Eric Moreno is a Content Curator with the Salud America! program at UT Health San Antonio. He specializes in covering the topics of health equity and family and social support. He holds a BA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an MA from Gonzaga University.
A recent poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that older Latinos are more likely than whites or African Americans to borrow money from a retirement account. Whether do to a pressing financial concern or a medical emergency, 34% of all Latinos surveyed (compared to 24% of whites and 25% of African Americans) have at least partially “tapped into” a retirement account. Nearly 1/3 of all the respondents reported withdrawing money to pay monthly bills such as rent and utilities. Many Latinos, especially those born outside of the United States, have little to no savings. In these cases, an emergency of any kind can be devastating financially. “Latinos are using retirement accounts for emergencies,” said Ernest Gonzales, sociology ...
Latinos have made great strides in education in recent years, with more enrolling two- and four-year colleges and universities than ever before. However, there is still a significant gap between Latinos and other racial and ethnic minorities in obtaining college degrees. Education is one of the main determinants of health; the more education you obtain, the better your chances for higher paying jobs, financial stability, upward mobility, and better long-term mental and physical health. Overall, the economy has rebounded from the mid-2000s economic downturn. However, according to a new report by the Federal Reserve, those households that do not have a college degree are struggling more than ever. As reported by Reuters, the annual report serves as “temperature check” on the ...
Attaining an education is one of the key social determinants of health. Education impacts future economic well-being, job growth, and your long-term physical and mental health. Latinos have made great strides in education in the last decade. As of recent reports, the rate of Latino high school dropouts is at an all-time low while rates of graduation are at all-time highs. Latinos are also enrolling in more two- and four-year colleges and universities. While things are looking up, there is still a significant gap in educational attainment between Latinos and other racial and ethnic groups. In order to make an impact on this gap, more colleges and universities are addressing this problem in creative and “outside-the-box” manners. In order to reduce health disparities, it is ...
Chances are good you or someone you know has a mental health issue. In fact, during any given year, about 1 in every 4 people in the United States has a diagnosable disorder, two-thirds of which goes untreated, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. Latinos report the highest stress across money, employment, family responsibilities, and health concerns, a recent survey reported. What’s worse, many are unable to get the help they need to either treat their conditions or even get a diagnosis. Telemedicine is an emerging answer to these issues. Doctors are increasingly “linking up” with their patients by phone, email, and webcam more frequently thanks to faster Internet connections. This can reduce some of the cost and rising need for ...
Lack of access to quality healthcare is one of the main inequities that keep many Latinos from obtaining the best quality healthcare possible. However, the advent and proliferation of telehealth or telemedicine looks to be a way to bridge the gap between Latinos and their healthcare providers. Developed as a remote way to monitor patients, treat chronic illnesses and/or conditions, and eliminate barriers (such as a lack of transportation), technology – in the form of telemedicine – looks to be the way of the future as far as healthcare goes, especially for Latinos. Studies have shown that more and more Latinos are accessing the Internet, especially through smart phones and other hand-held devices. This is the essence of telemedicine. Now, in Texas (38.42% Latino population), a ...
For 30 years, a group of small community health centers have provided primary healthcare to residents in Maricopa County, Ariz. (30% Latino population). A few years ago, center leaders Dr. Avein Saaty Tafoya and Lisa Blue recognized that local residents continued to face cultural, language, financial, and other barriers to proper comprehensive healthcare. They felt compelled to change the entire approach of their centers. Adelante Healthcare began to seek grants and partnerships to add personnel to expand beyond their historical focus on primary care. Today their new team—primary care physicians, specialists, bilingual health coaches, mental and behavioral health social workers, and others who connect families to insurance, health education, and more—provides more ...
A quality education is key to health, science shows. Latinos are making progress in educational achievement. The Latino high-school dropout rate is at an all-time low. Graduation rates are at an all-time high. More Latinos are enrolling in two- and four-year universities than ever before. But there remains a large educational gap between Latinos and their peers. A new initiative by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), founded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, and The College Board is trying to significantly close this gap. The two-year effort aims to expand access to “unique personalized learning pathways” to help lower-income and rural area students prepare for key “college gateway tasks,” such as the PSAT, SAT and Advanced Placement courses.
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A lack of access to quality healthcare coverage has been one of the most persistent causes of health inequity for many Latino families. Despite significant gains made under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Latinos still remain the largest uninsured population in the country. In May 2016, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) of California (38.39% Latino population) implemented new legislation that allows for all children in the state under the age of 19 to be eligible for full Medi-Cal benefits. Previously, undocumented children would have only received emergency care benefits through Medi-Cal and would not have had access to dental or mental health care. From May through April of 2017, 189,434 undocumented children had been signed up for the “Medi-Cal for All Children” ...
Despite being the country’s largest racial and ethnic minority group and despite the fact that the Latino population in the United States is growing at exponential rates, they suffer from vast differences in health conditions compared to whites. These health disparities are rooted in “social disadvantage” and affect Latinos in their abilities to access quality healthcare, attain better paying jobs and quality education. With serious issues plaguing them, what can be done? The National League of Cities recently collaborated with the George Washington University Milken School of Public Health to analyze the options that cities have in addressing the educational and healthcare needs of residents. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address ...
