Elize Bradley, DrPH, JD, Strives to Improve the Health of those who Call the Central Valley Home

After 15 years at Kaiser Permanente’s Regional Offices in Oakland, serving 10 years as the Regional Managing Director of the Research Division, Elize Bradley's career trajectory shifted after attending a pivotal open house where CVCF CEO Ashley Swearengin spoke. “When I heard Ashley's presentation about the Central Valley, I wondered how she could be so positive. If this woman, who is brilliant and has this love for the Valley, is determined to transform the region’s inequities, I wanted to be a part of it,” Elize said. She asked a handful of questions, and six weeks later, was offered the Senior Health Equity Fellow position in November 2023. 

It became clear to Elize upon moving to Fresno, that the community was in desperate need of equitable health care. “Everyone around me was complaining about health care access here. I asked where I could learn about the state of local health care, had this type of analysis been completed, and should it be done? Is CVCF the right entity to be able to do this? If it was this critical of an issue here, why is there no major resource addressing it?”  

The Central Valley Health Care Landscape Analysis was born out of the need for a localized, comprehensive report that highlights the realities of health care and public health in the Central Valley, compared to California health trends. While other entities, such as the California Health Foundation and UCSF, have produced health care market reports, Elize sought to detail and analyze several aspects of the regional health care ecosystem to establish a communal resource. The 78-page study draws on publicly available data and the input of 150 stakeholders including health care executives, policy advocates, community leaders, and more. It analyzes the state of the Central Valley’s health care system and provides examples of how policy implementation and investment can improve the region’s health outcomes.  

Elize underscored that the issues within the Central Valley’s health care system stem from the layers of disparities faced by many residents daily. “We have inequitable access to transportation and affordable housing that are not commensurate with salaries,” Elize said. “These circumstances shape people’s life choices — not only their ability to live healthy lives, but also to thrive. These health injustices are a manifestation of broader structural issues that need to be addressed in the Valley.” 

While creating accessible quality health care for Central Valley residents is instrumental to Elize’s vision of prosperity for the region, she is especially passionate about improving the health incongruities faced by Black community members. “Due to the smaller population size of Central Valley African Americans, I do not think people fully appreciate the abysmal health outcomes for this community. The numbers are alarming, especially for asthma and maternal and child health,” Elize said.  

Furthermore, she cites the high rate of congenital syphilis, which is completely preventable, being 76 percent worse in the Central Valley than other California counties. “It is more than just prenatal care; it is the social determinants of health that impact a person’s ability to seek care.” 

As Senior Health Equity Fellow, Elize believes that everyone in the Valley should care about the indignities of local health care realities. “Everybody thinks an inequitable health system does not impact them — but it does. We all suffer when some of us have poor health outcomes,” Elize said.

Elize is ecstatic to have ended up living and working in Fresno and hopes her work is utilized to further a more just and flourishing region. “It is a tight community that has a good sense of its issues and how to address them,” she said. “It’s gratifying to be in a place with so many like-minded people.” 

To learn more about Elize’s work and read the Central Valley Health Care Landscape Study, visit https://www.centralvalleycf.org/health-equity and subscribe to CVCF’s newsletter and follow CVCF on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook @CVCF for updates on the Health Equity Initiative.