Dr. John Capitman, executive director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute and emeritus Nickerson professor in the Department of Public Health, retired on May 20 after nearly 20 years of service to the university.

He joined the Central Valley Health Policy Institute, a research center within the College of Health and Human Services, in 2004 as its new director. Initiated by Dr. Ben Cuellar, former CHHS dean, and Dr. Kathleen Curtis, former associate dean, the institute was awarded a five-year grant from The California Endowment and was in its beginning stages when Capitman took the helm. Since then, the institute has grown under his leadership. Established in 2002, the institute facilitates a regional process to identify, monitor and analyze emerging health policy issues that affect the people of the San Joaquin Valley.

“Through policy and population health research, additions to the Fresno State public health program, and regional health policy leadership development, the Institute sought to leverage the resources of Fresno State with the passionate work of local community advocates to improve the region's health,” said Capitman. “It was important for me to implement Dean Cuellar and Dr. Curtis' vision and for me, it was the opportunity to learn how these ideas might translate to improvement in community capacity and population health.”

As director, Capitman led many noteworthy research projects, initiatives and grants that played substantial roles in elevating health policy work to impact the Valley’s disadvantaged communities, at the federal and state level. This includes leading research on how racial-ethnic and neighborhood inequities in health care play a key role in overall rates of morbidity and mortality in the region; as well as working with local organizations to address the social, economic and environmental determinants of health.

Capitman also created and co-facilitated the Health Policy Leadership Program and mentored countless research staff and students, all of which led to the implementation of undergraduate and graduate internship experiences, as well as postgraduate and postdoctoral fellowships that impacted many Fresno State alumni.

An author of numerous publications in peer-reviewed health services research and policy journals, Capitman has shared his wide expertise in the classroom, where he taught in the Department of Public Health from 2005 to 2018, earning the rank of professor emeritus.

“Working at the Central Valley Health Policy Institute and Fresno State was a wonderful opportunity for me,” Capitman said. “To be able to respond to real needs and have resources and colleagues to do so, was such a gift. I understood my role as making opportunities for people who might have been ignored or overlooked. The magic — the secret sauce — of Fresno State is this commitment to creating a way for People of Color, women, rural and lower income people to be seen and heard and appreciated for their vision and brilliance. CVHPI implemented this commitment.”

Dr. Tania Pacheco-Werner has been appointed as the new director of the institute, effective May 1. Pacheco-Werner, who previously served as co-director, is a medical sociologist by training and received her doctorate in sociology from the University of California, San Francisco. Learn more about Pacheco-Werner and the Central Valley Health Policy Institute at its website.