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Amanda Merck

Merck completed her MPH with a concentration in Physical Activity and Health. She curates content for Salud America! (@SaludAmerica), a Latino childhood obesity prevention project based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She focuses on the latest research, resources, and stories related to policy, systems, and environmental changes to enhance equitable access to safe places for kids and families to walk, bike, and play.

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Articles by Amanda Merck

New Animated Video Teaches Families Easy Ways to Cook Healthy Meals



Over 39 percent of Latino children are overweight or obese in the U.S., according to Salud America!. To educate parents and children Kaiser Permanente’s La Salud Permanente has released a new animated video that teaches parents and kids how to cook delicious healthy meals that family members with diabetes can also enjoy! The video also includes tips like: Learning how to fill your plate by balancing out portions How to compliment your meals with a beverage How to prepare a soup or stew using the same method Watch the video ...

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New Interactive Map Highlights Disparities in Medicare



The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) recently released an interactive map that illustrates disparities in chronic diseases geographically for Medicare beneficiaries. The Mapping Medicare Disparities (MMD) Tool can identify disparities in health outcomes, utilization, and spending by race, ethnicity, and geographic location. “Our commitment to health equity begins with properly measuring the care people get and having an honest dialogue on how and where we need to improve,” said CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt. “Today’s tool aims to make it harder for disparities to go unaddressed.” Understanding the geographic differences in certain disparities is important for a number of reasons. This understanding helps to inform ...

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Happy Birthday, ACA!



Today, March 23, marks the 6th anniversary of the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law by President Barack Obama. An estimated 20 million people have gained health insurance since the ACA went into law in 2010. Latinos have been some of the biggest beneficiaries of the ACA; in 2014, an estimated 8 in 10 uninsured Latinos qualified for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), or lower costs on monthly premiums through the Health Insurance Marketplace. The ACA is providing the tools to help transform our health care system to one of better care, smarter spending and healthier people. More than 6 million uninsured young adults have gained health insurance coverage since 2010. For Latinos, 4.2 million between the ages of 18-64 gained health insurance ...

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Case Study: How Does Vision Zero Differ from Traditional Traffic Safety Approaches?



The Vision Zero Network conducted a case study to identify the key elements that distinguish Vision Zero from traditional approaches to traffic safety. What makes Vision Zero an innovative road safety policy with the potential to make our streets safe? Reframing traffic deaths as preventable Focusing on system failure Reducing the impact of collisions Adopting a Safe System approach Data-driven decision-making Road safety as a social equity issue Read about how the U.S. is lagging behind other countries in traffic safety here. Read the case study here. Copy and Share: Traffic deaths are preventable. Road safety is a social equity issue. #VisionZero ...

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Vision Zero Cities: International Journal of Traffic Safety Innovation



Transportation Alternatives released the first issue of Vision Zero Cities: International Journal of Traffic Safety Innovation. In this issue, you will hear from a variety of Vision Zero experts, "from the grassroots to the highest echelons of government, from Mexico City to Sweden to San Antonio, about their unique efforts to save lives" according to Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. Vision Zero experts featured in this issue: Seleta Reynolds & Nat Gale, General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and Senior Project Coordinator for Vision Zero at LADOT (respectively): How to Think Big Marco Conner, Legislative and Legal Manager and Transportation Alternatives: Racial Inequity in Traffic Enforcement Peatónito, ...

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Our Children’s Future Is in Danger. Will You Step Up?



Latino kids face dire rates of obesity, diabetes, and related conditions. Can you be a Salud Leader for kids? Salud America!, a Latino childhood obesity prevention network, is recruiting Salud Leaders to join a national movement to start and support healthy changes in communities and schools. A Salud Leader is a parent, school personnel, or community leader who drives healthy changes like working to unlock playgrounds for use after school hours, pushing for healthier food options, starting a farmers market, removing sugary drinks from daycares, etc. If you sign up, you get (for free): A spot on our national Salud Leader map. The ability to connect with other local leaders and see trending policies and stories. Customized data about the health issues in your area (a ...

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Child Trends Report: Early Childhood Program Enrollment



Participation in high-quality early childhood care and education can have positive effects on children’s cognitive, language, and social development, as well as health, particularly among at-risk children. Race, income, mother's employment status, mother's highest level of education, family type, and geographical region impact a child's likeliness to be enrolled in early childhood care and education. Read the Early Childhood Program Enrollment report here. Copy and Share: High-quality early childhood care/education can ↑ kid's cognitive, language, & social development. http://goo.gl/FRvEa1 ...

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Workshop 4/12: How Business Leaders Can Help Solve Obesity


Amelie Ramirez

It will take all sectors of society to solve the obesity crisis. That's why on April 12, 2016, Dr. Amelie Ramirez and the rest of the Roundtable on Obesity Solutions will conduct a workshop on how business leaders can get involved in fighting obesity. Tune in here for the free workshop, which is set for 9 a.m. EST Tuesday, April 12, 2016. The workshop will feature expert speakers and discussion on why and how to encourage the business community to be involved in obesity solutions, identify reasons why businesses might be interested in being involved, and demonstrate ways they can be engaged with a focus on community level multi-sector collaborations. Ramirez, director of SaludToday, Salud America!, and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center ...

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Business Community Supports Home Visiting Programs for At-risk Parents



Various states-Michigan, Iowa, Vermont and Kentucky-have received support from their business communities to enact home visiting programs. Mothers’ health during pregnancy and caregivers’ actions during early childhood can permanently affect their children’s health, cognitive ability, and behavioral skills. "Research shows that certain high-quality home visiting programs, starting before birth and continuing into the early years, can benefit two generations–transforming both mothers’ and their children’s lives", according to Mentors for At-Risk Mothers-a report by ReadyNation, a membership organization for business leaders interested in strengthening business through effective investments in children and youth. High-quality home visiting programs can also benefit ...

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