A veteran of 35 years in the public health arena, Dr. V. Diane Woods, and other community partners within the African-American Health Institute will present results and follow-up interventions of the African American Health Planning Project of San Bernardino County at the 136th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Public Health Association in October.

The American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Exposition runs from October 25 through 29 at the Convention Center in San Diego.

For further details on all aspects of the event, call (909) 880-2600.

The University of California Board of Regents approved establishment of a School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, paving the way for the state's first new public medical school in more than four decades.

The vote of the governing board of the University of California, meeting at UC Santa Barbara, is the culmination of more than five years of intensive planning. The UCR campus will now launch the start-up phase of the medical school.

"This is a proud day for UCR, one that will be celebrated on campus and in the community for many years to come," said UCR Acting Chancellor Robert D. Grey. "We are deeply gratified by the Board of Regents action. It means that UCR is now in a position to respond to the healthcare crisis that is facing Inland Southern California and we are committed to building a medical school in which the entire State of California will take great pride."

Maintaining momentum in the effort to establish a UCR School of Medicine was one of Grey's key objectives of his one-year tenure, which ends today. Timothy P. White, who assumes the chancellor position on Friday, July 18, also attended today's Board of Regents meeting.

"The action of the Regents is very welcome, and I applaud all individuals involved in the community and at the University who have shaped and supported this initiative," White said.  "I consider the UCR School of Medicine of highest priority for the campus. As Chancellor, I will carry forward the good work of my predecessors in making the medical school a reality and provide leadership in helping meet the emerging healthcare and economic needs of Inland Southern California."

Physician shortages are forecast at the national, state and regional levels. Within California, the Inland Empire faces a physician shortfall as high as 53 percent by 2015. To minimize the impact of a looming national shortage, the American Association of Medical Colleges has called for a 30 percent expansion in medical school enrollments nationally by 2015.

The first incoming class of 50 medical students is projected to enroll in the UCR School of Medicine in fall 2012. Concurrently, the medical school will launch residency programs to offer the required training for postgraduate medical students to achieve board certification and medical licensure. Enrollment will ramp up gradually to a total of 400 medical students, 160 residents and 160 graduate students.

Key elements of the medical school's mission are training a diverse physician workforce and developing research and healthcare delivery programs to improve the health of medically underserved populations. Medical students will undergo clinical rotations in community hospitals, clinics and medical practice groups, providing future doctors experience in a variety of healthcare settings.

"The commitment to improving the health of the citizens of the region is a unique design feature of the medical school," said Phyllis Guze, M.D., executive director of medical school planning. "We will place future doctors from various backgrounds into diverse clinical settings, a perfect model for encouraging medical and cultural growth and learning."

In partnership with UCLA, UCR has provided medical education for more than 30 years through the UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider Program in Biomedical Sciences. Established in 1974, the program offers the first two years of medical school instruction to admitted UCR students, after which students transfer to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA to finish their M.D. degrees. Since 2005, approximately 25 percent of students in the UCR biomedical sciences program have been from underrepresented backgrounds.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced that 52 grantees will share more than $1 million in start-up and expansion grants for the School Breakfast and Summer Food Service Programs.

 "The Governor and I agree on the importance of ensuring that undernourished students have access to School Breakfast and Summer Food Service Program services," said O'Connell. "Access to nutritious meals through these programs is a critical component of our efforts to boost academic achievement because children may have difficulty concentrating on learning and studying when they are hungry."

 "No child should ever come to school on an empty stomach, but it is a sad reality that more than half the children in California qualify for free and reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs..." added O'Connell.

John Thomas

Sponsored for the seventh year by the Terrier Football Alumni Association of Redlands High School, the prestigious award is given to former athletes, coaches, or those who have completed community service to the athletic department of Redlands High School, who have reached high athletic achievement worthy of recognition. To this day, Thomas is the only African American to be inducted into the Redlands High School Hall of Fame.

"It is such an honor to be selected to the Hall of Fame," commented Thomas. "It feels great to be recognized for my achievements."

Thomas began his athletic career excelling in football, baseball, and basketball at Redlands High School until his graduation year of 1959 and then pursued his dreams at Hancock Junior College, Oregon State University, and then finally the University of California, Riverside. Struck by an amazing opportunity, Thomas was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and played for the team in 1963.

Although Thomas' athletic career seemed to slow down after this point, he didn't halt his involvement in sports. It was at this point when Thomas decided to begin coaching, which he pursued at the levels of both the community, as a volunteer coach for the Junior All-American Football of Redlands and Pop Warner Football of the San Fernando Valley, and professionally, as a football coach for the University of Redlands. Thomas was also the first head African American football coach at Alemany High School. Thomas also volunteered as a coach for the Redlands Recreation League girls' fast-pitch softball and was so successful that he was offered to coach for Redlands High School.

Despite his naturally talent in both the playing and coaching aspect of sports, Thomas has perhaps the most valuable words of wisdom for youth aspiring to follow his footsteps to become future collegiate and/or professional athletes.

"The most important thing is to make sure you start with good grades in school. Alongside this, if you enjoy your sport, have support from your family, and get a good coach, you can use your athletic talent to give you more opportunities to a better education in college. You don't want to be dependent on your sport," said Thomas. "If you continue to excel in both academics and athletics, you can pursue your athletic abilities and go professional."