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UC Davis Rural Health Summit | Center for Healthcare Policy and Research

October 27, 2026 | Sacramento, CA

UC Davis Rural Health Summit: From Evidence to Impact

Turning research into action for healthier rural communities.

A person in a wide-brim straw hat and dark red shirt stands in tall grassy field.

Join us at the UC Davis Rural Health Summit on October 27 for a day of dialogue between researchers, policymakers and community leaders on California's most pressing rural health challenges. The summit will highlight proven strategies in collaboration, resource allocation/funding, innovation and advocacy, drawing on real-world lessons from the field. Attendees will leave with concrete next steps for building new partnerships and driving lasting impact in rural communities. 

October 27, 2026

8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. PT

Select sessions available via webinar

Aggie Square

4480 2nd Ave. 
2nd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95817

Questions?

Contact us at wdaehler@health.ucdavis.edu.

Reserve your seat

Seating is limited, so register now! Select sessions are available via webinar; concurrent sessions are in-person only.

Register to attend
Agenda

Attendees are encouraged to attend all session from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Light breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m.

  • 8:30-9 a.m.

    Breakfast

    A light breakfast will be served on the second floor of Aggie Square.

  • 9–9:15 a.m.

    Welcome and introductions

    Courtney Lyles, Ph.D. | Director, UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research

    Mark Rosenblatt, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., M.H.A. | Vice Chancellor of Human Health Sciences, UC Davis Health

  • 9:15–10 a.m.

    Keynote address

    Please stay tuned. We are excited to announce our keynote speaker soon!

  • 10-11 a.m.

    Community voices in California rural health

    Courtney Lyles, Ph.D. (Moderator) | Director, UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research

    Anahi-Marcella Sandoval Araiza | Policy and Research Manager, Imperial Valley Equity and Justice

    Laura Fierce | President, California Association of Rural Health Clinics

    Rachel McBride-Praetorius, Ph.D. | Director, Office of Tribal Relations, California State University, Chico

  • 11-11:15 a.m.

    Break

    Adjourn for a 15-minute break.

  • Breakout 1A: 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

    Workforce needs in rural settings

    Tonya Fancher, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P. (Moderator) | Associate Dean for Workforce Innovation and Educational Quality Improvement and Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine and Bioethics

    Deb Bakerjian, Ph.D., A.P.R.N., F.A.A.N., F.A.A.N.P., F.G.S.A. | Associate Dean for Practice and Clinical Professor, UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing

    Emmie (Emily) Johnson, M.P.P. | Chief Executive Officer, Healthy Rural California

    Debra Lupeika, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. | Associate Dean for Rural and Community-based Education, UC Davis School of Medicine

    Melody Le Tran-Reina, M.D. | Associate Clinical Professor, UC Davis Department of Internal Medicine

  • Breakout 1B: 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

    Revamping funding for rural health programs and collaborations

    Brad Pollock, Ph.D., M.P.H. (Moderator) | Distinguished Professor and Chair, UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences

    Megan Burke, M.S.W | Director, California Health and Aging Policy, The SCAN Foundation

    Evi Hernandez | Senior Director of Programs, California Health Collaborative

    Holly Laird, M.P.H. |  Rural and Disability Health Equity Specialist, Office of Health Equity, California Department of Public Health

    Heather Riden, M.A. | Program Director, UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety

  • 12:15-1:30 p.m.

    Lunch

    Lunch will be served on the first floor of Aggie Square.

  • Breakout 2A: 1:30-2:30 p.m.

    Rethinking rural health policy and advocacy

    Paul Dodd, Ph.D. (Moderator) | Associate Vice Chancellor for Interdisciplinary Research and Strategic Initiatives, UC Davis

    Pauline Martinez, Ph.D. | Research and Community Engagement Manager, UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing

    Darrell Muniz | Chief Executive Officer, California Farmworker Foundation

    Amira Resnick, M.P.A. | Statewide Director, Community Nutrition and Health, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

  • Breakout 2B: 1:30-2:30 p.m.

    Innovations in rural health

    Abigail Arons, M.D., MPAff (Moderator) | Assistant Professor, UC Davis Department of Internal Medicine

    James Marcin, M.D., M.P.H. | Professor and Director, UC Davis Center for Health and Technology and Department of Pediatrics

    Lemeneh Tefera, M.D., M.Sc. | Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Clinical Innovation, California Department of Health Care Access and Information 

  • 2:30-2:45 p.m.

    Break

    Adjourn for a 15-minute break.

  • 2:45-3:45 p.m.

    Keynote: Janessa Graves, Ph.D., M.P.H.

    Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington
    Director for the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

  • 3:45–4 p.m.

    Closing remarks

    The Summit will conclude with report outs on lessons learned from the day's sessions and remarks from UC Davis leadership.

  • 4–5 p.m.

    Reception and networking

    A reception will be held on the second floor of Aggie Square.

UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research logo with blue text.
UC Davis Grand Challenges logo with “UC Davis” in gold and “Grand Challenges” in blue beneath it.
UC Davis School of Medicine logo with “UC Davis Health” and on the left and “School of Medicine” on the right.
Sponsored and organized by the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, Division of General Internal Medicine and Bioethics, Department of Public Health Sciences and UC Davis Grand Challenges. Funding is provided by the UC Davis School of Medicine.