FRESNO – Air pollution in the San Joaquin Valley is some of the worst in the nation. The region fails to meet federal health standards for both ozone and particulate matter. Efforts to improve local air quality have made news recently, including the launch in Fresno of Unmask My City, a global air pollution initiative, and implementation of AB 617, a new state law that provides grants and enlists community participation aimed at improving air quality in communities most impacted by air pollution such as south central Fresno.
The UCSF Fresno Department of Internal Medicine will present the Fourth Annual Air Pollution and Climate Change Symposium from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 6, at the UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research, 155 N. Fresno St., in downtown Fresno.
The conference will start at 8 a.m. with a welcome by UCSF Fresno’s recently appointed Chief of Internal Medicine Gregory K. Buller, MD.
Rep. Jim Costa will deliver opening remarks at about 8:05 a.m.
“One in six children in the Valley has asthma. Air pollution exacerbates and contributes significantly to lung diseases,” said Jose Joseph Vempilly, MD, a pulmonologist and professor of clinical medicine at UCSF Fresno. “One goal of this conference is provide clinical updates to health care providers to improve patient health.”
Another aim of the conference is to inform the community about air pollution in the region and contributing factors.
Leading experts will discuss the effect of air pollution on health; causes of increased wildfires in California; the role of agriculture in nitrogen oxide production; and impediments to air quality improvement among other topics.
Speakers include representatives from the American Lung Association; Central California Asthma Collaborative; faculty from UC Davis, UC Merced, University of Maryland and UCSF Fresno and Alexander Sherriffs, MD, faculty at UCSF Fresno and member of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and California Air Resources boards.
BMW Fresno will showcase and offer test drives of four plug-in hybrid models, including the 530e, i3, i8 and X5.
The registration fee for physicians seeking continuing medical education credit (CME) is $50. Up to four American Medical Association Physician Recognition Award Category 1 Credits™ are available.
Registration is free for the general public, medical residents, fellows and students.
Dr. Vempilly and Daya Upadhyay, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at UCSF Fresno, are the course directors for this event.
The Air Pollution and Climate Change Symposium is sponsored by Community Medical Centers and the American Lung Association.
Physician registration: https://www.eeds.com/live/608583
Public Registration: https://2019airpollution.eventbrite.com
For more information, please call (559) 499‐6446 or [email protected]
