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Cliff Despres

Cliff Despres, who has more than a decade of experience in journalism and public relations, is communications director for Salud America! and its home base, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.

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Articles by Cliff Despres

Join Our Research Management Team at UT Health San Antonio!


Hiring New Job Apply Institute for Health Promotion Research IHPR UT Health San Antonio

We’re hiring! Apply now as a Grants & Contracts Specialist with our Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio—the team behind the Salud America! program. The position is responsible for: Reviewing the IHPR's activities of standard and complex grants and contracts Providing expert financial oversight to IHPR investigators with grant funding Assisting with proposal budget preparations and submissions Mentoring junior members of the IHPR research management team A bachelor's degree and five years of work experience is required. The IHPR, founded in 2006 under the leadership of world-renowned health promotion researcher Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, is part of the Department of Population Health Sciences in the School of Medicine at UT ...

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Latino Cities among Culture of Health Prize Winners!


Gonzales California Culture of Health Prize Winner RWJF 2019 2

A majority-Latino community is among the five winners of the 2019 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize! Gonzales, Calif. (94% Latino), was chosen from nearly 200 applicants. Two other cities with large Latino populations—Lake County, Colo. (36% Latino) and Broward County, Fla. (30% Latino)—also won the health prize. Greenville County, S.C., and Sitka, Alaska, also received the prize. These communities made strong efforts to build a culture of health, where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. They brought neighborhood, school, and business partners together to improve health for all residents. Winning communities get a $25,000 prize. "The 2019 RWJF Culture of Health Prize winners recognize that health is about ...

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Apply Now: Latino Cancer Research Training and Internships!


Exito Research Leadership Training Group Shot 2019

Apply now for the 2020 Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program and optional $3,250 internships from the Institute for health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio! Each year, the Éxito! program recruits 25 U.S. master’s level students and professionals to participate in a five-day, culturally tailored Éxito! summer institute to promote pursuit of a doctoral degree and cancer research. At the next Éxito! summer institute, set for June 1-5, 2020 in San Antonio, participants will interact with Latino researchers, mentors, and doctoral experts to learn about Latino cancer, succeeding in a doctoral program, and the diversity of careers in cancer research. Ten optional internships also are available to program participants. Applications are ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 11/12: Health Begins With Home


Health begins with home affordable housing healthy homes

Having a quality, affordable home can unlock good health for people. The problem is that quality housing is far from the reach of many populations, including Latinos and those living in poverty or homelessness. In fact, low-quality housing can lead to asthma, lead poisoning, mental health issues, and hospitalizations. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019, to tweet how to promote health as a top priority in the development and preservation of affordable homes and to elevate homes as a tool for improving resident and community health! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Health Begins With Home TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOST: Enterprise Community Partners ...

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En Español: Tools to Help Prevent Infections in Cancer Patients


preventing infections in cancer patients diverse woman and mother

The CDC Foundation is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program by launching new bilingual resources to improve support for Latino and all cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. How Infection Can Happen During Cancer Treatment If you are getting chemotherapy, you may be at risk for getting an infection. This risk is highest when your white blood cell count is at its lowest (called neutropenia). White blood cells are the body's main defense against infections. An infection during chemotherapy can lead to treatment delays, hospitalization, and sometimes death. About 650,000 U.S. cancer patients get chemotherapy in an outpatient oncology clinic each year. More than 100,000 are hospitalized because of an infection, according to the ...

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6 Useful Bullying Prevention Materials in Spanish


bullying-prevention-materials-spanish

Bullying is a fact of life for many kids, especially those of color. 24.7% of African-American students and 17.2% of Latino students report being bullied at school. Race-related bullying is significantly associated with negative emotional and physical health effects, according to a Salud America! research review. On the plus side, many resources—including many in Spanish—can help prevent or address bullying. Website: StopBullying.Gov En Español StopBullying.gov, an initiative of the US Department of Education's Office of Safe and Healthy Students, has a Spanish-language website. Like the English-language version, the site provides teachers, parents and community leaders with the resources they need to prevent bullying. It also contains research and best practices on ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/8: How to Tackle Bullying among Latino & All Kids


Bullying bullied, sad child sitting on a window

Bullying is bad news. Children who are bullied report frequent worries, sadness, and fearfulness. Race-related bullying also has negative emotional and physical health effects. Latino parents even list bullying as a top child health concern, according to a recent national poll. How can we help? Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, to tweet how to stop bullying, create innovative bullying prevention programs in schools and communities, build better minds for Latino kids, and celebrate National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month in October! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: How to Tackle Bullying among Latino & All Kids TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: ...

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Marisa Bejar: Overcoming Breast Cancer with Positivity


Marisa Bejar breast cancer survivor

By Marisa Bejar Native of Texas, Cancer Survivor My name is Marisa Bejar. I’m a military wife from Texas stationed in Maryland. My boys are 10 and 8. I'm a 7-year survivor of breast cancer, as of Sept. 20, 2019. 'Too Young to Get Breast Cancer' I found a lump in my left breast in July 8, 2012. I went to the doctor and she told me it’s probably a clogged milk duct. "You’re too young to get breast cancer," the doctor told me as she put in a referral for a mammogram. July 16 was the day I had my mammogram. I was in a room full of different-aged ladies. I got called back for my mammogram and then called back for different angles. I knew something was up because my girls were never popular. I was a size A. I had a mammogram and an ultrasound that day. I love the ...

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11 Real Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month


Hispanic heritage month celebrate Latina Latino mom daughter hug

Hispanic Heritage Month is here! This annual U.S. observance, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. We at Salud America! invite you to think outside the box and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in these awesome ways. 1. Find Out How Hispanic Heritage Month Started U.S. Congressmen Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and Henry B. Gonzales were among those who introduced legislation on the topic in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson implemented the observance as Hispanic Heritage Week that year. U.S. Rep. Esteban E. Torres of Pico Rivera proposed the observance be expanded to cover its current 30-day period. President Ronald Reagan ...

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