The blare of firetruck sirens, the glow of buildings ablaze, and the thick smell of smoke are all too familiar for Neil Meade. As a seasoned firefighter in San Antonio, he’s faced many dangers and helped others through life-threatening situations. But nothing could prepare him for a cancer diagnosis. Meade, a devoted family man and veteran of countless emergency calls, suddenly found himself battling a personal, silent, unpredictable opponent — thyroid cancer.
A Passion for Serving People
Meade, a native of Chicago, moved to San Antonio with his parents, returned to Chicago, but eventually returned to San Antonio and lives here now. He started his service career in the Air Force. “I spent eight years on active duty in the Air Force, and when I got out ... I tested ...
Human beings need social interaction to live a healthy life.
But did you know how much you socialize can have a direct effect on your brain health?
Social isolation is not only linked to negative brain health, but the impacts also can be worse depending on where you live, according to a recent study from UT San Antonio and Princeton University.
Check out our new fact sheet, How Does Social Isolation Impact Brain Health in Aging Adults?, to help our abuelos and abuelas across the globe understand how maintaining an active social life can impact their brain health as they age.
This fact sheet was created by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of Salud America! and UT Health San Antonio based on a research brief from the San Antonio Center for AD/ADRD Population Aging and Social Studies (San Antonio ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, a cancer researcher at the Institute for Health Promotion Research and the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, is receiving a 2-year, $400,000 leadership grant to study cancer survivorship from Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization. Ramirez aims to enhance recovery for cancer survivors. In a group of 40 Latina breast cancer survivors in South Texas, Ramirez will compare two rehabilitation approaches — standard physical therapy and therapeutic yoga — to see how they impact health-related quality of life, fatigue, and physical function over 16 weeks. Therapeutic yoga involves controlled movement, breath regulation, and meditative practices. "By focusing on the whole person and listening to survivor experiences, we ...
The month of June is recognized as Men’s Health Month. It’s a time to educate, start conversations, and share resources on men’s health. This year’s theme is “Partners in Care: Advancing Men’s Health Through Connection, Education, & Advocacy Across the Lifespan — for Better Lifespans,” according to the Men’s Health Network. “Health behaviors, access to care, and long-term outcomes are shaped by relationships with partners, families, caregivers, friends, and communities,” Men’s Health Network states. “When men are supported through shared advocacy, education, empathy, and connection, outcomes improve not only for men, but for everyone connected to them.” Let’s look into resources you can find and share with others during Men’s Health ...
The US is on the verge of a complete health care overhaul. These changes include Medicaid eligibility, cuts to funding, and changes making accessibility and renewal more difficult. According to a new UnidosUS report, this overhaul is projected to cut the health care of nearly 14 million Americans with the mass majority being Latino over the next 10 years. Unless action is taken to intervene and counteract these changes, millions are anticipated to lose health insurance, leading to unaffordable treatment and care costs and worse health outcomes. Let’s break down the report and how these coverage changes impact the health of Latinos and all families.
Significant Health Care Coverage Changes
The report highlights two significant acts ...
Alzheimer’s and dementia impact the brain, cognitive activity, and memory. As of 2026, 7.4 million Americans 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. These numbers are set to increase to 13.8 million by 2060, according to the report. Not only is Alzheimer’s a very prevalent disease, it’s also the 6th leading cause of death for older adults, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. In honor of the month, we are raising awareness by sharing 9 resources to help prevent, navigate, and treat Alzheimer’s and so much more!
1. Make Lifestyle Changes to Decrease Your Alzheimer’s ...
Just north of the Mexico-California border, the San Ysidro community is where nearly 1 in 5 people enter the U.S. by land to work, shop, learn, and see family. The result is a dynamic cultural exchange and a vibrant binational economic hub. Yet amid the hustle and bustle, environmental change has crept into this predominantly Latino community, adding pollution from heavy traffic, sewage contamination, and more. That is why community members came together to protect and educate their neighbors, leading to accomplishments in environmental justice that are chronicled in English and Spanish “story maps” by Community Voices for Action, a storytelling project from the AAMC Center for Health Justice. Let’s explore how community power led to a big change.
What Is Environmental ...
It’s National Cancer Survivor Month and we are honoring survivors in South Texas and beyond by reminding them that their journeys matter. In fact, they can even help future cancer survivors. That’s the hope of the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Cohort Study, which is based at UT Health San Antonio and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center based at the University of Miami. This study gathers cancer survivors’ unique stories to explore the familial, behavioral, mental, biological, medical, and other impacts on life after cancer. Let’s break down how each of these cancer types impacts the Hispanic/Latino population and how hearing from survivors helps make a difference for future generations of survivors.
Latina Breast ...
When you hear the words “cancer treatment,” many think of chemotherapy. The truth is there are many cancer treatments, such as surgery, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and more. In addition, clinical trials are a treatment option. Clinical trials are studies with volunteers that enable advances that can slow, manage, and treat diseases such as cancer. For example, a new clinical trial at UT Health San Antonio is testing a treatment that trains your immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells in the same way a vaccine works to protect you from disease. Let’s explore the new trial. join the clinical trial
How the Clinical Trial’s Cancer Treatment Works
Cancer treatments are designed to kill cancer ...
