Costa, HHS Secretary Becerra Announce Public-Private Partnership to Expand Access to Contraceptive Care in the San Joaquin Valley

FRESNO, Calif. - On May 20, 2024, Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) hosted U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, to examine critical healthcare workforce shortages in the San Joaquin Valley. During the visit, Congressman Costa and Secretary Becerra announced a new public-private partnership between UCSF Fresno Mobile HeaL and Upstream USA to expand access to contraceptive care in the San Joaquin Valley. 

“For too long the Valley has faced health care challenges, only exasperated by a shortage of doctors and nurses. We must do more to invest in expanding medical education and close these workforce gaps,” Rep. Jim Costa said. “This partnership between UCSF-Fresno and Upstream USA, supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will expand health care to residents in the Valley who lack access to doctors to assist with family planning. With programs like UCSF-Fresno’s Mobile HeaL clinic, we can help close the gap in health care access, including contraceptive care. We must do all we can to provide quality, accessible care to the people of the Valley.” 

“There are too many people in rural communities who don’t have access to the basic healthcare that they need. But it’s even worse for women: because the consequences of a lack of care can reverberate beyond just that individual. And so it should come as no surprise that President Biden has made it a priority to make sure that access to reproductive health care services is there for everyone and that no one should be denied the care that they need,” Secretary Xavier Becerra told reporters at today’s press conference highlighting UCSF Fresno and Upstream USA’s partnership.“On behalf of President Biden, I simply want to say thank you for having the vision to create this partnership – and let’s keep moving forward.” 

“We are extremely grateful to Rep. Costa and Sec. Becerra for their leadership and commitment to improving healthcare access in the San Joaquin Valley. Their visit to UCSF Fresno demonstrates their openness to engaging with stakeholders about the imperative to address health care workforce shortages and improve access to care,” said Talmadge E. King, Jr., MD, Dean, UCSF School of Medicine. “UCSF has been working to address unmet health needs in the region for nearly 50 years and we look forward to continued partnership with the federal government and state and local leaders to advance medical education in the region.” 

Tour of UCSF-Fresno Residency Labs 
Since its inception, UCSF Fresno has trained more than 3,000 residents to become medical specialists. The UCSF Fresno residency program supports opportunities to effectively recruit, develop, and train medical professionals in the San Joaquin Valley. 

Costa and Secretary Becerra toured the UCSF Fresno clinical skills lab, which provided hands-on opportunities to understand procedures, innovation, and challenges in healthcare.

Health Care Workforce Meeting
Despite being the fastest-growing region in the state, the San Joaquin Valley has the lowest supply of physicians at a ratio of 47 doctors per 100,000 residents, 22% lower than the state average. Costa and Secretary Becerra discussed solutions to the healthcare workforce shortages in the Valley and across California.

To combat healthcare workforce shortages, Costa is pushing the Expanding Medical Education Act which would authorize federal grants for medical school construction, expansion, and training in underserved regions that lack access to affordable, quality healthcare.

UCSF-Fresno & Upstream USA Partnership
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a multi-year partnership with Upstream USA to provide free technical assistance, training, and education on contraceptive care in primary care settings. 

UCSF Fresno’s Mobile Health and Learning (MOBILE HeaL) clinic is the first institution selected to participate in this partnership in California. This partnership with Upstream USA will expand access to a full range of contraceptive methods and services in underserved communities across the Central Valley.