FresnoCountyand San JoaquinValleyResearch Environment

FresnoCounty is the tenth largest in California, with the population of 877,584 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). It is projected that by 2010, the county population will reach 949,961, an increase of 8.2 percent (State of California Department of Finance, 2004). CaliforniaStateUniversity, Fresno is the only comprehensive university located in the heart of the San JoaquinValley, 180 miles south of San Francisco and 220 miles north of Los Angeles. The area primarily served by the University is FresnoCounty and seven other San JoaquinValley counties of Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare (see Table 1).

Table 1

Population Change in San JoaquinValleyCounties from 2000 to 2005 and Population Projections to 2010

In-State Rank* / County / 2000 / 2005 / 2000-2005
% Change / 2010 Projections / 2005-2010
% Change
10 / Fresno / 799,407 / 877,584 / 9.8% / 949,961 / 8.2%
12 / Kern / 661,645 / 756,825 / 14.4% / 808,808 / 6.9%
15 / San Joaquin / 563,598 / 664,116 / 17.8% / 747,149 / 12.5%
16 / Stanislaus / 446,997 / 505,505 / 13.1% / 559,051 / 10.6%
20 / Tulare / 368,021 / 410,874 / 11.6% / 447,315 / 8.9%
26 / Merced / 210,554 / 241,706 / 14.8% / 277,715 / 14.9%
32 / Kings / 129,461 / 143,420 / 10.8% / 156,334 / 9.0%
33 / Madera / 123,109 / 142,788 / 16.0% / 150,278 / 5.2%

* In-State Rank is the rank among the 58 counties in the state as of July 2005.

Source: California county estimates of population change from 2000 to 2005 are from the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Cumulative Estimates of Population Change for Counties of California and CountyRankings: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005, March 16, 2006; accessed April 4, 2006 from Population projections are from the State of California, Department of Finance, Population Projections by Race/Ethnicity for California and Its Counties 2000-2050, Sacramento, CA, May 2004; accessed April 4, 2006 from

The ethnic composition of FresnoCounty is diverse, with 40% White, non-Hispanic, 46% Hispanic of any race, 9% Asian, and 5% African American (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004). The current unemployment rate in the county is 9.7%, double the state average of 5.0% (California Employment Development Department, 2006). Medical problems of San JoaquinValley residents are associated with the region’s disproportionately high poverty rates and the dearth of health services in rural areas (Diringer et al., 2004). FresnoCountyand neighboring counties provide a rich environment for clinical health-related research with underserved populations. A recent report, Healthy People 2010: A 2005 Profile of Health Status in the San Joaquin Valley, revealed regional disparities in access to health care, especially prenatal care, and the lack of progress in meeting the Healthy People 2010 objectives for the overweight/obesity, tobacco use, and substance abuse (Bengiamin et al., 2005).

The research environment for health scientists is also rich with opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration. The University is home to research centers and holds close ties with The California Endowment, Kaiser Foundation and area hospitals. In 1996, the University established the CentralCaliforniaCenter for Health and Human Services to bring together university resources and community agencies to address the serious health challenges facing the region. In 2002, the Central California Health Policy Institute was established to focus on health policy issues and provide a broad array of research support services. As part of the comprehensive campaign, the University proposed to create a CentralCaliforniaCenter for Excellence in Nursing with the main goal of fostering faculty and student health-related research, improving health care delivery, enhancing access to health careers, and increasing faculty resources for the San JoaquinValley. The objectives include establishing an honors program, creating an advanced technology center, funding an endowed research chair, and implementing a joint doctorate in nursing and allied health sciences.

References

Bengiamin, M., Capitman, J.A., Paul, C.M., Riordan, D.G., & Curtis, K.A. (2005). Healthy People 2010: A 2005 Profile of Health Status in the San JoaquinValley. Fresno, CA: CaliforniaStateUniversity, Fresno.

California Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division. (2006). Data Library. Available from

Congressional Research Service. (2005). California’s San Joaquin Valley: A Region in Transition. Washington, DC: Author.

Diringer, J., Curtis, K. A., Paul, C. M., Deveau, D. R. (2004). Health in the Heartland: The Crisis Continues. Fresno, CA: CaliforniaStateUniversity, Fresno.

State of California, Department of Finance. (2004, May). Population Projections by Race/Ethnicity for California and Its Counties 2000-2050, Sacramento, CA. Accessed April 4, 2006 from

U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. (2006, March 16). Cumulative Estimates of Population Change for Counties of California and CountyRankings: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005. Accessed April 4, 2006 from