Toolkit: How to Screen for Sugary Drink Consumption in Early Childhood


screen for sugary drinks doctor parent child

Did you know Latino kids consume more sugary drinks—soda, sports and energy drinks, sugary fruit juices, and flavored milk—than the average child? Heavy consumption of sugary drinks puts children at greater risk of obesity and disease. This is why Healthy Eating Research created a new toolkit to help healthcare systems add a beverage screener to their electronic health record (EHR) system to ask parents questions about their child's sugary drink consumption. The goal is to identify "unhealthy beverage consumption patterns in young children and [help] families develop healthy beverage habits," according to the toolkit. How Can You Start Screening for Sugary Drinks? The new toolkit shows how health systems can start screening for sugary drinks as part of their electronic ...

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Restoring Trustworthiness in the Healthcare System



The COVID-19 pandemic hurt public trust in healthcare and science. Trust is especially low among communities that experience health disparities and barriers to healthcare, according to Dr. David W. Baker of The Joint Commission in Illinois. “Black and Latino communities faced inadequate testing, financial barriers to care, and disproportionately high rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths, further threatening their trust in physicians, the health care system, public health, and science,” Baker wrote in his article, Trust in Health Care in the Time of COVID-19. Misinformation and a lack of trust in healthcare can spur a cycle of reduced care and ultimately contribute to worse health outcomes. But how can trust in healthcare be restored? Reasons for Latino Distrust in ...

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Are COVID-19 Vaccines Free for Children?



Latino and Black parents were less likely than White parents to say they felt their child was “very safe” from COVID-19 when they were at school, according to a recent study.  How can you protect your children?   Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your children against the worst outcomes of the virus – and COVID-19 vaccines are available and free for children!  Let’s explore how “You’re Covered” against COVID-19!  COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations for Children  As of Sept. 12, 2023, CDC recommends that everyone ages 5 and older get one dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness from COVID-19.  CDC recommends the 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax, to protect against ...

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How You Can “Come Home Covered” This Holiday Season


come home covered Multi-ethnic family exchanging presents during Christmas party at home. Young kid daughter receive gift from senior grandparent while having dinner to celebrate holiday Thanksgiving on dining table.

This holiday season, as many of us prepare to celebrate with friends and familia, it is important to do all we can to stay healthy and protect against COVID-19. To prevent severe illness, vaccines are still our best tool. The good news is: You’re covered! Updated COVID-19 vaccines are now available and remain free of cost to you! See how you can “Come Home Covered” against COVID-19 during the holidays! Should We Worry about COVID-19? COVID-19 has not gone away. U.S. Latinos continue to suffer a disproportionate share of cases. Also, CDC data shows that the percentages of positive tests, hospitalizations, and deaths have increased from October 2023 to December 2023. With holiday celebrations upon us, it’s crucial that people and their loved ones are up to date ...

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Dr. Amelie Ramirez: Address Social Determinants of Health in Patients


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Where you live can have a big impact on your health. In fact, our health is influenced by a variety of non-medical factors, such as the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age. These conditions are known as social determinants of health (SDoH). Addressing SDoH is key to improving health for Latinos and all people, said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, in a panel presentation on Dec. 5, 2023, at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. "What we’re finding is that these inequities in SDoH can create social needs that negatively impact our health," Ramirez said. Screening for Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Studies suggest that SDoH accounts for between 30-55% of health outcomes. SDoH also influences individual ...

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You’re Covered: How to Get a Free COVID-19 Vaccine!



U.S. Latinos continue to suffer a disproportionate share of COVID-19 cases.  This not only interrupts important parts of our daily lives, but also put people at risk of serious illness and death.  Staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your familia against the worst outcomes of COVID-19.  But who should get the vaccine? Are they free? Where?  Let’s explore how “You’re Covered” against COVID-19!  Are COVID-19 Vaccines Free?  Yes.  COVID-19 vaccines continue to be available to everyone in the United States free of cost, according to the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project.  Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is partner in the project’s “You’re Covered” campaign.  “You may have ...

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CDC’s Project Firstline Infection Control Micro-Learns: Draining Wound


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Access to practical and valuable infection control training is crucial for all healthcare workers. That’s why CDC’s Project Firstline developed Infection Control Micro-Learns – a series of guided infection control discussions that can be easily incorporated into team meetings or huddles facilitated by an experienced team member with infection control expertise. These short and easy-to-understand learning opportunities can help healthcare workers recognize and minimize infection control risks to protect themselves, coworkers, and patients from infectious diseases. Let’s explore the Infection Control Micro-Learn on Draining Wounds. What Should You Do When You See a Patient with a Draining Wound? A draining wound is a break in the skin or other tissue that has liquid ...

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Explore the U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)



Individual health is influenced by a variety of non-medical factors, like where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age.   These conditions are known as Social Determinants of Health (SDoH).  To help improve health and wellbeing through SDoH, the White House and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have released new resources, including the first-ever U.S. Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health.  “It is clear that the health of our people does not exist in a vacuum, but it is affected by our access to stable housing, healthy food, and clean air to breathe,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “It is crucial for HHS to tackle health care and public health holistically by addressing patients’ social ...

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Dr. Veronica Ramirez: Keeping Her Community Healthy with Infection Control



Dr. Veronica Ramirez is the first physician in her family.   The youngest of four children, Ramirez grew up in Escondido, California, with an interest in service. She watched her parents generously help others and give back to the community.   So, when Ramirez’s aunt, who she was very close to, was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in her late 30s, Ramirez was motivated to take her service orientation to a new level – medical school – to help those like her aunt.   “Seeing her go through that experience inspired me to want to go into medicine to help others,” Ramirez said.   Ramirez has done more than achieve her goal.   As an assistant clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, a hospitalist with UCLA Health, and a fellow ...

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