New Latino Bilingual Campaign: Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19!


Juntos We Can Stop Covid campaign against coronavirus

COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact Latinos, killing over 53,000 and hospitalizing many more of our mothers, fathers, children, and grandparents. That is why Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is launching the “Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19” digital communication campaign in English and Spanish to help Latino families take action to slow the spread of coronavirus, especially among those with underlying illnesses. The campaign features culturally relevant, bilingual fact sheets, infographics, and video role model stories—all united with the hashtag #JuntosStopCovid. See and share #JuntosStopCovid! share the campaign in ENGLISH! share the campaign in SPANISH! “As Latinos, we are resilient. But part of our resiliency requires action, like getting the ...

Read More

Study: Latino Health-Related Research Needs Improvements


Latino Health Research Improvements

We know that Latinos, by-in-large, face a host of health disparities. But we also know there is a historic lack of research about these inequities and how to address them. This is why the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities' recent "Funding of Latino Health-Related Research," is so important. The study—published in Frontiers of Public Health—looked at the impact of interventions or policies premeditated to reduce health disparities. This information could advance research in Latino health and contribute to the achievement of better health outcomes in this diverse population, according to Dr. Larissa Avilés-Santa, who led the study. "Latinos are expected to constitute 25% of the U.S. population by 2060," the researchers write. "Differences in the ...

Read More

3 Ways to Keep Labor Day from Becoming COVID Day


mask wearing labor day picnic outdoor gathering get-together latino friends

Don't let down your guard against COVID-19 during Labor Day weekend. Cases spiked after the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays, so health experts are stressing the importance of containing the coronavirus during the coming holiday. How can we contain the virus? Latinos can wear a mask and care for it properly, avoid public places (or at least get together safely, familia), and know what to do if you’re exposed, according to our "Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19" campaign. "Labor Day is coming up, and we need to stress personal responsibility," said Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, CNBC reports. "We have to go into the fall with decreasing cases like we’re doing now. We can’t risk a lack of personal ...

Read More

#SaludTues Tweetchat 9/8: Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19!


Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19

COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact Latinos, killing over 33,000 and hospitalizing many more. To improve Latino health, we must take action to slow the spread of coronavirus. But how do you communicate this issue to Latinos amid misinformation and information overload? Culturally relevant fact sheets, infographics, and video role model stories to inform and urge Latino families to take action to help slow the spread of coronavirus. Let’s use #SaludTues on Sept. 8, 2020, to Tweet about the #JuntosStopCOVID campaign to make sure Latinos and all people know what they can do to slow the spread of COVID-19. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag ...

Read More

Report: U.S. ‘Failed Miserably’ in Policy Response to COVID-19, But Has a Path Forward for Future Pandemics


Latino man mask covid19 coronavirus pandemic

U.S. leaders have "failed miserably" in planning and executing a cohesive national response to COVID-19, which has killed over 170,000 people here, according to a new report. The report is Public Health Law Watch's Assessing Legal Responses to COVID-19. It features 50 top national experts evaluating the policy response to the pandemic. The experts blame neither resources nor individual courage, but rather "a failure of leadership and the implementation of an effective response." COVID-19 revealed weaknesses in the nation’s health care and public health systems. It also worsened existing health inequities for Latinos and other people of color—even creating new disparities. Still, the report offers 100+ recommendations on how federal, state, and local leaders can better ...

Read More

Study: Salud America! Increased Exposure to Latino Health Equity Content amid COVID-19


latino health equity digital content curation during covid-19 coronavirus

When COVID-19 struck, it impacted Latinos more than others. That is why Salud America!, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded national program at UT Health San Antonio, immediately applied its digital content curation model to create equitable, culturally relevant information and action opportunities to address pandemic effects on Latinos. The result? Record spikes in program website traffic and confirmation of the curation model's capacity to increase people's exposure to culturally relevant and action-oriented information for a novel topic like COVID-19, according to a new study published in the journal Health Promotion Practice. "We have shown that digital content curation is an effective, measurable public health promotion tool to disseminate awareness-raising and ...

Read More

2 States Are Expanding Medicaid amid COVID-19 Surge


Current-Status-of-the-Medicaid-Expansion-Decision_KFF_

As of June 2020, 14 U.S. states continued to reject Medicaid expansion, leaving many without an affordable healthcare coverage option. Then COVID-19 hit—hardest among low-income, uninsured families, particularly Latinos. In response to surging coronavirus cases, Oklahoma (11.1% Latino), the state with the second-highest uninsured rates, voted to expand Medicaid on July 1, 2020. A month later on Aug. 4, Missouri (4.4% Latino) also voted to expand Medicaid. In these two states alone, roughly 430,000 low-income adults will be eligible for Medicaid. “The American Heart Association supports expanding Medicaid because people living with low incomes are disproportionately affected by heart disease, hypertension, and stroke. Medicaid serves as the coverage backbone for the ...

Read More

#SaludTues Tweetchat 8/11: Why Data Matter? The Role of Data for an Equitable COVID-19 Response


latina woman with face mask to prevent coronavirus covid-19

Coronavirus can affect anyone. But reports continue to show the COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting Latinos and other people of color, and worsening historical inequities. What are the data really showing? Do we have the right data? How can we use that data to improve health amid the pandemic? Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, to tweet about why data matter and the important role of data in ensuring an equitable response to COVID-19! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat “Why Data Matter? The Role of Data for an Equitable COVID-19 Response” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (12-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020 WHERE: Twitter HOST: Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio (@SaludAmerica) CO-HOSTS: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (@CHRankings), ...

Read More

Access to Care is Vital for Healthy Outcomes in Latino Children


Access to Care is Vital for Healthy Outcomes in Latino Children doctor child patient office

Where you live matters for your health. The health of any population is determined by several factors including the physical, emotional, socioeconomic, and environmental circumstances in which they live. For U.S. Latinos, these factors can be daily challenges and cause poor health outcomes, especially for their children. As a result, Latino children have higher rates of obesity and diabetes and lower levels of physical activity than their non-Latino peers. These inequities are worsening amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These children also are at least twice as likely to be uninsured. "To help reverse these outcomes, it is important for Latino children and youth to enroll in health coverage and have access to preventive care. Children who have health coverage are shown to have ...

Read More