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.
Latinos are the nation’s largest racial/ethnic minority group. They are expected to grow from 1 in 6 people today to 1 in 4 by 2035 and 1 in 3 by 2060. Many Latinos suffer vast differences in health conditions, also called health disparities, compared to whites. Health inequities are at play that create these disparities. Several of these are rooted in social disadvantage based on Latinos’ lack of opportunities for educational attainment, residential segregation, and a lack of access to care. The Center for Health Progress has recently completed a project that looks to tackle the question of health equity and inequity in a unique way. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, ...
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men of all races, including Latinos. Latino have lower rates of prostate cancer than Whites, but are more likely to die from the disease. One of the reasons this happens is that Latinos are less likely to get “timely, high-quality treatment," according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). New guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPTF) have shed new light on how all men should approach prostate cancer screenings. The USPTF’s new recommendations say that all men younger than 70 with no signs of prostate cancer may no longer be discouraged by their physicians from checking their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. In 2012, the task force recommended against routinely checking PSA levels in ...
For many Latinos, the dream of attaining an education beyond high school is unreachable. Whether it is a lack of access, a lack of funds, or a lack of resources, many just do not have the option of going to college. In Massachusetts (10.56% Latino population), some of those barriers are about to be eliminated thanks to an initiative from the state’s STEM Advisory Council. Gov. Charlie Baker announced that the state will pay $326,000 to pay for advanced placement exams in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects for low-income students. “Massachusetts has one of the fastest growing innovation economies in the nation, and it is important we continue to develop a strong pipeline of skilled workers to fill critical job openings in STEM fields,” Governor Charlie ...
Minorities often deal with lots of obstacles that prevent them from getting the best healthcare possible. Language, cultural stigmas, lack of access and information, and segregation are just some big issues facing minorities. Having “good” health is a big factor in people excelling in their quality of life. Health factors into education, employment, and long-term success. For National Minority Health Month in April, let’s use #SaludTues at 1 p.m. EST April 18, 2017, to tweet about Latino health issues and solutions. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “National Minority Health Month!”
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST (Noon-1 p.m. CST), Tuesday, April 11, 2017
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludToday
CO-HOSTS: The U.S. Office of Minority Health ...
Cancer rates continue to decrease among U.S. men, women, and children for all major racial/ethnic groups. That's the good news from the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2014 from the National Cancer Institute and others. The bad news? Hispanics/Latinos had higher risk of death for many cancers, which may in part reflect treatment differences, according to the report. The report also had mixed findings on cancer survival rates, overall. "Survival improved over time for almost all cancers at every stage of diagnosis," said Dr. Ahmedin Jemal of the American Cancer Society and lead author of the study. "But survival remains very low for some types of cancer and for most types of cancers diagnosed at an advanced stage." Cancers with the lowest ...
“Telehealth” or “Telemedicine,” as it sometimes called, refers to traditional clinical diagnosis and monitoring that is delivered by technology. It has proven to be an exciting breakthrough in medicine and has been used in wide array of situations to diagnose and manage symptoms, in education, and other related fields of health care, including: dentistry, counseling, physical and occupational therapy, home health, and chronic disease monitoring and management. For those who are infirmed or in hard to reach rural areas, telehealth has proven to be great resource for both the patients and health care providers. According to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), can best be thought of as a way to increase the contact between a patient and their medical ...
It is a well-known fact: where you live impacts your overall well-being. Environment greatly impacts health, education, employment, access to opportunity, and long-term success. Latinos often face inequities and disparities due to barriers created by their environments. Many have to live in low-income and high-poverty and high-crime neighborhoods with little access to healthy food and physical activity opportunities. A recent ranking has determined the healthiest and least healthy counties in the heavily Latino populated state of Texas (38.42% Latino population). In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, and get involved. According to newly released data ...
Overall, most young people in the United States want any health care overhaul by the current Presidential Administration to “strongly resemble” the Affordable Care Act (ACA) which was signed into law under President Barack Obama. A new poll by GenForward found that the majority of young Americans – age 18-30 – think the federal government should be responsible for ensuring that all Americans have health insurance. “I do believe the government should offer it because we pay taxes,” said Rachel Haney, 27, of Tempe, AZ in an interview with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “I do feel like it's a right.” However, the one main caveat that the majority of those surveyed agreed upon was the requirement that all Americans purchase health care or face a fine. The Affordable ...
A few years ago, Jaxson Martinez and his family got the worst news imaginable. Jaxson, a five-year-old from Uvalde, Texas, was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma. This is a rare cancer, only about 300 cases a year in the U.S. He would need at least a four-week stay at San Antonio’s Methodist Children’s Hospital, and also a year's worth of chemotherapy. "Even though it broke our hearts to know our son has cancer, he seems to have no idea he's even sick," said Juan Martinez, Jaxson's father. Jaxson endured seven rounds of chemotherapy, stem cell transplants, tumor removals, 12 rounds of radiation, and had more than 30 blood transfusions! "And to him, at 2 years old, he thought this was all normal," Juan said. Jaxson's story has a happy ending. He had a ...
