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Catherine Stewart

Catherine Stewart is a digital content curator for Salud America! and its home base, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She is a graduate of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland College Park, and hopes to utilize her skills to help people find their voices and inspire change in their communities.

Articles by Catherine Stewart

Protect You and Your Familia by Staying Up to Date on COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines



With the summer winding down and school right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about checking all the items off your to-do list before school is back in session.   Start the fall season on the right track by prioritizing the health of you, your family, and everyone around you by making sure you’re up to date on your vaccinations.   That’s why Salud America! is partnering with CVEEP to remind you about the importance and benefits of being vaccinated.   To promote vaccination updates, CVEEP, convened by the Alliance for Aging Research, HealthyWomen, and the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, is raising vaccine awareness by providing vaccine education and resources.  Let’s examine some of the science behind vaccinations, how they keep us safe, ...

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Over Half of US Latinos Consume News in English



Latinos make up 19.5% of the US population, which equates to 65 million people.  As of 2023, about 75% of Latinos living in the US speak Spanish, 17% speak English, and over half (54%) of the Latino population in the US fall somewhere on the bilingual spectrum.     Despite Spanish being the second-most spoken language in the US, a new report by the Pew Research Center found that found that 54% Latino adults get their news in English.   Let’s explore the news media habits of US Latinos further.  Latino News Consumption by Language  While 54% of US adult Latinos receive news in English, the rest consume news in mostly Spanish (21%) or in both languages (23%), according to the report.   When it comes to preferability, 51% of Latino adults prefer news in English, 24% ...

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US Latino Population Rises to 19.5%



Latinos continue to be one of the fastest growing populations in the US.   Between 2022 and 2023, Latinos accounted for 71% of the population growth in the US, according to new data from the US Census Bureau.   Latinos now make up 19.5% of the country’s population.   The rise, occurring at an annual growth of 1.8% and attributed to a large number of births, makes Latinos the second largest group in the US.    Let’s unpack some of the statistics and what they mean for the future of Latinos.  US Latino Population Growth  In 2023, the Latino population grew by 1.16 million for a total of 65 million.   Latinos contributed significantly to the overall population growth in the US, which increased by 1.64 million.  “The Hispanic population is expanding at a ...

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Daniel Ruben Flores: Following in His Family’s Medical Footsteps



As a doctor’s son, Daniel Ruben Flores grew up in his family’s pediatric clinic.   He and his siblings hammered away at their math and reading homework after school at the clinic, while their parents helped the sick.   Flores often paused to admire the handwritten letters – and drawings of his father with a stethoscope – on the wall from patients thanking the pediatrician for caring for them.  “Wow, all these other kids really appreciate my dad and all the work he’s doing,” Flores recalled fondly. “I feel like that just kind of motivates you ... to go into the field.”   Witnessing his father’s work and the impact he had on his patients helped spark a fire in Flores to pursue medicine and help people, too.  He’s taking big steps now – like ...

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Gun Violence Is a Public Health Crisis



327 people in the US are shot every day — 117 don’t survive, according to statistics provided by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.   Incidents of gun violence have been on the rise over the last decade, impacting the lives of 54% of US adults and their families.   With spike in gun-related deaths, including suicides, homicides, and accidental deaths, gun violence has now become the leading cause of death among children and adolescents.   In the wake of mass shootings, gun-related suicides, and the mounting fear over gun violence, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared gun violence in the US a public health crisis on June 25, 2024.  “Firearm violence is an urgent public health crisis that has led to loss of life, unimaginable pain, and ...

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Millions Left with No Internet After End of Affordable Connectivity Program



When the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, jobs went virtual and educational institutions switched to online learning.  Many people struggled to financially to pay for Internet to meet these demands.  In response to the need for affordable internet access, the government established the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program) to temporarily help low-income households pay for broadband service through reimbursement and discounts.   For a long-term solution to the internet service affordability problem, Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to replace the EBB Program in late 2021.  Funding for the program ended at the beginning of 2024, and the program provided its final month of assistance in April 2024, leaving thousands of ...

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Latinos Among Those Twice as Likely to Lose Medicaid Coverage When Continuous Renewal Ended



The pandemic took a toll on many families across the country, especially Latino families.  Some Latinos lost jobs while others lost the roofs over their heads, and many lost loved ones to the social, health, and economic impacts of COVID-19.  To combat some of these hardships, the US government adopted several policies to assist families struggling financially.  One such pandemic-era policy was the automatic renewal of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage making it easier to maintain coverage during a time of economic uncertainty.   The policy stretched on for three years until states began the process of screening for eligibility in early 2023.  The sudden upheaval of guaranteed medical insurance for low-income families receiving ...

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7 Research Opportunities You May Have Missed this Month



You can help create a healthier future.   Volunteers for registries, research programs, and clinical trials can help researchers learn how to slow, manage, and treat cancer and other diseases.  “With improved research participation, researchers have more opportunity to create better prevention and treatments that work for all people,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.  Here are seven research opportunities based in San Antonio and beyond to explore this month! 1. Latina Health Reproductive Health Screenings University of Texas at San Antonio researchers are seeking Hispanic and Latina women between ages 50 and 65 living in San Antonio to comment about their last Pap ...

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311 People Told HHS That Promotoras Are Essential for Public Health and Vaccine Education!



As COVID-19 exposed cracks in our healthcare system and health gaps, community health workers rose to the challenge to educate communities on virus prevention, dispel incorrect information, and advocate for the vaccine.  Community health workers – called promotoras in Latino communities – are non-medical public health workers who connect people to healthcare and social services.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) is seeking public comments on the use of community health workers to increase “cultural competency in educational campaigns on public health vaccines and prevention, including but not limited to influenza and COVID-19.”  Submit this Salud America! model comment to tell HHS about the importance of using ...

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