You don’t have to stop smoking in one day. Start with Day 1. On Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, you can join thousands of people who will begin their smoke-free journey with the Great American Smokeout. This annual event from the American Cancer Society encourages smokers to make a plan to stop smoking. Need help? Enroll in Quitxt, a free English or Spanish text-message service that turns your phone into a personal “quit smoking” coach from UT Health San Antonio. To join Quitxt, text “iquit” (for English) or “lodejo” (for Spanish) to 844-332-2058. “For the Great American Smokeout, we’re excited to share Quitxt to provide real-time help with motivation to quit, setting a quit date, handling stress, and much more, all on your phone,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, ...
The winter holidays are nearing, which means a drop in temperatures and a rise in flu! The CDC estimates that the flu caused up to 41 million illnesses, up to 710,000 hospitalizations, and up to 52,000 deaths every year between 2010 and 2020. How does flu season impact Latinos? What preventive steps can you and your family take?
Latinos and Flu Rates
Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs, according to the CDC. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. A 2021 study found that flu-associated hospitalization, ICU admission, and in-hospital death were prominent among ethnic minority groups, including Latinos. The study also found that disparities ...
Healthcare workers, looking for your next informative – and entertaining – infection control resource?! Look no further, the Washington State Department of Health’s Project Firstline Podcast covers a variety of infection control topics, from healthcare-associated infections to multi-drug-resistant organisms. The podcast is part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Project Firstline, which provides all healthcare workers the infection control training and resources they need to protect themselves, their patients, and their coworkers from infectious diseases. With 17 episodes to choose from, you’ll be sure to learn something new. Let’s dive in!
A Glimpse at the Episodes
Dating back to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening episodes ...
November is National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM)! NFCM is an opportunity to recognize family caregivers across the country and “raise awareness of caregiving issues, educate communities, and increase support for caregivers,” according to the Administration for Community Living. This year, Mental Health America has shared new resources for both caregivers and employers. “We know caregivers need support in balancing their personal and professional obligations, and employers need resources to better support their caregivers on staff,” according to Mental Health America. Let’s dive deeper into these educational tools and find out how they can benefit Latino caregivers.
Latinos and Caregiving
41.8 million Americans provided unpaid care to an adult ...
Clinical trials have led to the development of better treatments, life-saving medicines, and new prevention strategies for cancer and other diseases. Still, clinical trials have lacked volunteers who are Latino. We need diverse representation in clinical trials to ensure health and medical discoveries are equitable for diverse populations. To promote clinical trials, let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, to discuss reasons why Latinos and all people should consider joining a clinical trial! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Why Should You Try a Clinical Trial?
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: Latinx Voces LLC (@latinxvocesllc); LatinaStrong Foundation ...
Veteran's Day is on Nov. 11, 2023. We at Salud America! are excited to honor all U.S. military personnel, including the Latinos, who have served our country.
Latinos in the Military: History
Latinos have a “proud and indeed enviable” record of military service that dates back to the Civil War, according to a U.S. Army historical website. About 20,000 Latino serviceman and women participated in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, 80,000 in the Vietnam War in 1959-1973, and more than 400,000 in World War II in 1939-1945. Latinos have received more than 40 Medals of Honor, according to the Department of Defense. “Whether their heritage can be traced to Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or one of dozens of other Spanish-speaking countries or cultures, they’ve ...
News of a cancer diagnosis is the last thing anyone wants to hear. It can be especially devastating for a teenager with no family history of cancer. That was reality for Amber Lopez. Lopez, a San Antonio resident who began experiencing symptoms around age 14, was eventually diagnosed with cervical cancer a few years later at 18. “When you hear that word cancer, you’re kind of like, 'Oh, my God. OK. So, does that mean like, I’m going to pass away? How does this work?'” Lopez said. Since her diagnosis, Lopez has overcome many challenges in her cancer journey. Now she’s sharing her story through the Avanzando Caminos study at UT Health San Antonio to give hope to other Latino cancer survivors.
Navigating Her Cancer Diagnosis
Latinas ...
Spending on health is rising in America. Yet, ironically, health outcomes are getting worse. In fact, people here experience the worst health outcomes overall of any high-income nation. U.S. residents are more likely to die younger, and from avoidable causes, than residents of peer countries, according to a 2023 report from The Commonwealth Fund. Let’s compare health outcomes with peer countries to provide an important baseline for where we are in health outcomes and set a target for where we could be.
The U.S. and 5 Important Domains of Healthcare Systems
A 2021 study by The Commonwealth Fund compared five performance domains of health care systems across 11 high-income countries. Researchers found the U.S. ranks last on four of five domains: access to care (last)
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Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, joined The Washington Post's live show to share how cancer screening can help patients get diagnosed and treated earlier The show, "Chasing Cancer: The Path Forward," sponsored by AstraZeneca, took place Nov. 8, 2023. In the first part of of the show, Renee Wegrzyn, director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), and Eric Topol, executive vice president of Scripps Research, discussed how technological advancements and AI are changing how cancer is diagnosed and treated. In the second part of the show, Ramirez teamed with Dr. Gladys I. Rodriguez, a medical oncologist with the START Center for Cancer Care, to discuss innovative initiatives make it easier to access early screenings, ...
