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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

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez to Help Lead $46 Million NIH Project to Move Discoveries into Practice


amelie ramirez ut health san antonio Clinical and Translational Science Awards CTSA

UT Health San Antonio, including Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, and seven regional collaborators will leverage $46 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over the next five to seven years to translate scientific discoveries into therapeutic benefits for human health and well-being. A key focus will be reducing health disparities among Latinos (particularly Mexican Americans), active military personnel, and veterans. Dr. William L. Henrich, president of UT Health San Antonio, recently announced the funding from the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program. Henrich thanked partners including The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at San Antonio and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute for ...

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Dr. Amelie Ramirez Wins AACI Cancer Health Equity Award


Amelie Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio health equity Systemic and Behavioral Change

Dr. Amelie Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, has won the 2023 Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) Cancer Health Equity Award. The award recognizes exceptional leadership in promoting health equity, mitigating cancer disparities, and advocating for diversity and inclusion at a cancer center. Past winners are Dr. Robert A. Winn of the VCU Massey Cancer Center and Dr. Electra D. Paskett of Ohio State University. Ramirez, nominated by the award by former Mays Cancer Center Director Dr. Ruben Mesa, will be recognized at AACI's annual meeting Oct. 2, 2023. "I am honored to receive the AACI Cancer Health Equity Award. It recognizes the hard work we do at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio to promote health equity, study new ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 9/5/23: Building a Healthier Future for Latinos


healthy communities for latino and diverse populations

Latinos face many challenges to good health. Equitable access to healthcare is often out of reach. Discrimination is a reality for many, along with financial toxicity, limited health food, and unstable housing, transportation, and childcare. But we have an opportunity to create healthy changes. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, to share how everyone – from healthcare to schools to local decision-makers – can get involved in building healthier communities for Latinos and all people as we near Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15)! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Building a Healthier Future for Latinos TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: ...

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Farmers Markets Are Essential for Local Food Systems


Michelle Greigo at the dignowity hills farmers market

Does your town have a farmers market? Farmers markets are a path to healthy food access. They are especially important amid the push for nutrition security and racial/ethnic justice. Fortunately, the Farmers Market Coalition is stepping up to support farmers markets. They’re supporting markets, creating an anti-racist toolkit, and sharing how markets increase equitable access to healthy, fresh produce and social connections, and engage farmers in the local economy. "As hubs for connection and community resilience, farmers markets have particularly risen to the occasion this year by providing a necessary sense of unity and stability during a time of great uncertainty," according to the coalition. "Farmers markets don’t just happen. The hard work of farmers market operators ...

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Watch Webinar: How to Systemically Address Social Needs in Healthcare Settings



Latinos face inequities in social determinants of health (SDoH), from housing to healthcare, making it harder to achieve health equity. Watch the UT Health San Antonio webinar — “How to Systemically Address Social Needs in Healthcare Settings” — which was held at 11 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, to explore how healthcare settings can care for patients' medical and SDoH needs. Panelists from UT Health San Antonio, Nemours Children's Health, HOPE Clinic in Houston, the American Cancer Society, and Genentech unpacked SDoH screening, a strategy that clinics, hospitals, and healthcare systems can use to check patients for social needs and connect them to needed resources. This is a part of a webinar of a series, “Let’s Address Health Equity Together.” The ...

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5 Reasons to Register for Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos



Did you know Latinos are expected to face a 142% rise in cancer cases in coming years? To address the heavy burden of Latino cancer, you can register now for UT Health San Antonio's 4th biennial Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference Feb. 21-23, 2024, at the Marriott Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. The conference will welcome researchers, physicians, community leaders, patient advocates, policymakers, and students from across the country to tackle Latino cancer from prevention to treatment to survivorship. “Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos is a sanctuary where we can share research, experience, and action to translate basic research into clinical best practices, effective community interventions, and professional training programs to eliminate cancer ...

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Honoring Latino Military Heroes on Memorial Day


latino military hero rocky versace for memorial day

Memorial Day is May 27, 2024. We at Salud America! are excited to honor all U.S. military personnel, including the Latinos, who have served and died for our country. Latinos in the Military: History Latinos have a “proud and indeed enviable” record of military service that dates back all the way to the Civil War, according to a U.S. Army historical website. About 20,000 Latino serviceman and women participated in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, 80,000 in the Vietnam War in 1959-1973, and more than 400,000 in World War II in 1939-1945. Latinos have earned more than 40 Medals of Honor, according to the Department of Defense. “Whether their heritage can be traced to Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or one of dozens of other Spanish-speaking countries or ...

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832 People Told EPA to Limit PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water


PFAS in drinking water

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sought public comments on its proposal to limit and regulate several types of “forever chemicals” called perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS have been around since the 1940s and are known for their resistance to environmental degradation – hence their nickname, “forever chemicals.” EPA’s proposed changes are in response to recent research that PFAS harm human health, with negative impacts from fetal growth to cancer risk. June 2023 Update: 832 Salud America! members submitted a model comment to support the regulation of PFAS in drinking water and the environment to protect the health of Latino and all communities. 121,969 people submitted comments overall. Comment period ended May 30, ...

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Watch Webinar: How to Care for the Latino Caregiver



Family is the heart of Latino culture. Many Latinos are expected to take on the respectable but high-stress role of caregiving for their aging parents, who are 1.5 times more likely than non-Latino Whites to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Join UT Health San Antonio's webinar — “How to Care for the Latino Caregiver” — at 11 a.m. CST on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, to explore how to support Latino caregivers as they support their families. Panelists from UT Health San Antonio, the National Alliance for Caregiving, and Genentech will share how to ease caregivers’ stress, anxiety, and depression, as part of Alzheimer's And Brain Awareness Month in June. This is a part of a webinar of a series, “Let’s Address Health Equity Together.” The series is a collaboration of ...

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