At Salud America!, we're excited to discuss health during Hispanic Heritage Month! This annual U.S. observance, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories, backgrounds and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America and Latin America.
How Did Hispanic Heritage Month Start?
U.S. Congressmen George E. Brown and Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles, and Henry B. Gonzales, were among those who introduced legislation on the topic in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson implemented the observance as Hispanic Heritage Week that year. U.S. Rep. Esteban E. Torres of Pico Rivera proposed the observance be expanded to cover a 31-day period. President Ronald Reagan implemented the expansion to Hispanic Heritage ...
We know age-related vision impairment is a risk factor for dementia. But what happens when a person’s vision is damaged by a stroke, resulting in double vision, loss of visual field in each eye, or cranial nerve dysfunction? Stroke survivors who suffered vision impairment showed a 2.3-fold increase in the odds of having dementia than those without vision issues, according to a new research brief. See the new research in our new fact sheet, Vision After Stroke: What It Means for Your Brain Health, to help our abuelos and caregivers understand how vision impairment following stroke can impact their brain health. This fact sheet was created by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of Salud America! and UT Health San Antonio based on a research brief from ...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a rule change to require food companies to notify regulators before introducing ingredients or additives into processed or packaged foods, according to federal health leaders. Under the rule, companies would have to submit a safety rationale for new ingredients. “The proposal would change a decades-old policy that advocates have called a regulatory loophole, blaming it for allowing thousands of unvetted ingredients into the U.S. food supply,” according to the Associated Press. You can submit a public comment crafted by Salud America! to provide feedback on FDA’s plan to tighten restrictions on new food additives and ingredients. Comments are due Dec. 9, 2026. Comment NOW!
Submit This Model Comment on Food ...
Before the introduction of the vaccine, measles was a prevalent disease that meant sickness or death for up to 4 million people each year, according to the CDC. After the vaccine, measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. However, vaccine hesitance and incorrect information about the measles (MMR) vaccine have caused fewer vaccines to be administered and the virus to spread, revoking the country’s “eliminated” status. As states continue to report cases of the virus, it’s more important now than ever to stay informed about measles to protect you and your familia. That’s why Health Confianza – a partnership between UT Health San Antonio, UT San Antonio, and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District – has developed ...
Colon cancer screening doesn’t have to be dramatic. That’s the message that Abbott is promoting in their new Spanish-language campaign for Cologuard Plus®. Gabriela Spanic, award-winning actress, model, writer, and singer, stars in the campaign that uses telenovelas and culturally relevant storytelling to make a difficult conversation about colon cancer screening more approachable and less dramatic. “The need is urgent. When colon cancer is found early, 90% of patients survive five years or more after diagnosis,” according to the press release from Abbott.
About the Campaign on Colon Cancer Screening
While the campaign has a humorous, telenovela style, Spanic also delivers an important message: “Although life can be dramatic, getting screened doesn’t have to ...
The U.S. is home to many Latinos and other people with different backgrounds, but many suffer unfair health challenges and heavy burdens of cancer and dementia. More research needs to be done to understand the impact, vulnerabilities, and risks these communities face.
To accurately study the health consistencies in these groups, more of them need to participate in clinical research and clinical trials, which are studies with volunteers that test ways to find, prevent, and treat cancer and other diseases.
As of 2023, only 6% of trials being conducted to get FDA drug approval reflected the variety in the U.S. population, according to a new study published in Communications Medicine.
Let’s dive into the study and how to improve clinical trial enrollment. Study Findings on Clinical ...
People in South Texas experience many challenges with prostate cancer. To address these challenges and help the community, join a new virtual presentation, “Prostate Cancer Awareness,” at 11 a.m. Central on Sept. 17, 2026. The event will feature Dr. Patricia Chalela, a cancer researcher at UT Health San Antonio, and Sandra Sivak, a community cancer research coordinator at UT Health San Antonio. Both are part of the community outreach and engagement team at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. The virtual presentation is part of the “Every Cancer, Every Story: A Series of Conversations” webinar series, a collaboration of the Mid Rio Grande Border Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and Mays Cancer Center Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) at UT ...
Latinos and other overlooked populations have a high burden of cancer, fueled by struggles with non-medical drivers of health like transportation and insurance. Researchers are studying these factors to improve cancer outcomes for these groups. Yet too few Latinos and others are engaged in research. For example, as of 2023, only 6% of FDA trials reflect the U.S. population. To improve research participation and ensure innovations work for all populations, Genentech, a top pharmaceutical company and member of the Roche Group, decided to take a more hands-on approach and launched the AIR Site Alliance in 2021. Since its inception, Genentech’s AIR Site alliance oncology sites have helped enroll 63% more people from overlooked ...
The role of artificial intelligence (AI) has become quite common in everyday life. Whether it’s scrolling though a phone, working on a computer at school or work, a thermostat in a home, and even when you visit the doctor. Nurse.org has introduced Nurse AI Watch, ongoing tracker of how artificial intelligence is actually being used in nursing. “We follow the tools, the systems deploying them, the safety questions, the union contracts, and the oversight gap, and we update it as the picture changes,” according to the Nurse.org website. Let’s dive deeper into what this means and what AI and nursing can look like in the future.
What Does AI in Nursing Look Like Today?
Artificial intelligence in nursing can mean many things. “With the ability to analyze vast amounts ...
Tell FDA: Tighten Restrictions on Food Additives and Ingredients
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a rule change to require food companies to notify regulators before introducing ingredients or additives into processed or packaged foods, according to federal health leaders. Under the rule, companies would have to submit a safety rationale for new ingredients. “The proposal would change a decades-old policy that advocates have called a regulatory loophole, blaming it for allowing thousands of unvetted ingredients into the U.S. food supply,” according to the Associated Press. You can submit a public comment crafted by Salud America! to provide feedback on FDA’s plan to tighten restrictions on new food additives and ingredients. Comments are due Dec. 9, 2026. Comment NOW! Submit This Model Comment on Food ...
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