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Josh McCormack

Digital Content Curator, Salud America! Josh McCormack joined Salud America! and its home base, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health​ San Antonio, in February 2019. Graduating from Texas A&M University with a BA in English Literature, he has previously worked in journalism and publishing. Josh enjoys reading; some of his favorite authors include Stephen King, Omar El Akkad and J.R.R. Tolkien.​


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Articles by Josh McCormack

From Fútbol to Lowriders: 8 Unique Ways to Reach Latinos for COVID-19 Vaccines


Unique Ways Reach Latinos COVID-19 Vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccination gap continues among Latinos. In fact, most people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine were White (58%), while only 17% were Latino. State-level data show that Latinos are vaccinated at a much lower rate, even as they face heavier case and death burdens from the disease. This makes it critical to find innovative ways to reach Latinos to get vaccinated. “One of the main reasons for inequities in vaccination rates by race and ethnicity is the significant misinformation about vaccines and lack of health education,” writes Dr. Jay Bhatt, an internal medicine physician and an instructor at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, in a recent op-ed. “Through targeted outreach, one-on-one conversations and concerted efforts ...

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Scammers Target Latinos, Blacks More Than Other Groups


Scammers Target Latinos More

Latinos and other people of color are increasingly the targets of criminals who use the internet, phone, and text scams to steal money and damage wellbeing. In fact, 40% of Black and Latino adults have been targeted by online scams and fraud, according to a new survey by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). “Latino adults are most targeted by government impostor scams, utility scams and grandparent scams. For both utility and grandparent scams, Latino adults far outrank other racial groups,” according to Matthew Petrie of the independent market research group BVA BDRC of AARP. Latinos and A Struggle with Scammers Sadly, scammers are common in the United States. The rise of financial fraud in the form of scams is “undeniable,” writes Petrie of ...

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The Latino Gap in STEM Jobs and How to Fix It



As a result of COVID-19 and systemic injustice, Latinos are not faring well in the job market. Worse, Latinos are experiencing the widest gap in one of the nation’s fastest-growing fields — a career in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The depth of the gap could consign Latinos to lower-paying jobs, according to a recent report from the Pew Research Center. “Black and Latino workers remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce compared with their share of all workers, including in computing jobs, which have seen considerable growth in recent years,” the Pew researchers state. What Is the Latino Gap in STEM Jobs? Latinos make up 17% of the overall workforce in the U.S. However, they only make up 8% of those employed in STEM fields. STEM jobs are ...

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Inside the Revamp of the Thrifty Food Plan and the Massive Expansion of SNAP


Thrifty Food Plan Expansion SNAP

Lack of nutritious food can result in countless physical, social, and mental health complications. For many Latino families, governmental assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), put food on the table and uplift out of poverty. But health experts say federal food aid needs expansion to help families in need. Fortunately, the Biden administration recently announced the modernization of the Thrifty Food Plan—used to calculate SNAP benefits—and a 25% rise the average SNAP benefit, the largest single increase in the program’s history. “The background formula was based on food preparation costs and nutrition standards that were developed in 1975,” Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry told the Indy ...

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Elsada Wilson: Amid Breast Cancer, Finding Hope Through a Clinical Trial


Elsada Wilson Breast Cancer Clinical Trial

Cancer is a tough, scary, life-threatening journey, especially for women of color. That is why researchers conduct clinical trials, which are studies to find more effective treatments or achieve a better understand breast cancer and survival among minorities. But, to make progress, clinical trials need diverse volunteers – like Elsada Wilson. Wilson joined a clinical trial at Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio and found hope for herself, her family, and the future. “I felt like I was helping further studies and knowledge,” she said. "If it helps me then I'll be able to help my family and help other people that need help. I wanted to help others. I said to myself, ‘It might be that small thing that might help another person.’ Right?” Wilson’s Breast ...

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Join the AHEAD Clinical Trial to Help Our Familias Prevent Memory Decline!


AHEAD Clinical Trial Familias Prevent Memory Decline

Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than their white peers. Its why diversity in clinical trials is absolutely critical. Fortunately, those studies can help us fight back against Alzheimer’s. If you are age 55 to 80, you can volunteer for the AHEAD Clinical Trial that aims to protect against the onset of Alzheimer's disease, led by the experts at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio. “I got involved with the AHEAD clinical trial because both of my parents had Alzheimer’s,” Dave Ralberer, an AHEAD study participant and study partner, said. “My mother was 72 when she passed away. My dad has been struggling with the disease for 13 years. I have the unusual opportunity to be working with ...

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UPDATE: The COVID-19 Booster Shot and What Latinos Should Know


COVID-19 Booster Shot Latinos

As the American people still grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, medical experts are now in the process of distributing a booster shot, which many say can help. The booster shot is critical in making headway with bringing the pandemic to an end, according to Dr. Anthony Faucci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President. "I’ve made it clear that my opinion has always been that I believe that a third-shot booster for a two-dose mRNA [vaccine] should ultimately and will ultimately be the proper, complete regimen," he said in a recent interview with The Atlantic. "The vaccine is very successful. The durability of it is something that’s a subject of considerable discussion and sometimes debate." As the ...

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Paving the Way from High School to College for Latino Students


High School to College Latino Students

Latino students were once the fastest-growing group in U.S. colleges. Due to COVID-19, that is no longer the case. Latinos and other communities of color continue to bear a heavy burden of the pandemic economic fallout, making it harder for families to send their children to college. In response, George Fox University, a private university in Newberg, Oregon, launched the Liberation Scholars Program. The program offers seminars, mentoring, and more for high school students at Woodburn High School, according to Mario Garza, a college and career counselor at Woodburn. “I think what we try to do, and I think what George Fox is doing with us through their Liberation Scholars program, is really trying to build up the toolbox for all of these kids,” Garza said, according to ...

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70,000 Latinos Lost Lives to Gunfire Since 1999


Latinos Lose Lives Gunfire

Gun violence claims many lives every year. 69,519 U.S. Latinos were killed with guns from 1999 through 2019, according to a new report from Violence Policy Center (VPC). The report, which also analyzed lethal gunfire data from 2019 by race/ethnicity, found Latinos have a nearly twice-as-high homicide victimization rate (5.15 per 100,000) than whites (2.62). Most homicides involved firearms, and Latino victims were often youths or young adults. This issue warrants legislative attention, as too many people still suffer at the hands of guns, according to Josh Sugarman, executive director at VPC. “A lot of states have not adjusted the way that they approach violence prevention and issues associated with their increasing Latino population,” Sugarman said. “The reason we do ...

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