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Catherine Wilson

Catherine Wilson 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 Wilson

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 diverse 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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6 Health Disparities Women of Color Face and How We Can Address Them



As of 2023, there are 169 million women and 166 million men living in the US. While men and women share many of the same health risks and concerns, women have their own unique challenges, such as reproductive cancers and maternal health, and are more prone to certain diseases and adverse health conditions. Women, especially women from racial/ethnic and underserved populations, including Latinas, are exposed to barriers to healthcare resulting in worse health outcomes. Let’s explore six disparities impacting women’s health in the US. 1. Cancer Screenings Several cancers affect women more than men, or specifically impact women, such as cervical and ovarian cancers. This makes cancer screening so important for women. However, women, especially women of color, face a lot of ...

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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 racial/ethnic health inequities, community health workers rose to the challenge to educate communities on virus prevention, dispel misinformation, 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 ...

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The Surprising Level of Material Hardship for Latinos in the ‘COVID Year’



In 2020, COVID-19 shut down the world. People were forced to navigate social isolation, food shortages, business closures, virtual schooling, reduced work hours, and job loss amid the pandemic. Latino families suffered from some of the highest rates of COVID-related mortality and socioeconomic impacts, worsening Latino health inequities. With 2020 now several years past, how bad was the pandemic for Latinos? 6 in 10 (62%) Latino households with children experienced at least one material hardship in the form of housing quality, bill-paying, food insecurity, and/or medical hardship in 2020, according to a new report from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families that looks back at the impact of COVID-19 on Latinos. Material Hardship in 2020 amid COVID-19 ...

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Grace After Fire: Veterans Group Helps Women Vets Help Themselves



Facing homelessness and battling PTSD, trauma, and disability, US Navy veteran Olivia Zavala Carridine was struggling.  She found a lifeline in Grace After Fire.  Olivia, a mother of four in San Antonio, got pivotal support from the women veteran’s organization – which aims to provide women the resources and tools to succeed in her community, work, and home after leaving the military.  “[Grace After Fire] has empowered me to believe that I shouldn't be ashamed of my story,” she said. “I have a sisterhood with women that I didn't have many times with my sisters serving alongside me.”  Olivia got back on her feet with the help of Grace After Fire – and she’s not the only one.  Grace After Fire Origins  Some wars take place on a battlefield, standing toe ...

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