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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

The Deadly Cost of Cancer Care in the U.S.


Stress, senior couple and laptop with finance paper and taxes for financial security investment. Sad, depression or mental health anxiety while planning retirement budget or insurance funeral savings

The cost of cancer is a steep one.  The impact of a cancer diagnosis goes beyond physical, mental, and emotional factors to include a hefty treatment price tag that few can afford.   But with their lives at stake, cancer patients can’t afford not to pay.   The reality is that many cancer patients are facing treatment costs that rival the worth of most people’s homes.   A new study from the researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) and published in the JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that cancer-related expenses differ greatly depending on cancer type, stage, and phases of care.  Let’s go over these findings and the importance of early detection and intervention, including cancer screenings, for Latinos and ...

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170 People Told the HHS to Help Improve Alzheimer’s Health Outcomes


Close-up of elderly woman holding walking stick in the nursing house. Young carer supporting senior disabled woman with walking stick. Woman with walking stick assisted by young carer.

As the U.S. population continues to age, more Latinos and all people will face memory loss because of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.  Fortunately, every year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updates its National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease to adopt new strategies to support communities impacted by Alzheimer’s and related dementias.   This year, HHS is seeking direction from clinicians, researchers, caregivers, and families on what areas to focus on to address dementia through 2035.   170 people submitted a Salud America! model comment to tell HHS to help improve Alzheimer’s health outcomes for Latinos and all populations by supporting clinical trials, programs, and investments that make a ...

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Webinar: From Healthcare to Policy—Exploring Medicaid and Medicare Access for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD)



Less than half of the 2.25 million adults in the US who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) were part of government programs that helped people receive assistance, such as Medicaid and Medicare.  To ensure healthcare providers can connect people to much-needed services, UT Health San Antonio’s live webinar, “From Healthcare to Policy—Exploring Medicaid and Medicare Access for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD),” on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, focused on ways to connect healthcare providers with much-needed resources to keep adults with disabilities on their insurance.  Webinar host Dr. Amelie Ramirez, leader of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, was joined by experts ...

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Discover the Truth about Cancer Myths with Cancer FactFinder Tool


Cancer FactFinder

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Such and such causes cancer,” more than a handful of times in your life.   Some of these claims are true. Others are myths.   False claims of using products or engaging in alleged cancer-causing behaviors can be detrimental for your health and contribute to the spread of incorrect information.   But how do you know if a claim is true?  Public health leaders created a helpful database, called Cancer FactFinder, that can help you determine if something is truly linked to cancer or if it’s simply a myth.   Let’s go over the tool, how to use it, and its many applications.   Cancer FactFinder  Cancer FactFinder is a free, evidence-based database to address the spread of incorrect information about ...

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Air Conditioning Reliability: An Overlooked Non-Medical Driver of Health


Worried woman feeling hot in the summer at home while turning on the air conditioning using the thermostat and having problems

Amid a sweltering summer heat wave, communities in the U.S. East Coast are struggling to handle the stress on energy demand in homes built to heat rather than cool.  In fact, many households across the county experience a lack of air conditioning reliability.  This often-overlooked non-medical driver of health impacts overlooked populations, lower income individuals, those who live in rural areas, and families that live in densely populated urban areas that lack shade or in older buildings with no central air.   Let’s explore how air conditioning reliability (or unreliability) can affect the health of you and your familia—and how local communities can address this inconsistency.   State of Air Conditioning Reliability  Over 35 million Americans live ...

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Summer Safety Tips to Protect Aging Adults from the Heat


Middle age woman with grey hair using handfan on a very hot day of a heat wave

Summer has officially kicked into high gear.  With many cities across the U.S. experiencing unprecedented heat, it’s important to know how your age impacts your body’s response to extreme heat conditions.   Aging adults are some of the most vulnerable populations to the harmful effects of heat.   Seniors, especially those with chronic health conditions, have a harder time cooling their bodies, sweat less, and have dulled sense of thirst. Medications can interfere with their body temperature regulation system.   Exposure to extreme heat can also cause long-term adverse health effects like increased risk for cognitive decline for aging adults.  Whether attending outdoor family gatherings or splashing in the pool with the grandkids, here is ...

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Hoja informativa: Conozca cómo el aislamiento social afecta la salud cerebral en adultos mayores


dramatic portrait of attractive sad and depressed mature woman with grey hair in pain suffering mental disorder or depression problem wearing patient gown feeling sick and abandoned

Para vivir una vida saludable, el ser humano necesita la interacción social.  ¿Pero sabía usted que la cantidad de tiempo que una persona socializa puede tener un efecto directo en la salud de su cerebro?  El aislamiento social no solo se vincula a una salud cerebral negativa, sino que los impactos también pueden empeorarse dependiendo del lugar donde viva, según un estudio reciente de UT San Antonio y Princeton University.  Consulte nuestra nueva hoja informativa, ¿Cómo afecta el aislamiento social a la salud cerebral en adultos mayores?, para ayudar a nuestros abuelos y abuelas en todo el mundo a comprender cómo mantener una vida social activa puede afectar su salud cerebral a medida que envejecen.  Esta hoja informativa fue creada por la Dra. Amelie ...

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Report: State of Inconsistencies in Latino Cancer Care


Three Women with symbol of breast cancer drawing on hand

This past year saw significant strides in cancer prevention and care, resulting in better health outcomes for all populations. However, gaps in access to care, including language hurdles, citizenship status challenges, and insurance affordability remain consistent among cancer outcomes for overlooked populations. These persistent burdens continue to negatively impact Latino survivorship. The state of non-medical drivers of health on cancer outcomes is examined in the yearly report from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Let’s dig into the 2026 progress report and look at the 9 key takeaways impacting Latinos. 1. Cervical Cancer Deaths Drop Amid Strides in Preventative Care Recently, researchers have seen a dramatic drop in cervical cancer deaths worldwide. A ...

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Study: National HPV Vaccine Program Thwarts Cervical Cancer Deaths


Shot of a young doctor applying a band-aid after injecting her patient during a consultation in the clinic

Cervical cancer continues to harm women across the globe, including Latinas, who are twice as likely to be diagnosed than other women.   The good news is that cervical cancer is highly preventable.  Along with routine screenings, the HPV vaccine can prevent or minimize the risk of getting the virus that causes cervical cancer.  In fact, a new study out of the UK has discovered that since the introduction of a national program to promote the HPV vaccine, cervical cancer deaths have dropped dramatically.  This study highlights the effectiveness of the vaccine when given at the appropriate age.   Let’s dig into the study findings and what they mean for the future of cervical cancer.  Study Findings  In Cervical cancer mortality trends ...

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