FRESNO – The number of Californians aged 65 or older is expected to increase from 4.6 million in 2012 to more than 8.6 million in 2030, according to a report by the Public Policy Institute of California. As the number of older citizens continues to grow, so will the demand for physicians and healthcare providers who understand the health needs and how to care for aging populations, particularly in the diverse and medically underserved San Joaquin Valley. Geriatric medicine is the subspecialty of internal medicine or family medicine that deals with the medical issues of elderly populations. Statistics from the Association of American Medical Colleges indicates that as of 2014, there were just 7,500 geriatricians practicing in the entire United States.
To address the healthcare needs of older community members in the Valley, UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program and the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation are pleased to announce the establishment of the Larry L. Hillblom Center on Aging at UCSF Fresno. The dedication and check presentation will be held Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. at 2335 E. Kashian Lane on the third floor of the East Medical Plaza, which is adjacent to the UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research in downtown Fresno.
“The new Center on Aging at UCSF Fresno, made possible by a $1 million gift from the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation, will be the first of its kind in the San Joaquin Valley,” said Michael W. Peterson, MD, interim associate dean and chief of medicine at UCSF Fresno. “Aging community members will benefit from a multi-disciplinary team approach to health care in one centralized location.
This contribution truly is a gift to UCSF Fresno and the Valley. It will further medical care, medical education and research aimed at addressing the health needs of a quickly growing and underserved population. On behalf of UCSF Fresno, I thank the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation and family for their generous gift to establish this valuable resource for the City of Fresno and the entire region.”
Grant A. Anderson and Terry C. Hillblom, brothers of the late Larry L. Hillblom and directors and officers of the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation’s board, will present the check to UCSF Fresno and will help dedicate the new center. UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program 155 N. Fresno Street Fresno, CA 93701 (559) 499-6400 “
The board and officers of the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation are proud to be able to establish this Center on Aging at UCSF Fresno,” said Grant A. Anderson. “We are particularly pleased to be investing in the San Joaquin Valley where we and our brother, Larry, grew up about 22 miles south of Fresno in Kingsburg.”
“This contribution continues our commitment to support medical research toward curing, treating and managing chronic and degenerative diseases associated with aging,” said Terry C. Hillblom. “As a regional campus of UCSF and part of the prestigious University of California system, we know that UCSF Fresno will be an excellent steward in using this money to improve the health of aging community members in the region and state.”
Larry L. Hillblom, the co-founder of DHL Worldwide Express and respected international businessman, grew up on his family’s farm in Kingsburg. After high school, he graduated from Reedley College, attended California State University, Fresno, and then earned a law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley (now known as UC Berkeley School of Law) in 1968. Hillblom put himself through law school by working a number of jobs, including summer work at Royal Valley Packaging Shed in Reedley and Del Monte in Kingsburg. While attending law school, he worked for a freight forwarding firm in San Francisco. In 1969, Larry L. Hillblom, co-worker Adrian Dalsey and Robert Flynn founded DHL Worldwide Express, pioneering the global express courier business.
The Larry L. Hillblom Foundation was established in 1996. By virtue of Mr. Hillblom’s will, substantially all of the Foundation’s funding supports medical research within the State of California, with particular attention to research programs conducted by the University of California. The Foundation supports basic scientific research, clinical research, and research related to patient self-care and management. For more details, please visit: https://www.llhf.org/
