News and Events | Department of Family and Community Medicine | UC Davis Health

The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development has awarded $875,000 to UC Davis Health residency training programs to help ensure a robust primary health care workforce in California. The award included $500,000 for the Family and Community Medicine Residency Program.

UC Davis Health researchers evaluated California’s mental health crisis management and prevention programs in a report that called for more sustainable programs and community collaborations to support people with mental illness. Joy Melnikow, professor emeritus in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, is a co-lead author of the report. 

A UC Davis medical student takes to a national audience of family medicine physicians to advocate for better health care access for people experiencing homelessness. The student received invaluable guidance from several mentors from the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Twice a week, providers from UC Davis Health board Sacramento County’s mobile health clinic to care for patients in and around homeless encampments. Mary Kathryn “M.K.” Orsulak, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, is the Sacramento County Health Center’s leader for the outreach effort. 

Joshua Fenton, Peter Franks and Anthony Jerant from the UC Davis Department of Family and Community Medicine developed a scale of socioeconomic disadvantage that led to increased medical student diversity at UC Davis School of Medicine. The scale helped UC Davis become the third-most diverse medical school in the country.

The UC Davis School of Medicine Office of Research awarded three $15,000 grants to host symposia through a new initiative, the School of Medicine Impact Symposia Awards. Anthony Jerant, chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, is the recipient of funding for a proposed symposium to address urgent issues in primary care processes.

A new study sheds light on disparities in telehealth access and use among older adults, particularly concerning social isolation and loneliness. Department of Family and Community Medicine researchers Alicia Agnoli, Grace Amadi, Joshua Fenton and Rebecca Howe co-authored the study.

Rebecca Howe, a UC Davis Heather M. Young Postdoctoral Fellow mentored by faculty from the Department of Family and Community Medicine, presented at a seminar hosted by the Center for Healthcare Policy and Research. She discussed her research on advance care planning among Black older adults with serious illness and their caregivers.

A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will provide funding to help promote safe prescribing and reduce overdoses that involve prescription drugs. Joshua Fenton, a professor and vice chair of research in the UC Davis Department of Family and Community Medicine, is a co-investigator on the project. 

The specialist you see first for your neck pain has a big impact on how your condition gets diagnosed and treated, a UC Davis study has found. The study's lead author is Joshua Fenton, a professor and vice chair of research in the UC Davis Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Jennifer Karlin, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Family and Community Medicine, joined the Coming Together for Sexual Health podcast to discuss lesser-known forms of birth control such as self-injectable Depo-Provera, internal condoms and the fertility awareness method. She also shared how her family’s healthcare experience led to her focus on empowering patients.

Joshua Fenton, Peter Franks and Anthony Jerant from the UC Davis Department of Family and Community Medicine developed a scale of socioeconomic disadvantage that helped increase medical student diversity at UC Davis School of Medicine. The measure's value is underscored in a Jama article examining how the school enrolls one of the country's most diverse medical student classes.

Over the course of the July 2022-June 2023 academic year, we welcomed seven stellar new physicians to our Department, expanding the breadth and reach of our care and our expertise and impact in research, scholarship, and advocacy.

Congratulations to Dr. Adeola Oni-Orisan, who has been selected to be in the eighth cohort of the UC Davis Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS) Faculty Scholars!