Your Skin Color May Decide Where Your Ambulance Ride Ends Up


rural hospital ambulance color latino emergency room visit coronavirus covid-19

Latinos and blacks are more likely to be taken by ambulance to safety-net hospital emergency rooms, and not always the closest hospital, according to a new study. National guidelines require EMS transportation to the nearest suitable hospital. However, the study, led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine, found large racial/ethnic differences for where emergency patients are taken. Latinos and blacks were more likely than whites to be taken to a safety-net hospital—one with a legal obligation or mission to give health care regardless of insurance status. This suggests "ambulance diversion" bias, where ambulances don't take certain patients to the nearest suitable hospital.  "The cause for this observed pattern is unknown and needs to be further studied to ...

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Migrant Kids Suffer Stress, Trauma in Long Stays at Detention Centers


migrant children detained mental health trauma immigrant

Mental health experts are worried as the Trump administration pursues new policy that would allow it to indefinitely detain migrant families who have crossed the U.S. border illegally, rather than a maximum of 20 days NPR reports. Detainment is damaging children's mental health, they say. "If the regulation goes through and we hope it will not ... we're going to see additional harm done to children," Luis Zayas, a clinical social worker and psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin, told NPR. Long Detainment Stays = Trauma Detained immigrant children and families already face big stress, according to a recent study. Researchers interviewed 425 mothers of children at the detention center. The mothers filled out a questionnaire about mental health symptoms in their ...

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Immigration Arrests Linked to Depression in Latino Kids


depressed sad mental health latina girl immigrant

Latino kids who experience the immigration-related arrest of a family member report more severe levels of depression than those who don’t have such an experience, according to new research. This is especially true for children who have one or both parents undocumented. “These arrests often are a distant abstract fear or urban legend for many Latino kids, but it becomes very real and frightening when it happens to their family, which can have serious repercussions for their mental health,” said lead researcher Dr. Zachary Giano of Oklahoma State University, in a press release. Distressing Findings The research, led by Oklahoma State University, is published in the American Psychological Association's journal Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. The scientists ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 9/3/19: Podcasts & Health Equity


podcast microphone

Podcasts are huge — there are over 750,000 shows on the market — but few focus on health equity. That's why Salud America! is lanching the Salud Talks podcast. The project will feature discussions on Latino health equity with guests who are working in the issues, both at the national and grassroots levels. To further that discussion, let’s use #SaludTues on Twitter on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019, to discuss podcasts and how they can be one of the best tools to disseminate public health information! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Podcasts and Health Equity” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: @DrCHHuntley, @DoctoraEdith, @latinxtherapy, Dr. Erlanger "Earl" ...

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Environmental Racism Causes People of Color to Face Compound Exposures


Environmental Racism Compound Exposure

Climate change is not and will not impact all people equally — Latinos and other minority groups shoulder the most significant threats. Worse, cities in the U.S. are illustrating that fact today, according to a recent study from the University of Michigan. Their research shows that climate change subjects minority communities to high risks of chemical and environmental exposures. “A key finding of this report is that environmental injustice exists across Michigan, with residents of low-income and minority communities disproportionately burdened by environmental contamination and health risks—just as we saw in Flint,” Paul Mohai, a professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, told Michigan News. Latinos, who already experience harm at ...

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Salud America! Launches Salud Talks Podcast


ST Blog announcement promo

Continuing its work to promote action for Latino health equity, Salud America! is launching a new project: The Salud Talks podcast. This production, which will go live on Wed., Sept. 4, expands on previously covered topic areas of Latino health and life — approaching each discussion with a holistic mindset. Episodes will be available every Wednesday morning on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud. "The Salud Talks podcast is yet another extension of Salud America!'s wide and impactful reach," said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! "The podcast will give listeners insight into many of the health disparities impacting Latinos and all Americans. Furthermore, it will raise awareness of emerging solutions to those disparities." What to Expect The podcast's first ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 8/27: How to ‘Handle With Care’ Students Exposed to Childhood Trauma


Handle With Care Tweetchat

60% of U.S. children have been exposed to violence, crime, or abuse. These kids still have to go to class, carrying a burden of stress and trauma that can interfere with their behavior and grades. And schools aren’t aware there’s an issue. Fortunately, our new “Handle With Care Action Pack,” which will be released on Aug. 26, 2019, will help police and schools start a Handle With Care program. This enables police to notify school districts when they encounter a child at a traumatic scene, so school personnel and mental health partners can provide appropriate trauma-sensitive interventions. Let’s use #SaludTues on August 27, 2019, to tweet about steps schools, communities, and healthcare professionals can start a Handle With Care program and take steps to become more ...

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Webinar: How to Start ‘Handle With Care’ to Help Students Who Suffer Trauma



You are invited to join a national webinar to find out how you can start a “Handle With Care” program in your town to support students who experience violence and traumatic events. The webinar, “How to Start ‘Handle with Care’ in 5 Simple Steps,” is set for 11 a.m. ET on Aug. 26, 2019. Webinar speakers will explore: Handle With Care, a program that activates police to notify schools when they encounter children at a traumatic scene, so schools can provide trauma-sensitive support right away. The program was begun the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice in 2013. The free Salud America! “Handle With Care Action Pack” with materials and technical assistance to help local police, school, and mental health leaders start a local Handle with Care program. ...

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Implicit Bias in Stroke Care


Implicit Bias Stroke

Researchers now say Latinos and blacks experiencing a stroke are less likely to receive life-saving treatments than their white counterparts. These procedures are proven to reduce fatalities and improve patients' quality of life. Still, the systemic racism found in many healthcare systems prevents minority communities from receiving this procedure, according to new research in the American Heart Association's (AHA) Stroke.  "As disparities in stroke care, in general, have been repeatedly and consistently demonstrated, I would say the results were not surprising, though they remain frustrating and concerning," the study's lead author, Dr. Lorenzo Rinaldo—a neurosurgeon at the Mayo Clinic—said in a press release. About the Implicit Bias Study Researchers at the Mayo Clinic ...

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