On November 16, the College of Health and Human Services will host the 2023 Health and Human Services Hero Awards to recognize individuals who are making a transformative impact in their profession. We will highlight the eight honorees in our Heroes Blog Series.

hero23_sricovasquez_smName: Susie Rico-Vasquez
Occupation: Health Educator within the Division of Health Policy and Wellness, Fresno County Department of Public Health 
Nominated By: Department of Public Health and the Central Valley Health Policy Institute

When asked why she pursued a career in public health, Susie Rico-Vasquez’s answer is simple, but poignant – her mom. As a young girl, Rico-Vasquez would spend many days at the rural clinic where her mom worked as a medical assistant. Tucking herself away quietly under her mom’s desk, she would observe her mom keenly.

“I would listen to her helping people, mostly people of color, immigrants, farm workers, the elderly and even mothers with babies,” Rico-Vasquez said. “Each person with a different story, mostly people who spoke monolingual Spanish, but looking for help. My mom served as a bridge to help the people of our community.”

For more than 22 years, Rico-Vasquez has dedicated her life’s work to advocating for patients, promoting health equity and being of service to the community – all aspects she instilled from her mom. After graduating from Fresno State with her bachelor’s degree in public health (community health), Rico-Vasquez began her professional public health career as an asthma health education specialist and a clean air advocate with the American Lung Association. 

Through her efforts, she helped to institute the Air Quality Flag Program in more than 900 schools and conducted training and implementation of the Kickin’ Asthma and Open Airways program for schools, alongside nurses, administrators and asthmatic students. 

In 2013, Rico-Vasquez was selected to lead the American Lung Association’s Fresno office as its area director. In this capacity, she trained and supervised more than 300 internships to Fresno State public health students, who were seeking valuable experience in the field. In addition, she helped bring in crucial grant funding to support the development of in-home community health worker visits for asthma management. 

During this time, Rico-Vasquez was also pursuing her Master of Public Health degree from Fresno State in an effort to further and better serve the San Joaquin Valley. Her strong connection to the university has only strengthened over the years. She currently mentors undergraduate and graduate students through internships, serves as a guest speaker and panelist, and is active on the Master of Public Health Advisory Board, having recently assisted the program with its accreditation process.

Since July 2017, Rico-Vasquez has ardently served as a health educator in the Fresno County Department of Public Health’s Health Policy and Wellness Division. In her supervisory role, Rico-Vasquez works closely with her team of five health education specialists to increase the county’s access to healthy foods and beverages, and increase physical activity opportunities. 

“Over the last six years, I have learned so much from my peers, and I truly believe in the Department’s ability to build a culture of health in Fresno County where there are equitable opportunities for everyone to achieve optimal health and well-being,” Rico-Vasquez said. 

In conjunction with her role, Rico-Vasquez has also worked hard to establish important partnerships with local community-based organizations, including the Central Valley Health Policy Institute (CVHPI) at Fresno State. Together, with colleagues from the CVHPI, Rico-Vasquez collaborates closely on programs like CalFresh Healthy Living to ensure Fresno County residents have access to healthy choices. She is also passionate about projects that impact community policies, systems and the environment.

“Ms. Rico-Vasquez is invested in her community,” said Dr. Emanuel Alcala, assistant director of the CVHPI. “The development of active transportation opportunities, safe routes to school, and making environmental changes to create safe places to walk, bike, and ride are key values and policy aspirations that she works towards.”

When she’s not making transformational change at the Department of Public Health, Rico-Vasquez is uplifting her own community of Fowler, where she serves on the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee to promote a healthy environment and safe communities. 

In the video below, Rico-Vasquez shares her experience in the Master of Public Health program and offers advice to incoming students. 

The 2023 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 virtually this year. For more information on the event, contact Beth Wilkinson at bwilkinson@csufresno.edu.