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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

6 Ways Latina Moms-to-Be Can Have Healthier Babies


pregnant latina checkup baby

Did you know Latina moms are twice as likely as white moms to start prenatal care late or not all all? This increases the risk of having a baby with serious health problems. The good news is that using life planning tools, managing health conditions and avoiding certain exposures can improve differences in Latinas' prenatal and child health, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Someday Starts Now campaign in English and Spanish. Here are six tips: 1. Health Before Pregnancy. A healthy life depends on a combination of eating right and exercising—in addition to managing chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes and stress, as well as quitting unhealthy behaviors like smoking. 2. Get Tested for STIs. Get checked regularly for Sexually Transmitted ...

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Study: Latinas with Breast Cancer Are Less Involved in Choosing Care Providers



Latina and black women are less likely than white women to pick their surgeon and hospital for treatment based on reputation, according to a new, Medical Express reports. Instead, they rely more on physician referrals and health plans for those decisions. The study, published in JAMA Oncology, suggests less-active involvement of minority patients with regard to selecting physicians and hospitals for their care. "Most women relied on referrals from their physicians for selecting surgeons, particularly black women and Spanish-speaking Hispanic women. In addition, minority patients were less likely to report reputation as an important component of their decisions about surgeons and hospitals and were more likely to select a hospital because it was part of their health plan," according to ...

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Apply by 3/31/15: Scholarships for Travel, Research Publications



Apply now for a career development scholarship from a Texas-based regional health disparities research program. The program, called GMaP Region 4, under the direction of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, is seeking applicants for its Early Career Cancer Health Disparities Researcher Scholarship Award. The award supports career development in cancer health disparities research by paying for conference (i.e., registration, travel, lodging, etc.), workshop, journal/publication fees, and other expenses. Recipients will be able to use the award for events between May 1 and July 15, 2015. Applications are due March 31, 2015. GMaP Region 4 is one of six regional GMaPs (or Transdisciplinary Geographic ...

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Extended Deadline: Apply for Latino Cancer Research Training by 3/22/15



Apply now by the new deadline, March 22, 2015, for the 2015 Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Éxito!, a program funded by the National Cancer Institute and led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (the team behind SaludToday), will select 20 master’s-level students and health professionals from across the nation to attend a five-day summer institute June 2015, in San Antonio, offering research information, tools, tips, role models and motivation to encourage participants to pursue a doctoral degree and a career studying Latino cancer. Master’s-degree students or master’s-trained health professionals are encouraged to apply. Since launching in 2011, Éxito! has had 78 participants. Nearly ...

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Webinar 3/10/15: Key Decisions Await Latinas after a Breast Cancer Diagnosis



You're invited to a Redes En Acción webinar at 11 a.m. CST Tuesday (3/10/15) to explore racial/ethnic differences in treatment decision-making among women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. Having DCIS can increase risk of developing more invasive, life-threatening breast cancer. The webinar will describe findings from a study that compares Latinas and non-Latina White women with DCIS and their trajectories from treatment decisions to follow-up, including satisfaction with their decisions and quality of life after diagnosis and treatment. The webinar will feature study investigator Dr. Celia Kaplan (pictured), a Redes investigator and professor in residence in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San ...

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Alexandra Conde Toro: An Èxito! Grad Who Values Patients’ Health History…and Their Stories



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Alexandra Conde Toro Santa Rosa Bay, Puerto Rico Alexandra Conde Toro has a heart for hearing and understanding people’s stories—characteristics she developed in her native Bayamón, Puerto Rico, a culture infused with the joy and encouragement of families, folk music, and stories. Conde Toro uses her passion for her community to address health problems they suffer. Conde Toto, who has a bachelor’s degree in human biology from The University of Puerto Rico, Bayamon Campus, is currently pursuing a master’s degree in research and evaluation of health systems at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Science Campus. She ...

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Angela Gutierrez: An Èxito! Grad Turns Every Barrier into an Opportunity



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Angela Gutierrez Baldwin Park, Calif. Angela Gutierrez learned from her father to turn every barrier into an opportunity, and to acquire knowledge to improve her native community in Baldwin Park, Calif. Inspired by his words—“If we do not have the knowledge, how can we change?”—Gutierrez earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and public health policy from the University of California, Irvine, and a master’s degree in public health from CSU Fullerton. She now is a research assistant for the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Center and teaches in the CSU Fullerton Department of Health Science. Gutierrez seeks to ...

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Hena Din: An Èxito! Grad Helping Minority Students Discover Health Careers



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Hena Din San Diego, Calif. Born to Pakistanian parents in San Diego, Hena Din cites her dual Muslim and American heritages as what drives her emotions, spirituality, and her passion for learning. Din has always enjoyed being in school and conducting research. This led to her earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in public health with an emphasis on health promotion and behavioral sciences from the University of California, San Diego. She is currently helping minority students discover health career paths. Driven by her ongoing passion to expand her knowledge through higher education, Din applied for ...

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Jose Arrezola: An Èxito! Grad Who Wants to Prevent Disease among Latinos



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Jose Arrezola Fresno, Calif. When they moved from Mexico, to Fresno, Calif., in 1997, Jose Arrezola’s parents couldn’t read or write, but they strongly encouraged him to become educated. Arrazola joined a college assistant migrant program. There he worked with a mentor who provided additional support, encouragement, and opportunity, and eventually he became his family’s first-ever college grad, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health from California State University, Fresno. To seek new ways to expand his desire to prevent disease among Mexican Americans, Arrezola applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer ...

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