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Eric Moreno

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.


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Articles by Eric Moreno

Eggs-plaining the Facts for National Egg Month!


Toast with avocado and egg

Eggs are sometimes called “nature’s miracle food.” The are found in nearly every culture’s diet around the world, and for good reason. Eggs are versatile to cook with. They are high in protein and nutrients, one of the few food sources of Vitamin D, and pretty tasty! Are Eggs Good for You? Over the years, debate has raged about the true health value of eggs, mainly due to being high in dietary cholesterol (which is found in the yolks). However, eggs are low in saturated fat, which is the bigger culprit when it comes to raising blood cholesterol levels. Because of these facts, eggs have been given the proverbial “thumbs up” from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans by Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. WebMd's Dr. Kathleen M. Zelman says ...

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Few Latinos Utilize Telemental Health Resources



Mental Health is a growing public health concern in the United States. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, during any given year, nearly 25% of the population has a diagnosable disorder, two-thirds of which goes untreated. According to a new study, an estimated 8.3 million adults in the U.S. (close to 3.5%) suffer from serious psychological distress. What’s worse, many are unable to get the help they need to either treat there conditions or even get a diagnosis. Latinos reported the highest stress across four major sources of stress including money, employment, family responsibilities and health concerns, a recent survey reported. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and ...

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Ride-Sharing Program Partners with Health Insurance to Reduce Patient No-Shows



Latinos often face many obstacles that prevent them from obtaining health equity. One of the bigger hurdles they frequently have to overcome is a lack of access to quality healthcare. Lack of transportation equity prevents many Latinos from regularly accessing preventative care. According to the Community Transportation Association of America, about 3.6 million patients miss medical appointments each year because of transportation issues. A new, unique initiative between Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) and an unlikely partner is looking to alleviate some of these concerns. The rides-sharing service Lyft is partnering with the health coverage provider to help cut down on missed healthcare appointments. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address ...

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Dr. Lyft: Free Rides Help Patients Make It to Medical Appointments



Latinos often face hurdles like language, culture, and cost to get proper healthcare, which contributes to heavier disease burdens and health inequities. Transportation is another big hurdle to healthcare access. In fact, 3.6 million patients miss medial appointments each year due to transportation issues, according to the Community Transportation Association of America. A new partnership between ride-sharing service Lyft and major healthcare insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) are forming an unlikely partnership to solve the issue. BCBS will offer free Lyft services to its members as part of a new service delivery model for select companies to reduce missed appointments for nonemergency care in areas that lack adequate transportation options, HealthCare Dive ...

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Latino Kids Enroll in ECE Centers at Lower Rates than their Peers



Latinos are the largest ethnic and racial minority group in the country and their numbers are rapidly growing. They are expected to grow from 1 in 6 people today to 1 in 4 by 2035 and 1 in 3 by 2060. Despite their prevalence in the country, Latinos suffer vast differences in health conditions compared to whites. These health disparities are often rooted in social disadvantage. Health inequities are found in several often unavoidable areas, including housing segregation, access to care, income, and educational attainment. Latino children currently make up roughly 25% of all children in the United States. Given this substantial number, how they fare academically will have a massive impact on the social and economic well-being of the country as a whole for generations to ...

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Life Expectancy for Latinos Differs by 20 Years in Some US Counties


Latino farm boy in poverty and food insecurity

Fact: Where you live greatly impacts how healthy you will be. Lifespans differs by as much as 20 years at birth between the longest- and shortest-rated counties United States, revealing massive health inequities in different parts of the country, especially Latino-centric area, according to a new study, CNN reports. For the study, researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington in Seattle examined county data for life expectancy from 1980-2014. They then applied mathematical models to estimate the average lifespan. Findings showed life expectancy at birth increased by 5.3 years for adults (going from age 73.8 to 79.1) between 1980 and 2014. Over that time, men gained 6.7 years (going from age 70 to 76.7) while women ...

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Life Expectancy for Latinos Differs by 20 Years in Some US Counties



Fact – where you greatly determines how healthy you will be. A recent study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington determined that the life expectancy at birth differs by as much as 20 years between the lowest rated and highest rated counties surveyed in the United States. Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray and his team studied the life expectancy of each U.S. county from 1980-2014 analyzing county-level data and applied mathematical models to estimate the average length of lives. According to the findings, life expectancy at birth increased by 5.3 years for both men and women (from 73.8 years to 79.1 years) between 1980 and 2014. Over that time, men gained 6.7 years (going from 70 years on average to 76.7 years) while women gained four ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 5/16: Get the Facts – Latinos, Hepatitis, and Liver Cancer


latino family happy

May is #HepatitisAwarenessMonth. The number of U.S. Latinos with hepatitis C (2.6%) is higher than the number of overall people with hepatitis C (1.3%). Hepatitis C disease progression has also shown to be faster in Latinos than in Whites. Worldwide, hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common risk factor for liver cancer. Latinos have much higher liver cancer rates than Whites, too. Why is this the case? What prevention can be done? What should Latinos know? Let’s use #SaludTues to tweet-chat on Tuesday, May 16, about liver issues, resources, and solutions for Latinos. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Get the Facts – Latinos, Hepatitis, and Liver Cancer” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, May 16, 2017 WHERE: ...

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Latino Boys Come from Strong Families; Lag Behind on Academics



Researchers from the University of Maryland College of Education have recently completed a study where they examined the development and early home experiences of young Latino boys in comparison to the development of white boys and Latina girls. “Our research focused on the early childhood experiences of Latino boys because that is such a crucial time for the development of skills needed for school and life success,” said Dr. Natasha Cabrera, lead researcher on the study. “A better understanding of the strengths as well as the difficulties of the home environment and development could help in crafting interventions that improve academic performance for Latino boys.” Cabrera and her research team determined that, similar to their white peers, Latino boys tend to grow up in ...

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