Healthy Disruptions Podcast

This episode discusses how the University of California Riverside (UCR) School of Medicine (SOM) has supported community college students on their pathway to medical school amidst the physician shortage in the Inland Empire.  According to the California Health Care Foundation, the Inland Empire has only 39 Doctors per 100,000 people. A physician shortage leads to limited access to health care, increased health care cost, lower quality of health and greater health disparities. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, UCR SOM took proactive measures by becoming part of the Regional Hubs of Healthcare Opportunity (RHHOs) of the California Medicine Scholars Program (CMSP), an innovative pipeline program aimed at increasing the number of physicians. CMSP identifies promising students from diverse backgrounds who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine. These students are provided with mentorship, guidance, and education opportunities that prepare them for success in the medical field. Throughout the program, aspiring physicians gain exposure to various medical disciplines, engage in hands on experiences, and receive academic support to excel in their studies. The program's comprehensive approach helps cultivate a new generation of healthcare professionals who are passionate about serving their community. So, join Stephanie Sandoval, Health Educator and Fara Aidul, Community Health Project Manager, as they explore this crucial issue. We will hear from Kaylynn Rivas, Rechelle Patterson, Alexiana Quinones, and Rubbab Naqvi, California Medicine Scholars (CMSP) interns as they each share their own experience with CMSP and how it has impacted their career path as first-generation students. 

Fore more information about CMSP at UCR please visit: https://cmsp.ucr.edu/

Fore more information about CMSP please visit: https://californiamedicinescholarsprogram.org/

En este episodio, cubriremos la falta de vivienda y cómo afecta a nuestra propia comunidad. La falta de vivienda no es sólo una etiqueta: es un viaje que las personas soportan y ciertamente no define quiénes son como personas. Lo creas o no, nos topamos con personas sin hogar en nuestra vida diaria con más frecuencia de lo que creemos. Lo vemos esperando en una parada de autobús, entrando en una tienda de conveniencia o incluso repostando combustible en una gasolinera. Está por todas partes a nuestro alrededor. Cada noche, más de medio millón de personas en Estados Unidos se encuentran sin hogar. ¿Y adivinen dónde las cosas se ven especialmente afectadas? Sí, lo has adivinado: California es el centro de atención y representa la enorme mitad de todas las personas sin refugio en todo el país. Nuestra propia comunidad también se está viendo afectada. Sólo la ciudad de Riverside alberga al 25% de la población sin refugio en toda el área del condado de Riverside. Entonces, únase a Stephanie Sandoval, educadora de salud y Sergio Gastelum, becario de medicina de California y pasante del Centro para comunidades saludables de la Facultad de Medicina de la UCR mientras exploran este tema crucial. Escucharemos a Eddie Ortiz, un experto en navegación de viviendas del equipo de extensión de la Autoridad de Vivienda del condado de Riverside, mientras comparte su propia experiencia con las personas sin hogar y cómo ha impactado su trabajo.

Recursos:

https://harivco.org/

In this episode, will cover homelessness and how it impacts our own community. Homelessness isn't just a label—it's a journey that individuals endure, and it certainly doesn't define who they are as people. Believe it or not, we encounter homelessness in our daily lives more often than we realize. We see it waiting at a bus stop, strolling into a convenience store, or even fueling up at a gas station. It's all around us. Each night, over half a million people in the United States find themselves without a home. And guess where things hit particularly hard? Yep, you guessed it—California takes the spotlight, accounting for a whopping half of all unsheltered individuals in the entire country. Our own community is being affected too. The city of Riverside alone is home to 25% of the unsheltered population in the entire Riverside County area. So, join Stephanie Sandoval, Health Educator and Sergio Gastelum, California Medicine Scholar and UCR School of Medicine-Center for Healthy Communities’ intern as they explore this crucial issue. We will hear from Eddie Ortiz, a Housing Navigation Expert at the County of Riverside-Housing Authority Outreach Team as he shares his own experience with homelessness and how it has impacted his work. 

Resources: 

https://harivco.org/

In this episode, we learn about Mpox (formally Monkeypox) and its disproportionate impact within the LGBTQ+ community in the Coachella Valley. Mpox was front page news in the summer of 2022 and was cause for alarm as many people started letting their guard down three years into the COVID-19 pandemic. After what many in the healthcare community viewed as a successful awareness and vaccination campaign to combat Mpox, little has been heard about the threat posed to public health...until now. Reports surfaced in early 2023 about a possible resurgence of Mpox which has left many in the LGBTQ+ community scrambling to learn more and be prepared for a rise in cases. Why was the spread of Mpox slowed so quickly and how are community experts in the under resourced Coachella Valley responding to news of a possible uptick in cases? Join Dr. Joshua Liashenko, PhD candidate Sahar Fourzan, public health practitioner Selina Hernandez as they explore all things Mpox. We will hear from Jeff Taylor, the Executive Director of the HIV services non-profit HIV and Aging Research Project-Palm Springs (HARP-PS) and Jacob Rostovsky, CEO and founder of the LGBTQ+ mental health service provider Queer Works as they share details about their work on the front lines to educate, vaccinate, and slow Mpox’s spread in the Coachella Valley.

Resources: 
https://www.harp-ps.org/

https://www.queerworks.org/

En este episodio, aprenderemos sobre el Mpox (anteriormente llamado la viruela del mono o Monkeypox) y su impacto desproporcionado sobre la comunidad LGBT+ en el Valle de Coachella. El Mpox fue noticia de primera plana en el verano de 2022 y fue motivo de preocupación, ya que muchas personas comenzaron a bajar su guardia después de tres años de la pandemia de COVID-19. Después de una campaña de concientización y vacunación para combatir el Mpox que muchos en la comunidad médica percibieron como exitosa, poco se ha escuchado sobre la amenaza que representa para la salud pública... hasta ahora. A principios de 2023 surgieron reportes sobre un posible nuevo brote de Mpox, lo cual ha dejado a muchos en la comunidad LGBT+ luchando por aprender más y estar preparados para un aumento en los casos. ¿Por qué se frenó la propagación del Mpox tan rápidamente y cómo están respondiendo expertos de la comunidad en el Valle de Coachella, un área con insuficientes recursos, a las noticias de un posible aumento en los casos? Acompañe al Dr. Joshua Liashenko, la candidata de doctorado Sahar Fourzan, y la profesional de salud pública Selina Hernández mientras exploran el tema del Mpox. Escucharemos de Jeff Taylor, el director ejecutivo de la ONG, Proyecto de Investigación sobre el VIH y el Envejecimiento de Palm Springs (HARP-PS por sus siglas en inglés) y de Jacob Rostovsky, el fundador y director ejecutivo de Queer Works, un proveedor de servicios de salud mental para la comunidad LGBT+, mientras comparten detalles sobre su trabajo al frente para educar y vacunar a gente y frenar la propagación de Mpox en el Valle de Coachella 

In this episode, we talk about the mental health impacts of the pandemic in our community. We begin by reflecting on our own mental health and how anxiety, social isolation, and prolonged uncertainty have shaped our lives since early 2020. Next, we check-in with a licensed therapist in the Coachella Valley to get a sense of how providers are navigating increased demand for mental health services. We then amplify the stories of Southern Californians who have experienced impacts to their mental health and highlight their strategies in managing stress and anxiety throughout the pandemic.

Hosts include Joshua Liashenko, Amairani Ramos, and Katheryn Rodriguez. 

Mental Health Resources:

24/7 Resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline

(800) SUICIDE
(800) 784-2433
 www.hopeline.com 

• Alternatives to Domestic Violence

 www.alternativestodv.org

• 24-hour confidential hotline: 

(951) 683-0829 or 1(800) 339-SAFE

• National Mental Health Association

http://www.nmha.org
1(800) 969-6642

• National Institute of Mental Health

http://www.nimh.nih.gov
1(866) 615-6464

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

http://www.afsp.org
1(888) 333-2377

• American Association for Suicidology

http://www.suicidology.org
1(800) 273-TALK (8255)

• The Jed Foundation

http://jedfoundation.org

Local Resources (Inland Empire): 

• Riverside Community Hospital ER 

4445 Magnolia Avenue Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 788-3200
http://riversidecommunityhospital.com

• Riverside County Regional Medical Center

26520 Cactus Avenue Moreno Valley, CA 92555
(951) 486-5650
http://www.ruhealth.org/

• Parkview Hospital

3865 Jackson Street Riverside, CA 92503
(951) 688-2211
https://www.pchmc.org/

• Corona Regional Medical Center

800 S. Main Street Corona, CA 91720
(951) 736-6241
http://www.coronaregional.com

• Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center

http://rarcc.org
(951) 686-RAPE or (951) 686-7273

• Riverside Helpline

24 Hour Suicide/Crisis Intervention
(951) 686-HELP or (951) 686-4357

In this episode, we ask the question, what sources of strength did members of our community  rely on during the early days of the pandemic? We join in the conversation by sharing reflections on our own sources of strength while centering community voices in a discussion about perseverance, hope, and survival amid prolonged uncertainty. Through exploring diverse perspectives, we also challenge what is considered to be a source of strength while also reflecting on the pandemic’s silver linings. Hosts include Alejandro Echeverria and Joshua Liashenko.

In this episode, we look at how the pandemic affected our basic needs. How do we meet them? What happens when meeting your basic needs puts your life at risk? And we challenge what is a basic need by asking are basic needs merely just food, water, and shelter? Or things? We provide some memorable stories shared with us around basic needs as well include our own feelings and experiences of meeting our basic needs. 

Hosts: Amy Dao, Michelle Burroughs, Alejandro Echeverria 

Mask mandates, quarantine, and vaccines. These are some of the safety measures that were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic that continue to cause controversy in the United States. But how and why did measures to protect public health and safety become increasingly polarized along party lines? Why did science and researchers progressively become targets of mistrust? Join Dr. Jennifer Syvertsen and her PhD student Sahar Foruzan as they examine the causes and consequences of pandemic politicization. We will hear from the chief executive officer of the local non-profit, Health Assessment and Research for Communities (HARC), Dr. Jenna LeComte-Hinely, and UCR Associate Professor of Political Science, Dr. Kim Yi Dionne about their experiences with pandemic politicization and the possible reasons behind it. 

Welcome to the first episode of the Healthy Disruptions Podcast, a series about the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us as we reflect on the changes, issues, and sources of strength for the people of Southern California during the pandemic. In this first episode we will hear from our project leads and showcase this season’s episodes. We also give some reasons why you’ll want to tune in.

Hosts include Amy Dao, Juliet McMullin, Joshua Liashenko and Sahar Foruzan and Alejandro Echeverria as part of the production team.