State surgeon general says she’s hearing Fresno’s health challenges — and taking notes

California’s new surgeon general Dr. Nadine Burke Harris on Tuesday stopped in Fresno at the California Endowment offices for the latest leg of her statewide listening tour.

Burke Harris has already paid a visit to other parts of the state like Los Angeles and Orange counties.

“It’s been a wonderful experience to see what’s happening and what are the challenges,” she told The Bee on Tuesday.

Burke Harris said she also wants to hear about what’s working in local communities to be able to lift up that work. Her goal, she said, is to be able to understand how those in Sacramento can support and enable the work in the Fresno region to be more effective.

“I hope to return to Fresno and continue the conversation,” she said.

One of the main issues she noted in the Central Valley was the shortage of health care providers.

Harris, who was appointed last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom as California’s first-ever surgeon general, has years of experience in treating children suffering with toxic stress at the Center for Youth Wellness that she founded in San Francisco in 2007.

She’s written a book on the topic, “The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity.”

This story was originally published May 7, 2019 at 5:57 PM.