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Callie Rainosek

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.

Articles by Callie Rainosek

February is American Heart Month


American Heart Month Announcement

Ah, February. The month dedicated to celebrating love and relationships. But before you take a deep dive down the Valentine’s Day candy aisle, consider a healthier way to show yourself and loved ones some love. February is American Heart Month, a time for Latinos and all people to focus on their cardiovascular health. Join us in raising awareness of heart disease, the driving forces behind it, and how to address it throughout the month of February and beyond. What is Heart Disease? Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, according to the CDC. The most common type of heart disease in the US is coronary artery disease, which can restrict blood flow to the heart and cause a heart attack. Other forms of heart disease include irregular heartbeats, ...

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As Texans Lose Pandemic SNAP Benefits, Food Banks Brace for ‘Wave’ of Hunger


Losing SNAP benefits

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps one in eight Americans put food on the table. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, millions of Americans lost their jobs and experienced reduced incomes – causing Congress to make temporary emergency changes to SNAP. As a result, SNAP recipients experienced a boost in benefits, either receiving an additional $95 in benefits or an additional benefit valued up to the maximum benefit for their household size, whichever value was greater, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. While these emergency allotments have ended in many states, the Lone Star State has continued providing eligible households with an increased food budget. However, Texans may feel the pinch in the next few weeks, as Congress ...

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Dr. Trinidad Solis: Harvesting Infection Control Solutions for Farmworkers



In the small rural Central California town of Selma, a young Trinidad Solis watched long stretches of farmland float by through the car window. She listened to her parents in the front seat discuss their upcoming doctor’s appointment in Spanish. As Mexican immigrant farmworkers, Solis’ parents faced hardships accessing healthcare, including a language barrier. Since her parents were monolingual Spanish-speakers, Solis often served as translator during her parents’ health appointments and helped them navigate the complex healthcare system. These childhood interactions spurred Solis’ desire to become a bilingual, culturally sensitive family physician who could provide healthcare, including infection prevention and control services, to vulnerable patients like her ...

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3 Tools to Screen for Social Determinants of Health


SDoH screening tool

As more healthcare systems start to screen patients for social determinants of health (SDoH), we at Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio are spotlighting why screening for SDoH is so important to improve health outcomes, especially among Latinos. Today, we are sharing three SDoH screening tools that can help address social needs, or the non-medical barriers to health, of Latinos and all patients. You can use these screening tools – questionnaires that gather information from patients – in your healthcare facility or use them as inspiration to create your own screening tool. Let’s dive into these health-changing tools! The Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE®) PRAPARE® helps health centers and other providers ...

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Latinos, Help Researchers Understand How Social Factors Affect Rheumatoid Arthritis!


RA doc

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be debilitating and place a significant burden on patients, their families, employers, and the government. While genetics and health inequities do play a role in the development and progression of RA, social issues, such as lack of family and friend support, can also play a role in the progression of the disease. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center want to learn more about how social and genetic factors affect RA in Latinos, who often face social issues when it comes to health. You can help by participating in a clinical trial no matter where you live in the US! Rheumatoid Arthritis Study Qualifications To be eligible for this clinical trial, you must be age 18 or older and of Hispanic/Latino heritage. You may ...

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Latina Physician Collaborates with Promotoras in Sustainable Infection Control Efforts



In a modest house in Los Angeles, California, a young girl buried her nose in a book. She focused on the book’s colorful graphics of doctors helping sick patients. Closing her eyes, she pictured herself in this role. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, “Education is the key to opening doors in life.” The young girl wasn’t sure how, but she decided she was going to go to medical school, and she was going to become a doctor. Decades later, the young girl — now a grown woman – has a successful career in medicine. Dr. Marlene Martin is an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a hospitalist at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH). In these roles, Marlene combines her passion for clinical care ...

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The Rise of Screening for Social Determinants of Health


SDoH screening

Did you know that your Zip code is more important than your genetic code in predicting how long you will live? That’s right – where you live can have a big impact on your health. In fact, our health is influenced by a variety of non-medical factors, such as the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age. These conditions are known as social determinants of health (SDoH). Addressing SDoH is key to improving health for Latinos and all people. Numerous studies suggest that SDoH accounts for between 30-55% of health outcomes and SDoH influences individual health behaviors, which account for another 30% of health outcomes. Fortunately, healthcare systems are placing more emphasis on screening patients for SDoH. This means that when patients come to medical ...

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Study: Phase 1 Cancer Treatment Clinical Trials May Offer More Benefits Than in Past


clinical trials phase 1

Clinical trials are studies with volunteers that help researchers learn how to slow, manage, and treat different diseases. There are four phases of clinical trials that each help scientists answer different questions. Phase 1 clinical trials are the first step in testing a new treatment in people. They focus on evaluating the safety, side effects, best dose, and timing of a new treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Phase 1 clinical trials usually include a small number of patients who have not been helped by other treatments. In the past, participants in phase 1 trials for cancer treatment generally had low tumor response rates. And, because phase 1 trials are focused on assessing safety of treatments, doctors have hesitated to refer patients to these ...

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New Resource Available to Act Against Racism


racism

Since late 2020, the Collaborative for Anti-Racism and Equity (CARE) , including Salud America!, has worked to promote racial equity and declare racism a public health crisis. Part of CARE’s work is providing resources for government entities and organizations to tackle health and racial inequities in their communities. Now, CEO Action for Racial Equity, a member of the collaborative, has created a Racial Equity Implementation Framework to help these same audiences advance and sustain their racial equity efforts. What’s Included in the Racial Equity Implementation Framework? To create the framework, CEO Action for Racial Equity analyzed over 200 declarations of racism as a public health crisis and several existing racial equity toolkits. The Network for Public Health Law, ...

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