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COSTA INTRODUCES SOTU GUEST, CONTINUES WORK TO CURB PHYSICIAN SHORTAGES

February 5, 2020


(WASHINGTON) To raise awareness about the physician shortage in the Valley, Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) announced that he will be joined at the 2020 State of the Union Address in Washington by Enid Picart, a first generation college student who is a San Joaquin Valley PRIME medical student at UCSF-Fresno:

"Enid grew up in the San Joaquin Valley, graduated from UC Merced and attends medical school through the San Joaquin Valley PRIME program," said Costa. "She has dedicated her career to improving healthcare for Central Valley residents. She represents the best of the Valley, and why the Expanding Medical Education Act, which I introduced last month, is key to closing the doctor shortage in the Central Valley. We need more passionate people like Enid, who know our communities, to stay and commit to our future. With an investment in them, we can ensure every Valley resident has access to the healthcare they deserve."

The Expanding Medical Education Actwould provide $200 million dollars to establish medical training in areas of high need, with priorities for funding given to institutions, such as UCSF-Fresno, that focus on diverse and medically deprived communities. Communities such as those in the rural Central Valley where Enid calls home and wants to stay after graduation:

"I'm honored to have the opportunity to represent the San Joaquin Valley, specifically around the need for medical education", said Picart. "I hope that my being here will inspire other pre-med students in the area to pursue their medical education and practice here as physician advocates. Being a physician in the Valley goes beyond the clinical work and into working closely with our communities and serving as mentors for the future physician generations to come."

Picart continues, "I hope that by being here in Washington will allow me to represent the need for investing in students, such as myself, who have "las ganas" – the will to pursue medicine regardless of the challenges we face. Our communities mold us and teach us how we can best serve them, so let us not forget this and let us focus on how best we can help them thrive by addressing the physician shortage."


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