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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

#SaludTues Tweetchat 5/2/23: How to Create Food Fairness


food fairness nutrition tweetchat

Many families, including Latinos, struggle to get enough food to feed their families. They often face hunger. Even if they do get enough food, what they have is often nutritionally vacant. This contributes to a variety of health differences in diabetes, heart disease, and other health conditions. We need an environment of food fairness. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, to discuss emerging strategies to change environments, systems, and policies to encourage fair access to affordable, healthy food in our schools and communities across the nation for Latinos and all people! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: How to Create Food Fairness TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, May 2, 2023 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica ...

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Watch Webinar: Importance of Biospecimens



When people donate biospecimens—blood, fluid, or tissue samples—it gives researchers the opportunity to better understand, treat, and prevent conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s. So why don't some people donate? Find the answers at UT Health San Antonio's Zoom webinar — “Importance of Biospecimens” — at 10 a.m. CT on April 5, 2023. The webinar features experts from UT Health San Antonio, Genentech, and leaders and participants in the All of Us Research Program discussing how to increase biospecimen donation and point to donation opportunities. This is a part of a webinar of a series, "Let's Improve Health in South Texas and Beyond.” The series is a collaboration of the Salud America! program at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San ...

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Step Up for Obesity Care Week 2023!


OAC obesity cares week ocw2023

Obesity Care Week 2023 (#OCW2023) is here! From Feb. 27 to March 3, 2023, Obesity Care Week is an annual public awareness effort to end weight intolerance, as well as raise awareness, educate and speak up for a better world for people living with obesity. Also, World Obesity Day is March 4, 2023. Our Salud America! Latino health improvement team at UT Health San Antonio is happy to serve as an OCW2023 Champion to support this awareness week. "Unlike most other diseases, obesity is one that continues to be stigmatized and those impacted struggle to receive any care in many cases, let alone adequate care," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. "OCW2023 aims to raise awareness, educate, and [speak up] for people living with obesity and ...

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Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez to Launch $4.1 Million Cancer Health Research Center in South Texas


ACS Avanzando Center thanks to a 4-year, $4.08-million grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio is launching the new ACS Avanzando Center thanks to a 4-year, $4.08-million grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS). The ACS Avanzando Center, which began work in February 2023, is a response to the severe cancer burden in South Texas. The center will unite South Texas research scholars and the community to improve health across the cancer care continuum by targeting the non-medical drivers of health that prevent people from obtaining equitable care. “Our new center will conduct a unique combination of community-engaged research, training, patient assessment, and promotion to address the non-medical drivers of health, such as financial strain and food insecurity, to improve access to cancer care, prevention, early detection, ...

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Can Texts Help Latino Young Adults to Quit Smoking?


quitxt quit smoking service new grant

Dr. Patricia Chalela of UT Health San Antonio has received a new five-year, $2 million research grant to test the impact of Quitxt, a bilingual text messaging program that helps Latino young adults in South Texas to quit smoking. The grant is among $90 million for new cancer prevention and research projects from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). For the grant, Dr. Chalela and her team will recruit 1,200 Latino smokers ages 18-29 who agree to try to quit smoking. Half will receive Quitxt, a free texting service with background appropriate visual, video, and audio content fueled with evidence-based techniques to prompt and sustain smoking cessation. The other half will get abbreviated text messages and referral to the "Yes Quit" smoking cessation ...

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Watch Webinar: Busting the Myths and Challenges to Clinical Trials



Some Latinos fear becoming a guinea pig. Others worry about cost or trust. But clinical trials can provide volunteers potentially life-saving treatments and help researchers learn how to manage and treat different diseases for their family and communities. UT Health San Antonio held a Zoom webinar — “Busting the Myths and Challenges to Clinical Trials” — at 11 a.m. CT on March 9, 2023. This webinar features health experts and real Latino clinical trial volunteers to help define clinical trials, bust several common myths about clinical trials and share testimonials of trial participation. Panelists will also connect audience members with culturally relevant resources and available opportunities to participate in clinical trials at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 2/7/23─Three Years Later: How COVID-19 Is Impacting Latinos


Latino family covid is impacting latinos

COVID-19 is not over. For the past three years, the virus has disrupted life and health. Data continue to show that the pandemic worsened health and social differences for Latinos and all people. How can we address this? Let’s use #SaludTues on Feb. 7, 2023, to explore health differences facing Latinos and all people over the past three years (and long before that), and share solutions and strategies to promote health fairness in the face of COVID-19! WHERE: Twitter WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat “3 Years Later: How COVID-19 Is Impacting Latinos” WHEN: 1-2 p.m. ET (12-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 HOST: Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio (@SaludAmerica) CO-HOSTS: LatinaStrong Foundation (@LatinaStrongDr); Public Health Maps (@PublicHealthMap); ...

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Nearly Half of US States Are Failing Mothers and Babies


maternal health

It’s no secret that maternal and infant health in the US needs massive improvement. As 2022 comes to a close, this year’s March of Dimes Report Card for maternal and infant health is yet another indication of what our nation’s New Year’s resolution should be: improving health outcomes for mothers and babies. On an A – F grading scale, with A being the best score, and F being the lowest, the report card revealed that 24 states are failing in maternal and infant health with a grade of a “D+” or lower. Let’s unpack the report card and what these findings mean for Latinas and all women and babies. What’s Included in the Report Card? The report card uses the latest key indicators to describe and improve maternal and infant health in each state. These key ...

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