About the Author

Author Picture

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.

Connect with Cliff:
Twitter Link

Articles by Cliff Despres

How California is Pushing for More Latino Doctors


latino doctor with patient

What happens in a state where half of people are Latino, but only 5% of doctors are? It means not enough doctors with the cultural competency and understanding of the Latino community to adequately serve them—like in California right now. That is why the Latino Physicians of California professional group and others are urging increased representation of Latinos in the medical field, according to California Healthline. Complicating matters is that, in California: Latinos represent only 8% of nurses; Latino represent only 4% of pharmacists; More than one-third of current doctors are expected to retire within 10 years; and Latinos make up a small percentage of graduating medical students. “If we are going to properly serve our current and future patient base, we ...

Read More

How a State is Pushing for More Latino Doctors


latina doctor

What happens in a state where half of people are Latino, but only 5% of doctors are? It means not enough doctors with the cultural competency and understanding of the Latino community to adequately serve them—like in California right now. That is why the Latino Physicians of California professional group and others are urging increased representation of Latinos in the medical field, according to California Healthline. Complicating matters is that, in California: Latinos represent only 8% of nurses; Latino represent only 4% of pharmacists; More than one-third of current doctors are expected to retire within 10 years; and Latinos make up a small percentage of graduating medical students. “If we are going to properly serve our current and future patient base, we ...

Read More

Salud America! Wins ‘Best Health Advocate’ on Social Media


mobile social media tablet communication

Latino health rules! We're excited to announce we, Salud America! (formerly SaludToday), were named "Best Health Advocate Reaching Latino(a)s Through Social Media" by LATISM (Latinos in Social Media), a nonprofit promoting Latino tech innovation. Salud America! promotes Latino health awareness, stories, and solutions. Our Tweetchat series, #SaludTues at 1 p.m. EST each Tuesday, generates Latino health conversation, problem-solving, and resource-sharing among millions of Twitter users. We were nominated alongside two great organizations, @MinorityHealth and @CuidadodeSalud. "This award is important because it reinforces the importance of reaching Latinos with critical health messages, and recognizes three organizations that are working very hard to do just that," said Dr. ...

Read More

Tweetchat 10/25: Fixing the Colossal Shortage of Latino Doctors


latino doctor with patient

The U.S. Latino population surged 243% since 1980. But at the same time, the number of Latino doctors dropped substantially. The need for more Latino physicians is vital for the nation's rising Latino population, to enable better access to healthcare with fewer cultural and linguistic barriers. So how can we get more Latino doctors? Use #SaludTues on Oct. 25, 2016, to tweet with us, Dr. Esteban Lopez of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, the National Hispanic Medical Association, and the Latino Medical Student Association, about innovative strategies to increase Latino doctors. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat “How to Address the Latino Doc Shortage” TIME/DATE: 12-1 p.m. CST, (1-2pm EST), Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: ...

Read More

Vote for SaludToday as Best Health Advocate



Latinos deserve to live in a culture of health. That's why SaludToday, led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, works hard to promote Latino health awareness, stories, and solutions. Today we're excited to be nominated as Best Health Advocate Reaching Latino(a)s through Through Social Media by LATISM (Latinos in Social Media). LATISM is a nonprofit that empowers Latinos through tech innovation and social media. SaludToday is nominated with two great organizations (@MinorityHealth and @CuidadodeSalud). We will present our work at #LATISM16 on Oct. 20, 2016, in Florida. Vote for us here! “We believe SaludToday is helping to influence individual and collective health knowledge, improve attitudes and promote healthy behaviors and a culture of health, which may ultimately lead to ...

Read More

5 Perfect Tips to Stay Healthy for Dia de los Muertos, Holiday Season


latino halloween kids trick holiday

Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are a few days away. Thanksgiving and Christmas after. Yup, holiday season is upon us. That's why, as holiday parties and performances stack up on busy calendars, pediatrician Diana Bojorquez of Kaiser Permanente has five big tips to keep Latino adults and kids healthy and happy, and lower their risk of weight gain and associated health issues. 1. Get enough sleep. It’s important for everyone to maintain a regular shut-eye schedule – sleep restores and repairs our bodies, not to mention plentiful sleep helps with weight loss and mental capacity, among other health benefits. Adults should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and children need more, with very young ones needing as much as 12 hours nightly. 2. Prevent illness. There are little things, ...

Read More

#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/18: Latinos and Diabetes


Latina running exercise

U.S. Latinos have high risk of pre-diabetes, diabetes, and diabetic eye disease. But why? What can we do to stop it from happening? Let’s use #SaludTues to tweet in English and Spanish information, resources, and tips that can empower Latinos to prevent, reduce, and manage diabetes: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Diabetes & Latinos TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues LANGUAGE: English and Spanish HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: Vida Saludable by the American Heart Association (@AHA_Vida) and Ventanilla de Salud in Washington, D.C. (@VDSalud_DC) We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore: Why is knowing about diabetes important for Latinos? What are the ...

Read More

New App Will Help Breast Cancer Patients Stick to Therapy


latina breast cancer pink

San Antonio researchers are developing a bilingual, culturally relevant phone app and navigation services to help local breast cancer patients stick with their prescribed therapy. The one-year, $200,000 study, led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and funded by Susan G. Komen, will recruit 120 breast cancer patients at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center who are receiving endocrine hormonal therapy. Endocrine hormonal therapy is the most widely prescribed treatment for about three-fourths of all breast cancer cases. Many patients fail to take their medication as prescribed, and face higher risk of cancer recurrence. For the study, half the women will get access to the app and a patient navigator, who would help with ...

Read More

Report: Latinos Especially Hard-Hit by Climate Change


climate change pollution latino

U.S. Latinos are especially vulnerable to health threats posed by climate change because of where they live, work and lack access to health care, according to a new report. The report, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), is an English and Spanish review of dozens of U.S. studies and reports on the health and economic impacts that Latinos face as a result of climate change. Results include: A majority live in California, Texas, Florida and New York, states that are among the most affected by extreme heat, air pollution, and flooding. Latinos are heavily represented in crop and livestock production and construction, where they’re at elevated risk from climate-change-boosted extreme heat. They are three times more likely to die on the job from excessive heat ...

Read More