On November 9, the College of Health and Human Services will host the 2018 Health and Human Services Hero Awards to recognize the unsung heroes in our community whose actions, thoughts and words have had a transformative impact in our region. We will highlight the nine honorees in our Heroes Blog Series.
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Name: David Luchini
Occupation: Assistant Director, Fresno County Department of Public Health
Nominated by: Central Valley Health Policy Institute
In the 25 years that David Luchini has been with the Fresno County Department of Public Health, he has seen a variety of health issues affect the Central Valley, but in that time, he has also seen immense progress. He says his long career in the field is fueled by his desire to see positive, healthy changes in the community.
Luchini initially got his start with the Department of Public Health as a public health nurse, later working up the ranks to now serve as assistant director. He says his time in nursing, working in rural areas like Tranquility and San Joaquin, allowed him to make personal connections with the clients he served. His exposure to social determinants, at the time, would open the door to an area in which he has much more understanding of today.
Part of his passion lies in educating future generations, particularly those in high school, on the importance of healthy outcomes. His goal is to not only expand their health literacy, but also their knowledge of the things that can negatively impact them along the way.
Another group Luchini remains committed to working with is Fresno State and its Public Health students.
“The University is developing our future leaders in public health. That’s why it’s so important for us to give students experiences working in the public health field. Hopefully they’ll choose to stay in Fresno, and see that there is a lot of great work to be done to help this community. That’s always our goal.”
Luchini says working collaboratively with students, but also with many community partners from throughout the region, is what motivates his work in the field – and leaves him excited for what’s to come for the residents of Fresno County.
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The 2018 Health and Human Services Hero Awards, which celebrates heroes from each of the seven departments, as well as centers and institutes within our college, will be held on November 9, 2018 at Fresno State. For more information on the event, contact Beth Wilkinson at 559.278.3603 or bwilkinson@csufresno.edu.
Fresno State College of Health and Human Services 