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Volume I | March 2020
The UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence
Dear LCOE Friends and Colleagues,
 
It is with great enthusiasm that I present the first installment of a quarterly UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence (LCOE) newsletter. The newsletter will provide program updates, information on upcoming events, and feature recent awards and publications by students, staff, and faculty.
 
July 1, 2019 marked the official start of the second year of the LCOE. I could not be more thrilled with the success that we had in Year 1 and the progress we continue to make. The LCOE is fortunate to be anchored by a dedicated group of staff and faculty who continue to iterate and innovate to optimize its impact.

Thank you for all your efforts during this crisis. We will continue to support our students, staff, faculty, and community virtually during this difficult time. Please follow us on Twitter @UCSF_LCOE for COVID-19 related resources and updates for Latinx populations.

We invite all who are interested in learning more about the LCOE to reach out to us with questions or comments. To learn more about the LCOE, make sure to visit our website at latinx.ucsf.edu.
 
If you would like to affiliate with the LCOE, please contact our office.

Alicia Fernández, MD
Director, Latinx Center of Excellence
Dr. Alicia Fernández.
Director, Latinx Center of Excellence.
Faculty Spotlights
New study by LCOE faculty member Dr. Robert Rodriguez examines the effect of anti-immigrant rhetoric on Latinx health care access.
Anti-immigrant remarks from the White House are taking a substantial toll on Latino patients’ perceptions of their personal safety and are affecting their access to emergency health care, researchers report in a new study led by emergency medicine physician Robert Rodriguez, MD at University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Robert Rodriguez
Dr. Meshell Johnson
Appointment of LCOE faculty member Dr. Meshell Johnson as Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep for the San Francisco VA.
We are thrilled to announce that Meshell Johnson, MD has accepted the position of Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine, and Sleep for the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Dr. Johnson is Professor of Clinical Medicine at UCSF and a member of the SFVAHCS Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine/Sleep section.


Our Programs

At the Latinx Center of Excellence (LCOE), we have seven programs designed to increase the number of Latinx and underrepresented in medicine (UIM) physicians in California and beyond. The programs provide skills and mentorship to students and physicians at all stages of their medical careers.


The 2019 cohort of LCOE APP at SFSU
About Our Programs
LCOE APP at Fresno State: California State University, Fresno pre-medical undergraduates. This program is an intense summer academic and policy research program that engages students in learning about Latinx health issues. It also prepares students for successful medical school application with dedicated mentorship, MCAT prep, and application workshops. The LCOE APP works with eight-ten undergraduates and is led by Katherine Flores, MD.

LCOE APP at SFSU: San Francisco State University (SFSU) pre-medical undergraduates. Students participate in intensive academic and health policy workshops, mentorship, and MCAT preparation. The program aims to build students' exposure, access, and confidence in attaining a career in medicine. Tomás Magaña, MD MA and Kelechi Uwaezuoke, DrPH, lead this program.  

ALAS: UCSF second year medical students. The ALAS program strengthens Latinx/UIM students’ ability to excel on the wards and supports the development of leadership skills. This program is led by Sarah Schaeffer, MD MPH and Denise Connor, MD. 

PROF-PATH: UCSF second medical students.PROF-PATH is an academic and research career training program for Latinx/UIM medical students working in diverse research areas and for medical students from any background interested in health disparities research. The program is led by Alicia Fernández, MD and Alma Martinez, MD MPH. 

SALUD: UCSF residents.The SALUD program increase individual and group mentorship available to Latinx/UIM residents at UCSF. SALUD encourages residents to consider academic careers in medicine. The program is led by Sarah Schaeffer, MD MPH and Michelle Guy, MD. 

FUEGO: UCSF faculty. FUEGO is a faculty/fellow development program that enhances UCSF’s ability to recruit, retain, and promote Latinx and other UIM Faculty and fellows. This program is led by Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, MD and Alicia Fernández, MD. 


Clínica Martín Baró: SFSU undergraduates and UCSF medical students and faculty. This student-run clinic in the Mission neighborhood helps address the medical needs of low-income Latinx patients. The Clínica is a collaboration between Felix Kury, MS LMFT of SFSU and Manuel Tapia, MD MPH of UCSF.
Upcoming Application Deadlines
Watson Scholars Application:
Applications due March 20, 2020.
Key Initiatives

Improving the care of Latinx and underrepresented patients starts with changes to the medical school curriculum. This initiative advances health equity within the School of Medicine (SOM) by reviewing and improving curriculum content that focuses on the care of underserved populations, and particularly Latinx communities. The initiative is led by Alejandra Rincón,PhD , LCOE Curriculum Lead.


The LCOE has been developing partnerships at the local, regional and state level to insure sustained accountability and progress following the recommendations outlined in the California Future Health Workforce Commission Report . Additionally, we have been working to accelerate exchange of knowledge and successful practices in 'pipeline programming. We will collaborate on research that addresses the policy question: how do we realize a healthcare workforce that reflects California’s rich diversity.

Upcoming Events
Dolores Huerta Documentary Screening: POSTPONED

Join the Chicanx/Latinx Campus Association (CLCA) and the LCOE for a screening of a documentary about Dolores Huerta and a talk about the US Census.

This talk is a free public event in honor of Cesar Chavez.

The CLCA will send updates about this event when available.
Alumni Weekend: June 5-6, 2020

Calling ALL UCSF Alumni! Check out what’s going on during Alumni Weekend June 5-6, 2020. We hope to see you there! 

UCSF Connect is the official online networking platform for UCSF alumni, students, residents, fellows, postdocs, faculty, and staff. Sponsored by the UCSF Alumni Associations and the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD), UCSF Connect allows you to connect with current students, residents, fellows, classmates and colleagues, expand your network, and learn about UCSF events and opportunities. Sign up and affiliate with a variety of "affinities" to more directly connect with our vast Latinx comunidad.

Signing up for UCSF Connect is free and quick when importing your LinkedIn profile. If you don’t use LinkedIn, create an account with your email.
Contact Us
The Latinx Center of Excellence
Phone: (628) 206-5198
Email:  latinx@ucsf.edu
Website: Latinx.ucsf.edu
Twitter: @UCSF_LCOE
The UCSF LCOE is jointly funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and UCSF. The center is housed within the UCSF School of Medicine, with close affiliation with the Center for Vulnerable Populations at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG).