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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

Tanya Enriquez DelValle: Keep Going, and Going, to Overcome Breast Cancer


Tanya Enriquez DelValle

By Tanya Enriquez DelValle Breast Cancer Survivor in San Antonio Five years after being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27, I got my first tattoo…the energizer bunny with the pink ribbon on the drum. I was going to keep going and going. Here I am now 50 and still cancer free! I have an incredible life. I am a counselor at Legacy of Educational Excellence (LEE) High School, married to the man of my dreams for 15 years, and excited about the next adventure in my life. Twenty-three years ago, on Nov. 21, 1997, my world changed when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I remember asking my doctors if I was going to die. They said, "Not anytime soon." That was all I needed to hear. From that point forward I decided that cancer was NOT going to get the best of me. ...

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Let’s ‘Anchor It’ to Protect Kids from Deadly Tip-Overs



Many families are staying home more than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But only about 80% of parents realize that furniture tip-overs can lead to injuries and death among children. Only about half have safety anchored a TV or furniture at home, according to a recent survey by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which created the Anchor It! safety campaign. Parents who did not anchor said they didn't think it was needed, as long as they were watching the kids. That's why Anchor It! has a new English and Spanish video, "Even When You're Watching," to help parents understand the dangers of furniture tip-overs. "[The video] contains real-life footage that vividly demonstrates just how quickly a tip-over can happen, even when parents are in the same room watching ...

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Webinar 9/24/20: Achieving Equity in Cancer Clinical Trials for Latinos


Conversation on Cancer Achieving Equity in Cancer Clinical Trials in the Latino Community webinar

Latinos face an uphill battle when it comes to their health. They suffer many inequities, which are worsened amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond that, there is a historical lack of targeted research about these inequities and how to address them, and a lack of diversity in clinical trials. This is the focus of a new webinar, "Conversations on Cancer: Latino Community—Achieving Equity in Cancer Clinical Trials," set for 1 p.m. ET Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. The event is sponsored by the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence. Register for the webinar. Panelists are: Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPh, Director of Salud America!, Professor and Chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences, and Director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research, all at UT Health San Antonio ...

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New Latino Bilingual Campaign: Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19!


Juntos We Can Stop Covid campaign against coronavirus

COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact Latinos, killing over 53,000 and hospitalizing many more of our mothers, fathers, children, and grandparents. That is why Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is launching the “Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19” digital communication campaign in English and Spanish to help Latino families take action to slow the spread of coronavirus, especially among those with underlying illnesses. The campaign features culturally relevant, bilingual fact sheets, infographics, and video role model stories—all united with the hashtag #JuntosStopCovid. See and share #JuntosStopCovid! share the campaign in ENGLISH! share the campaign in SPANISH! “As Latinos, we are resilient. But part of our resiliency requires action, like getting the ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 9/15─Hear Her: Preventing Pregnancy-related Deaths


Latina hispanic mother pregnant baby health motherhood infant tweetchat hear her

Every woman’s health matters. A pregnancy can bring potential complications to both mother and child. Some risks are worse for Latinas and other mothers of color. That’s why the CDC’s new campaign, “Hear Her,” encourages all women to know how to prevent maternal mortality, and share their concerns with their health care provider. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, to tweet about the importance of CDC’s new campaign and maternal health, especially for Latinas in honor of the launch of Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15 to 10/15)! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat “Hear Her: Preventing Pregnancy-related Deaths” WHERE: Twitter WHEN: 1-2 p.m. ET (12-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020 HOST: Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio (@SaludAmerica) ...

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3 Ways to Keep Labor Day from Becoming COVID Day


mask wearing labor day picnic outdoor gathering get-together latino friends

Don't let down your guard against COVID-19 during Labor Day weekend. Cases spiked after the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays, so health experts are stressing the importance of containing the coronavirus during the coming holiday. How can we contain the virus? Latinos can wear a mask and care for it properly, avoid public places (or at least get together safely, familia), and know what to do if you’re exposed, according to our "Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19" campaign. "Labor Day is coming up, and we need to stress personal responsibility," said Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, CNBC reports. "We have to go into the fall with decreasing cases like we’re doing now. We can’t risk a lack of personal ...

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Report: U.S. ‘Failed Miserably’ in Policy Response to COVID-19, But Has a Path Forward for Future Pandemics


Latino man mask covid19 coronavirus pandemic

U.S. leaders have "failed miserably" in planning and executing a cohesive national response to COVID-19, which has killed over 170,000 people here, according to a new report. The report is Public Health Law Watch's Assessing Legal Responses to COVID-19. It features 50 top national experts evaluating the policy response to the pandemic. The experts blame neither resources nor individual courage, but rather "a failure of leadership and the implementation of an effective response." COVID-19 revealed weaknesses in the nation’s health care and public health systems. It also worsened existing health inequities for Latinos and other people of color—even creating new disparities. Still, the report offers 100+ recommendations on how federal, state, and local leaders can better ...

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38,367 Speak Up for Healthier Nutrition Guidelines!


nutrition guidelines for healthy food equity produce vegetables fruits trays

Thank you to the 38,367 people—including over 800 Salud America! members—who submitted public comments for better nutrition and limited added sugars for the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans! These comments are the latest step in shaping the guidelines. USDA and HHS update the guidelines every five years. They are the leading set of nutrition standards for people, health professionals, and federal food programs. Submitted between mid-July and mid-August 2020, the new comments arrive after an initial 55,000 public comments between winter 2019 and spring 2020. A federal committee then released a scientific report to inform the guidelines. Recommendations include no sugary drinks for children up to age 2 and less alcohol intake for men. Now we await the release the ...

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Study: Salud America! Increased Exposure to Latino Health Equity Content amid COVID-19


latino health equity digital content curation during covid-19 coronavirus

When COVID-19 struck, it impacted Latinos more than others. That is why Salud America!, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded national program at UT Health San Antonio, immediately applied its digital content curation model to create equitable, culturally relevant information and action opportunities to address pandemic effects on Latinos. The result? Record spikes in program website traffic and confirmation of the curation model's capacity to increase people's exposure to culturally relevant and action-oriented information for a novel topic like COVID-19, according to a new study published in the journal Health Promotion Practice. "We have shown that digital content curation is an effective, measurable public health promotion tool to disseminate awareness-raising and ...

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