Health
SF State Professor Mary Beth Love Honored for Groundbreaking Program
By Lisa Owens Viani, SFSU News
A passion for equity in higher education has driven Mary Beth Love’s groundbreaking work over the past 30 years as a professor in San Francisco State University’s Department of Health Education.
In recognition of her founding and growing the Metro Academies College Success Program (Metro), California State University (CSU) Chancellor Timothy P. White will honor Love with the Wang Family Excellence Award for Outstanding Faculty Innovator in Student Success on January 30, 2018.
Established by CSU Trustee Stanley T. Wang and his family in 1998, the annual award recognizes four outstanding faculty members and one staff member in the CSU system who have distinguished themselves through exemplary achievements in various academic disciplines.
“I’m incredibly honored and humbled,” said Love. “This honor belongs to many people, as it took the entire SF State community to bring this program from where it started to where it is now, with Academies in every college. The program’s success is the result of an incredible team working very hard with our wonderful students to make learning exciting and graduation within reach.”
Alex Urbina, a senior in the program who grew up in the Bayview district of San Francisco, said the program changed the course of her life.
“I am a first-generation college student, and this program — the academics, advising and tutoring — made my experience 10 times easier. I want to get a job in education and help students get into college with the skills that helped me,” said Urbina.
Love founded Metro in partnership with City College in 2007 after noticing that many students entering the public health education major didn’t have the tools they needed to succeed.
With help from Vicki Legion, her counterpart at City College and director of the Metro Transfer Success program there, Love reconfigured the first two years of college. Metro creates student communities with shared academic or career interests in a “school within a school” for up to 140 first generation, low-income or underrepresented students each year.
The cohort of students enrolls together in two linked general education classes each semester during those two years. An engaging curriculum uses real-world challenges to strengthen the core academic skills of writing, quantitative reasoning, oral communications and critical thinking.
Love says the curriculum empowers students to use their education to improve not only their own lives but also those of people in their communities and broader society.
“We want to impart a love of learning and help them build a secure sense of self as scholars and agents of change,” said Love. By discovering how learning is relevant to them and their families, the students become more excited about learning.
Metro has led to a sharp improvement in retention and graduation rates of disadvantaged students, with 60 percent of its students graduating within six years, compared to just 45 percent of a similar group of students not in the Metro program. The Metro four-year graduation rate is 22 percent compared to 7.7 percent of the comparison group.
California Black Media
Gov. Newsom Goes to Washington to Advocate for California Priorities
Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior Biden-Harris Administration officials and members of California’s congressional delegation. During the week, he pushed for increased resources to improve public safety and quality of life in California.
By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior Biden-Harris Administration officials and members of California’s congressional delegation.
During the week, he pushed for increased resources to improve public safety and quality of life in California.
“California is continuing our work to secure additional tools and resources to improve access to health care, clean air and water, and secure critical funding to support communities recovering from disasters,” said Newsom.
At the White House, Newsom met with President Joe Biden and key officials, advocating for disaster relief funding, healthcare expansion, and environmental protection. He also engaged in discussions with senior Biden-Harris officials, including Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, to address water quality improvements and the San Luis Dam project, which will support water supplies for two million Californians.
“Building on our strong partnership with the Biden-Harris Administration, California is working closely with the White House over the next two months to deliver the critical protections and resources our communities need,” Newsom said.
On Capitol Hill, Newsom met with California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with other Congressional leaders, to emphasize the need to approve pending disaster funding, healthcare programs, and environmental protections. He also previewed California’s upcoming special session to proactively address potential federal challenges when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.
Newsom’s discussions also focused on securing Medicaid waivers from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to enhance behavioral health services and reduce homelessness. The state seeks approval for the BH-CONNECT waiver, which would address behavioral health and homelessness, and the MCO Tax Waiver, which would provide over $20 billion for Medi-Cal to improve healthcare access.
Additionally, California is pushing for Clean Air Act waivers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are crucial for enforcing air quality regulations. These measures are projected to prevent 11,000 premature deaths and provide $116 billion in health benefits over the next three decades, according to the Governor’s office.
California Black Media
California Reports First Case of Mpox in the United States
On Nov. 16, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), reported the first known case of clade 1 Mpox, previously known as Monkeypox, in the United States. However, the risk to the public remains low, according to the CDPH.
By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
On Nov. 16, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), reported the first known case of clade 1 Mpox, previously known as Monkeypox, in the United States.
However, the risk to the public remains low, according to the CDPH.
“This case was confirmed in an individual who recently traveled from Africa and is related to the ongoing outbreak of clade I mpox in Central and Eastern Africa,” reads a statement the CDPH released.
According to the DDPH, “The affected individual received health care in San Mateo County based on their travel history and symptoms. The individual is isolating at home and recovering.”
Public health workers are also conducting a contact tracing exercise and reaching out to people who have been in close proximity to the affected person.
“The mpox specimens from the traveler are being sent to the CDC for further laboratory testing,” the CDPH press release continues.
Californians can take a number of steps to prevent Mpox. Here’s more information:
Preventing Mpox Infection
It appears clade I mpox spreads in a similar manner as clade II mpox, through close (skin-skin), intimate and sexual contact. The identification of a potentially more severe mpox version in the United States is a good reminder for individuals who have certain risk factors to take preventive action, including:
- Getting vaccinated if you may be at risk for mpox. For the greatest protection, make sure you get both doses of the vaccine. Find mpox vaccine (JYNNEOS) near you.
- Taking precautions if you were exposed to mpox. Get the mpox vaccine before symptoms develop and consider avoiding intimate contact with others for 21 days. Watch yourself for symptoms and get tested if they develop.
- Preventing spread if you have been told you have mpox. Avoid contact with others until the rash is healed, clean and disinfect shared areas in the home, and notify people who may have been exposed.
- Talking to your sexual partner(s).
- Avoiding skin-to-skin contact with those who have a rash or sores that look like mpox.
- Not sharing items with someone who has mpox.
- Washing your hands often.
- Protecting yourself when caring for someone with mpox by using masks, gowns and gloves.
Visit the CDPH website to learn more about Mpox with Sexual Health Toolkits and a Campaign Materials Page.
California Black Media
California Department of Aging Offers Free Resources for Family Caregivers in November
In honor of National Family Caregivers Month this November, the California Department of Aging (CDA) is spotlighting a range of free resources to support caregivers of older adults and individuals with disabilities. Through its extensive network of Caregiver Resource Centers (CRCs) and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), the state provides essential tools to help caregivers manage their responsibilities while prioritizing their own health and well-being.
By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
In honor of National Family Caregivers Month this November, the California Department of Aging (CDA) is spotlighting a range of free resources to support caregivers of older adults and individuals with disabilities. Through its extensive network of Caregiver Resource Centers (CRCs) and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), the state provides essential tools to help caregivers manage their responsibilities while prioritizing their own health and well-being. Resources offered include free education and training, counseling services, respite care, and financial and legal assistance.
“Caregiving is a great act of love, and this month — and every day — we uplift California’s caregivers as the under-recognized backbone of our families and communities,” said Susan DeMarois, director of the CDA. DeMarois emphasized the need for caregivers to access available support to better balance their roles without compromising their own health.
California is home to more than 4.5 million unpaid family caregivers, who contribute an estimated $81 billion annually in economic value through their care. Most caregivers are women who balance work, family, and caregiving responsibilities, often at the cost of their physical and emotional health. Given California’s aging population, the demand for caregiver support is rapidly growing, underscoring the importance of these free resources.
Thousands of caregivers accessed these services in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, benefiting from tools like professional care management and respite support. The Aging in California Resource Guide, available in six languages, offers additional information on caregiver support.
Caregivers can learn more about available resources by visiting the CDA website at aging.ca.gov and connecting with local CRCs or AAAs to discover personalized services to support them in their caregiving journey.
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