's ongoing efforts.

"We were interested immediately," said CVHPI Executive Director John Capitman. "We knew from our prior work that this was an important challenge and that we could reach back to some of our prior colleagues and collaborators to work on this."

The California Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental Health Care Launches Tuesday
June 22, 2015
PR Newswire

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- 2020 Mom (formerly the California Maternal Mental Health Collaborative) and the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State, with funding from The California Endowment and the California HealthCare Foundation, are announcing the formation of the California Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental Health Care at a press conference this Tuesday, June 23.

Please click here to read press release - "The California Task Force on the Status of Maternal Mental Health Care Launches Tuesday"

State Senate Confirms Appointment of John Capitman to Air Quality Board
March 4, 2015

 Dr. John Capitman, executive director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute and Nickerson Professor of Public Health at Fresno State, received Senate confirmation of his appointment to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District Governing Board.

Is The Central Valley's Air Pollution Affecting Our Cells And Genes? 
January 28, 2014
Valley Public Radio

Here in the Central Valley – in one of the most polluted air basins in the country – we know that poor air is bad for our health. We feel it in our eyes and throat, and when we struggle to breathe.

But what if air pollution is affecting us at a deeper, cellular level?

Central Valley Town Wants Tap Water Residents Can Drink

Fresno State is part of ‘Next Fresno’
November 3, 2013
The Collegian

Fresno communities were the focus of Dr. John Capitman, director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at Fresno State, for different reasons: public health and questions about justice.

West Fresno; High Speed Rail, Chinatown & Fresno's Historic Arch; Theodore Kuchar
October 29, 2013
Valley Edition

Valley Edition Host Joe Moore explores the issues the community of West Fresno face with Fresno State Professor John Capitman, Mary Curry with Concerned Citizens of West Fresno and Tate Hill with the Fresno Metro Black Chamber.