Callie's passion is spreading awareness of public health issues through various communication channels. Her work helps mitigate health disparities while promoting positive, healthy changes in communities.
Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and causes about 17,100 deaths annually in the US. About 75% of bladder cancer cases are non-muscle invasive. This means that the cancer affects the tissue lining of the inner surface of the bladder, but not the bladder muscle. While this type of bladder cancer is treatable, one of the most effective treatments for this disease – a tuberculosis vaccine – causes intolerable side effects for up to 84% of patients, which can prevent treatment completion. When treatments fail, the bladder may have to be removed, reducing the patient’s quality of life. However, a modified tuberculosis vaccine developed by Jordi B. Torrelles, PhD, a professor at Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio, could help treat non-muscle ...
Source control keeps germs from spreading by stopping them at their source before they can spread to other people. Source control is an important tool to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections in the healthcare setting. For COVID-19, source control focuses on covering your nose and mouth with a mask to keep your respiratory droplets out of the air. Masking applies to Latinos and any person with or without symptoms, because anyone infected with SARS-CoV-2 can be asymptomatic. This means they are not showing symptoms and may not be aware that they have the virus. In this case, even if they are asymptomatic, they can still spread the virus to others through respiratory droplets they make when talking, breathing, singing, sneezing, or coughing. “Masks ...
Eyes wide with surprise, Adelita Cantu, PhD, RN, FAAN, pulled into the parking lot of the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing in December 2020. Media trucks populated the parking lot and reporters bustled in and out of the nursing school on a mission to capture their next headline. Adjusting her mask, Adelita took in the unexpected flurry of media, stepped out of her vehicle, and made her way into the nursing school. Inside, amid her chatting colleagues, reporters readied their pens, cameras, and microphones. Nearly a year after COVID-19 began infecting Texans – especially Latinos – Bexar County had finally gotten its hands on its first COVID-19 vaccines – and it was time to celebrate. Applause rightfully flooded the room as all eyes focused on the vaccines ...
Respirators are a common type of personal protective equipment (PPE) – but not the only one. Gowns, gloves, goggles, and face shields are other kinds of PPE that Latino and all frontline healthcare workers use to help the spread of germs and viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19.
Gowns
In healthcare, gowns are worn over your work clothes to reduce transmission of germs. They make it easier to remove germs and body fluids that might get on you while you work. “Germs that get on your clothes can spread to you. But they can also spread to other surfaces and other people,” said Dr. Abigail Carlson, an infectious diseases physician with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), as part of CDC Project Firstline’s Inside Infection Control video series. ...
Just as Latinos are underrepresented in medicine and clinical trials, they are also underrepresented in organ donation. In honor of August being National Minority Donor Awareness Month, here’s everything you need to know about organ donation, and why you should become a donor.
What is Organ Donation and Transplantation?
Organ donation and transplantation involves removing an organ from one person (the donor) and surgically placing it in another (the recipient). This process is done when the recipient’s organ has failed and they need a new organ to survive. Organ donation and transplantation can be performed with both living and deceased donors.
Living Donation
A living donation is an opportunity to save a life when you are still alive. Organs that can be donated ...
Latinos and other minority groups are disproportionately contracting the monkeypox virus, according to a recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The monkeypox virus, which began infecting Americans in May 2022, has since been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization and a public health emergency by the Biden-Harris Administration. As of August 12, 2022 there are 10,768 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the US.
Monkeypox Cases by Race/Ethnicity
99% of monkeypox cases are occurring in men. Of those, 94% of men report male-to-male sexual or close intimate contact within three weeks before experiencing symptoms. 41% of monkeypox cases were among Whites, 28% among Latinos, and 26% among Blacks, according to the CDC ...
It’s that time of year again! Summer is ending and children are returning to school. Just as you prepare your child for the upcoming school year with school supplies, consider preparing them for a healthier life free from Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers with an HPV vaccine. Now is the perfect time to schedule your child’s annual wellness visit to receive the vaccine – before life gets hectic again.
What is HPV?
HPV is short for human papillomavirus. There are many types of HPVs, some of which can be sexually transmitted and cause cancer later in life, according to the American Cancer Society. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. HPV is so common that almost every sexually active person will get HPV at some point in their lives if ...
Since COVID-19 swept the nation in 2020, it seems that adversity is everywhere. And now – in the summer of 2022 – inflation has reached a record high (9.1%) since November 1981, increasing the cost of gas, groceries, utilities, rent, and other necessities. Could the COVID-19 pandemic be to blame? And how does the rising cost of living impact Latinos? Here’s what you need to know. Update: On August 16, 2022, President Joe Biden announced he will sign the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which will help fight inflation by lowering energy and healthcare costs, and by bringing down the federal deficit – the government's outstanding debt. More information on how this policy will affect healthcare can be found through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and ...
Infection control saves lives, and every frontline healthcare worker plays a critical role. To better support healthcare workers to prevent infections in health care, it is essential to equip them with the infection control knowledge they need and deserve to protect themselves and their patients from infectious disease threats, like COVID-19. This is why CDC launched Project Firstline, an infection control training and education collaborative designed with healthcare workers, for healthcare workers. Project Firstline intends to provide equity of understanding for all: nurses, certified nursing assistants, environmental service technicians, doctors, allied health professionals, and administrative/intake staff. The innovative content is designed so that regardless of previous ...
