Congratulations to the Merced County Department of Public Health for their $1.35 million award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention! The award was announced by Representative Jim Costa in a press conference at the Merced County Department of Public Health yesterday. The funding will allow the county to focus on three preventive health strategies over the next three years: 1) Reducing exposure to tobacco and second-hand smoke; 2) Increasing healthy food options; 3) Creating opportunities for physical activity; 4) Expanding access to chronic disease prevention resources. I am happy to be one of the partners and look forward to beginning the work. My role will be to assist the county by developing and implementing a variety of communication strategies to support each of these preventive health measures by informing and educating the public, partners, and policymakers. Read the Merced Sun Star article here.

The segment below was featured on Univision's Health Week / Semana de la Salud on Tuesday, August 26, 2014. Watch below or go to the website to view the rest of the videos featuring challenges to eating healthfully - exacerbated by the drought - faced by vulnerable communities in California's Central Valley.