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Challenge the Status Quo and Push for Investments in Prevention, Equitable Opportunity for Health and Wealth


Health communities economic prosperity

The status quo for health in America is expensive and failing. Medical care is costly for individuals, communities, businesses, and employers. But the U.S. ranks only 27th in life expectancy out of 35 Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. It also has the highest prevalence of obesity, with even worse rates among Americans of color. That’s why one of Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams’ priorities is to highlight and reverse inadequate investments in disease prevention and inequitable economic opportunities in our communities. Last year, Adams launched the “Community Health and Economic Prosperity” or “CHEP” initiative. “CHEP is the concept that community health and economic prosperity are inextricably linked,” according to the ...

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Ángela García: Helping Her Community Through Art and a Free Fridge


Ángela García Free Fridge

Ángela García wasn’t planning on becoming an artist. She entered college in the pre-med track, intending to go into a medical career. But then she started taking art history classes. And she kept taking them, despite still being in the pre-med track. “I was like, ‘You know what? I don’t like this. Maybe I don’t like the sciences as much as I thought I did. And I’m really interested in this art history curriculum.’ So, I switched over at the end of my sophomore year,” García said. Now she’s a senior art history major at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, with several large-scale art projects under her belt, having rekindled a passion for creative work from her childhood. “I used to do painting when I was younger but I kind of fell out of it for a ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/27: How to Reduce Breast Cancer and Improve Survivorship among Latinas


breast cancer prevention latinas diverse women tweetchat

Breast cancer doesn’t impact every women the same. Among Latinas, breast cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer. Many Latinas face unique survivorship journeys, shaped by cultural and spiritual beliefs and struggles with barriers to care, screening, patient-doctor communication, and other social determinants of health. To recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), let’s use #SaludTues on Oct. 27, 2020, to tweet about the latest progress in Latina breast cancer data and research, the importance of breast cancer screening, and tips and stories for prevention and survivorship! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat “How to Reduce Breast Cancer and Improve Survivorship among Latinas” WHERE: Twitter WHEN: 1-2 p.m. ET (12-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020 HOST: Salud ...

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New Bilingual Tool Helps People Get Affordable Insulin to Manage Diabetes


New Online Tool Helps People Get Affordable Insulin

Latinos and other people who have diabetes are getting more access to much-needed supplies amid COVID-19. Beyond Type 1—a diabetes nonprofit organization—launched a new bilingual tool last week: GetInsulin.org in English and GetInsultin.org in Spanish. This online platform is a tool to help those using insulin find inexpensive options. It also has assistance programs for patients in any financial circumstances. “The job losses we’ve seen during COVID-19 mean that many individuals who lost their employer-based health insurance due to COVID-19 are experiencing insulin access issues for the first time in their lives,” Christel Marchand Aprigliano, Beyond Type 1's chief advocacy officer, told Healio. “List prices for insulin are high, so a sudden insurance loss may ...

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Report: 1 in 5 U.S. Latino, Black Children Have Obesity


two girls in class school physical activity to fight obesity

Children of color continue to struggle with obesity. Obesity rate continues to be significantly higher for Latino (20.7%) and black children (22.9%) than for white children (11.7%) ages 10-17, according to the new State of Childhood Obesity report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Obesity—and other chronic diseases—are more prevalent among those of color and those in poverty because discriminatory systems have disinvested in healthy policies and basic resources for them. In the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic, which is worsened by obesity, it is more critical than ever to prioritize children’s health. Latino children and young adults account for over 40% of the COVID-19 deaths among people ages 0-24, according to the CDC. To prioritize children’s ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/20: How to Address Transportation Equity for Latino Communities


How to Address Transportation Equity for Latino Communities

Latinos face many transportation inequities that impact their ability to build health and wealth. This is due in part to a lack of diversity among decision makers, planners, and engineers and ethnocentric policies, projects, and investments that reinforce the auto-centric status quo. Ultimately, past and present planning practices have failed to be inclusive of Latino needs, failed to represent historic and existing inequities, and failed to responsibly evaluate and measure impacts, targets, and performance. Two new reports from our year-long workgroup of planners and planning scholars provide recommendations to prioritize Latino experiences and needs in the planning process; address inequities and promote racially/economically mixed communities, and modify metrics used to ...

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