“Reservoirs” are where germs live, like a habitat. Things we do in healthcare can be pathways for germs to be carried from one reservoir to another, or into spaces that are not supposed to have any germs.
Too Touchy
Hands, for instance, touch almost everything. Your hands and skin can pick up germs in the environment, from multiple reservoirs, and spread germs to other surfaces or people if not properly disinfected. Germs from the skin and gastrointestinal reservoirs spread easily through touch.
Pathways for Germs to Invade
Germs can also spread when they’re breathed in or through splashes or sprays to the eyes, nose, and mouth, or to broken or unhealthy skin. For example, urine and snot can get into breaks in the skin, or be splashed or sprayed into the eyes, nose, and ...
Everything is bigger in Texas – except wages, worker protections, and the right to organize, according to a recent study by Oxfam, an organization dedicated to fighting poverty and injustices. After analyzing each state’s wage policies, worker protections, and the right to organize, Texas ranked 48th out of 52 (including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico) in Oxfam’s “Best States to Work Index.” In comparison, Oregon, California, and Washington placed first, second, and third, respectively. What does this mean for Latinos, who make up 40.2% of Texas’ population? First, let’s take a closer look at Oxfam’s study.
Wage Policies
Oxfam’s evaluation criteria for this category included the ratio of the state minimum wage to the cost of living for a family of four, ...
The pandemic revealed long-standing gaps in infection control knowledge and understanding among the frontline healthcare workforce. This is why CDC launched Project Firstline, a training and education collaborative designed to ensure all healthcare workers, no matter their role or educational background, have the infection control knowledge and understanding they need and deserve to protect themselves, their patients, and their coworkers. Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, in partnership with the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) and CDC Project Firstline, brings you a three-part episode podcast series, “Behind the Mask,” to explore infection control through three specific and diverse healthcare lenses: patient navigators/health screeners/community health ...
By Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Amelie Ramirez, DrPH, MPH, Director, Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is excited to partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to discuss the importance of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) for the Hispanic/Latino Community. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize the important contributions the Hispanic/Latino community has made across the country. We also acknowledge the vital food and nutrition programs that impact the community every day at school, at home, and in the community, including WIC. More than 6.2 million women, infants, and ...
Leonel Rodriguez got some terrible news in November 2019. Doctors diagnosed Rodriguez, a South Texas resident, with mantle cell lymphoma – an aggressive, rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. After going through several treatment options, his disease persisted. He soon learned about a potentially beneficial clinical trial for lymphoma patients at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. Clinical trials help researchers learn how to better slow, manage, and treat diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. “[Clinical trials were] the best way because, you know, I feel good now with the treatment,” Rodriguez said. “Now I feel I've been feeling well, and well, well.”
Rodriguez’s Decision to Participate in a Clinical Trial
Rodriguez first experienced problems in ...
Leonel Rodríguez recibió una noticia terrible en noviembre de 2019. Los médicos diagnosticaron a Rodríguez, un residente del sur de Texas, con linfoma de células del manto, una forma agresiva y rara de linfoma no Hodgkin. Los primeros medicamentos que tomó para tratar el cáncer en realidad empeoraron su condición. Pronto se enteró de un estudio clínico potencialmente beneficioso para pacientes con linfoma ofrecido por el Mays Cancer Center de UT Health San Antonio. Los estudios clínicos ayudan a los investigadores a aprender cómo reducir el progreso, manejar y tratar mejor enfermedades como el cáncer y el Alzheimer. "[Los estudios clínicos fueron] la mejor manera porque, usted sabe, ahora me siento bien con el tratamiento", dijo Rodríguez. "Ahora siento que me ...
Created in 2016 by President Joe Biden, the Cancer Moonshot initiative aims to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer. Since then, the government program has accomplished a lot, including more than 2,000 scientific publications and 49 clinical trials – all to better understand how to treat and prevent cancer. President Biden has now reignited the Cancer Moonshot program and set a new national goal: cutting the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years, and improving the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer. But how will the Cancer Moonshot impact Latinos?
The Latino Cancer Crisis
Cancer is the #1 cause of death in Latinos. Latino cancer cases are expected to rise 142% in coming years. There are higher rates ...
By Dr. Fátima Coronado
CDC, Salud America! Guest Blogger Every year, the United States recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month (NHHM) from September 15 to October 15, to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of generations of Hispanic Americans born in and outside the U.S., who have helped to shape this diverse country. The theme for this year’s NHHM is Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation. In Hispanic culture, unidos (in unity, with inclusivity) is associated with positive outcomes. Being unidos is necessary for getting through tough times, for meeting goals and getting things done together. NHHM provides an opportunity to acknowledge that while many health indicators have improved for most people in the U.S., significant disparities in health and ...
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Salud America! is celebrating Latino trailblazers, historical figures, and inspirational stories. In this article spotlight, we will recognize Ildaura Murillo-Rohde, PhD, RN, FAAN. Dr. Murillo-Rhode was a nurse and professor who strived to serve underrepresented communities and create equal opportunities for Latinos within health professions.
Early Life of Murillo-Rohde
Dr. Murillo-Rhode was born in on Sept. 26, 1920, in Panama. She immigrated to San Antonio, Texas, in 1945. Born into a family of health physicians, Rohde studied to become a nurse. Dr. Murillo-Rohde earned a nursing diploma from the Medical and Surgical Hospital School of Nursing in San Antonio, Texas, according to the NYAM Center for History. Early on, she realized ...
