U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra toured UCSF facilities prior to an announcement and press conference at UCSF Fresno Monday morning. Photo by Ben Hensley

University of San Francisco (UCSF) Fresno and Upstream USA announced Monday a new collaboration aimed at further expanding health care across the Central Valley.

Through partnerships between the Fresno County Department of Public Health, the City of Fresno and other community-based organizations, UCSF Fresno’s Mobile HeaL offers no-cost, basic health care services to county residents living in rural communities.

The partnership will enable Mobile HeaL to offer contraceptive care services, a type of service vastly underserved in the Valley, in particular, in rural communities.

The announcement drew a member of Pres. Biden’s cabinet to the Central Valley.

Mobile HeaL’s clinics will be supplemented by Upstream, which works to provide a full range of contraceptive services to patients including primary care, planning clinics and contraceptive care.

“The Valley is the fastest-growing region in California yet it has the lowest supply of physicians at a rate of 47 doctors per 100,000 residents,” said Rep. Jim Costa. “We must do more to expand medical education and close these workforce gaps.”

Earlier Monday, Costa and US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra toured UCSF facilities prior to the announcement and press conference at UCSF Fresno.

“We’ve done other partnerships with Upstream; I’m glad to see it here,” Becerra said. “There is no doubt that there are people today who are going to be living healthier lives because of the work that you’re doing, especially in the area of reproductive health care services for women.”

Becerra highlighted the danger of a lack of reproductive health care services for women, not only directly to the patient, but to their children and potential future children.

“The more we do it early, the more we prevent [illness] and that’s why this partnership with Upstream and UCSF Fresno is so critical,” he added.

Becerra, whose parents experienced financial challenges growing up, said that the expansion of services in the Central Valley serve as a tribute to the people of the Valley.

“Contraceptive care is basic health care that should be accessible to every person, wherever and whenever they seek their care,” said Upstream CEO Mark Edwards. “Upstream is thrilled to work with a partner like UCSF Fresno Mobile HeaL that shares our commitment to access and equity, and is already bringing critical health services to the doors of its patients.”

Established in 2014, Upstream is a national nonprofit focused on ensuring equitable access to patient-centered contraceptive care. The partnership between Upstream and a California-based provider. Its partnership with Mobile HeaL also marks the first time the organization will work with a fully mobile health clinic.