first off. Thank you everybody for coming out today. We'd like to welcome
uh Governor Gavin Newsom to clinica Sierra vista and the Elm Community
Health Center. It is a historic day here in the Central Valley. Um also
like to thank our legislators, assembly member dr Joaquin Arambula, senator
marina Elena Durazo and Senator Susan telematics, Eggman. Um and all the
other dignitaries who have come out today for this moment. Um it means so
much to all of us. We're here today because of our belief that health care
is a right, it's not a privilege. Um we truly believe in our souls that
health care is for everybody and everyone should be entitled to that.
Today, we're one step closer to fulfilling that promise we made with
our community here nearly 50 years ago.
We are grateful for the work done by our legislators to push forward on
health equity in California and today together we are addressing the
inequities that our health system has in it, including expanding access to
undocumented parties and giving a voice to those who have been silenced for too
long. We're fighting to address poverty, healthcare disparities and ultimately,
we're advocating for basic human rights. Clinica Sierra Vista team takes care of
130,000 patients in a year through over 350,000 visits of those patients.
Approximately 30,000 are self pay or undocumented patients in our system.
Today, on this campus, over 5500 of those patients are served here.
Community health centers across the country like Clinica have been
providing health care to all for over 55 years. This is a very special year
at Clinica. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary and I'm really honored.
Thank you. Mhm.
I'm really honored to be working with 1300 Healthcare Heroes who have been
here every day throughout the pandemic, taking care of our patients. These
people that work here, truly understand the importance of providing care and
being there when our patients need us the most. Today. We are honored to host
this tour and press conference and to be a part of this big step forward in
creating a better and brighter and really healthier future for all of our
California. So thank you, I'll turn it over to the mayor dyer.
Okay,
well thank you very, very much Stacy and thank you for hosting us here. I
also want to extend a warm welcome to our governor uh for choosing Fresno for
this very special day and it is a special day. And so thank you for for
doing that. And also a special thanks to assume remember walking Arambula for
his efforts as well as the other senators on the committee who made this
a reality. Um and one thing that we've learned from the pandemic this last
year is the importance of health care providers, health care providers like,
um, like we see right here at clinica Sierra vista and we want to say a
special thank you to them for all the work that they've done. They have stood
in the gap over this last year and well beyond that and serving our underserved
populations. And we want to say thank you Stacey for you and all your folks
for doing that. We also learned this last year that, that there are certain
populations, uh, that are much more vulnerable than others and susceptible
to illness susceptible to the virus. And I believe that covid 19 really, um,
put a spotlight on that for all of us to see this last year. Uh, everyone is
entitled to be healthy. And I really, uh, honestly believe that, and
oftentimes those vulnerable populations do not have access to health care for a
variety of reasons. And um, this bill today that is going to be signed is
going to be one step closer in making that happen. Health care is a basic
need, the one we often take for granted. And that is the driving force behind
assembly build 1 33 making sure that the basic needs of Californians are met,
especially in our underserved population. It's also the importance of
everyone getting the vaccine. We want to reemphasize that time and time again.
I'm encouraged by the fact in Frozen County. Last week we had 11,500 people
be vaccinated. We are now at 50, yeah,
We are, we are now in Fresno County, of our eligible population, those are 12
and older. Um, and 86% of our population that is 65 older have been
vaccinated in, in Fresno County. Um, but we have so much more work to do. Uh,
we have got to get those numbers up and thank you to clinica Sierra vista for
all you do to make sure we're getting the vaccines. Thank you to the governor
for what you put in motion this this last week at the state. And I believe
we're going to see local governments follow suit very, very quickly and so
with that I want to introduce Jose tourists, cassius and he is from health
Access Jose.
Okay,
All right, thank you mary. And good morning. When was the aspirin cystitis?
Um, My name is Jose Torres Garcia's Policy Advocate with Health access
California, the statewide healthcare consumer advocacy coalition. We are a
proud co chair, along with the California immigrant Policy Center of
the Health for All. Campaign to ensure access to medical for all Californians,
Regardless of immigration status. Along with the nearly 100 organizations that
are part of the health for all coalition. We are thrilled to heap to
be here witnessing history With the signing of a. Today, California will
move closer than ever to universal health coverage. These first in the
nation investments will expand health care to hundreds of thousands of
California's and improve our health system for all who call California home.
Since 2013, advocates have pushed to end harmful exclusions in medical for
undocumented California. In 2016, California expanded medical to all
Children and two years ago, Governor Newsom lead California and becoming the
first state to expand medical to young adults as well.
Now today we are here proud to stand alongside the governor as well as our
legislative champion, Senator Laura So and Assembly member Arambula as we
continue to lead the nation in the march towards universal coverage by
removing the exclusion of in medical for undocumented Californians over the
age of 50. This means that people like my THEO's mighty as well as they can go
and access a primary care doctor that they can get treated for the variety of
chronic conditions that they may be experiencing as they're getting older
now or and and see about any other issues that may have been exacerbated
by the pandemic 81, makes major investments in improving the medical
program as well so that all who now have access can get the care that they
need. This includes removing the medical asset tests, expanding doula
services and continuing cow and reforms on behalf of health access California,
the health for all coalition and health care consumers. We are thankful for
these major steps toward a more equitable and inclusive health system.
Today we celebrate these victories for California's health and commit to
continuing to improve our health system to create a true California for all.