Fresno State will host the second annual Central Valley Conference for Promotores Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

---

The event is expected to bring together 300 community promotores—Spanish for health care workers—to network and discuss health issues impacting Valley residents.

Promotores work within their respective communities to raise awareness of health issues like diabetes prevention and management, cardiovascular disease and cancer, which negatively impact populations in the Central Valley. 

“The Central Valley is a medically-underserved area and there continues to be barriers to health care that include language, lack of familiarity with the health care system and cultural issues,” said Dr. Miguel Perez, professor in the Department of Public Health. “Promotores play a fundamental role in breaching access to health care for some disenfranchised communities in the Valley. Because of their role, it is important that they are as up-to-date as possible with the latest information that effects the health status of the community.”

This year’s conference is hosted by Fresno State’s Department of Public Health in partnership with CalViva Health and Vision y Compromiso and celebrates the theme “Towards a Health and Dignified Life.”

The event will convene in Fresno State’s University Dining Hall, before breaking into smaller workshops in the Family and Food Sciences Building.