Our New Name

The UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations (CVP) is now the UCSF Action Research Center for Health Equity, or ARC for short.

The UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (CVP) was founded in 2006 to improve health and reduce disparities through culturally responsive, patient-centered care; rigorous research; program development; and policy solutions. Over the nearly 20 years since, there have been significant changes in best practices in inclusive and equitable health communication, including avoiding stigmatizing adjectives such as “vulnerable and “high-risk,” expressions that infer an intrinsic deficit rather than address the systemic issues that determine health. 

The UCSF Action Research Center for Health Equity – ARC for Health Equity (or just ARC), for short – moves us beyond a name that no longer reflects our values, toward one that is as optimistic and inspirational as the work we do and signals our orientation toward collaboration and community action backed by data and research. 

Our goal in becoming ARC is to assert and embrace an identity that is unbiased, optimistic, and inclusive, while reflecting the community of care we foster.