2021 Champions for Cures and Care - Flipbook - Page 18
DEAN & KATHLEEN RASMUSSEN
ADVO CATE OF THE YEAR AWARD
ASSEMBLYMEMBER DR. JOAQUIN ARAMBULA
Dr. Joaquin Arambula was born in Delano, in Kern County,
California — the heart of the farmworker movement. He grew
up in Fresno, where he attended public school. He studied at
Bowdoin College in Maine and then attended medical school
at the University of Minnesota. His father, Juan Arambula, was
a former Assembly member and his mother Amy worked as a
health care advocate. Both parents instilled in their children a
commitment to hard work, purpose, and public service.
Following graduation, Dr. Arambula chose to return to Fresno
to serve his community as a physician. He saw the emotional and financial hardships
of people struggling with illnesses that could have been prevented with access to
quality health care. His experiences as an emergency room doctor in Selma in Fresno
County forged his determination to improve health care for all people, especially the
most vulnerable. Dr. Arambula eventually became the Medical Director of California
Emergency Physicians at Adventist-Selma Hospital.
In April 2016, Dr. Arambula was elected in a special election to represent California’s
31st Assembly District in the Central Valley. He is the first Latino physician elected to the
California State Assembly and proudly represents a district that includes 41% of the city
of Fresno, as well as all the rural cities and communities in Fresno County.
Since his election, he has been a strong advocate in addressing the dire shortage of
doctors and other health care professionals in the Central Valley. Driven by the belief
that health care is a fundamental human right, he has authored legislation that improves
health and mental health services and includes measures that ensure transparency
regarding management of these services and their costs. He has also worked diligently
for improvements in other areas, including public safety, job development, and support
for veterans and service members.
In line with his commitment to health care access, Dr. Arambula played an integral role
in helping the Golden West Chapter secure multi-year California State public funding to
benefit the Chapter’s Wraparound Model of Care.
Assemblymember Arambula served as the chair for Assembly Budget Committee No. 1
on Health and Human Services. On April 30, 2018, Rusty Selix, a professional California
mental health care advocate who had been recently diagnosed with ALS, testified for the
Committee, along with lobbyist Fred Noteware and Fred Fisher, President & CEO of the