Good health is important for everyone. With this in mind, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking public comments on its 2026-2030 NIMHD Strategic Plan “to identify the most pressing concerns” for health in the next five years. You can endorse a model comment by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, to emphasize priorities in the plan. Endorse the comment by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. January 2025 Update: 136 people endorsed a model comment by Dr. Amelie Ramirez to emphasize priorities in the 2026-2030 NIMHD Strategic Plan. endorse the comment!
Endorse a Comment on the NIMHD Strategic Plan
Go here to endorse this comment: As the leader of Salud America!, an organization that promotes health improvement for all ...
The US is experiencing a maternity healthcare crisis where pre-term labors and infant and maternal mortality rates are up due to a lack of access to prenatal and postpartum care. Many of these women live in areas designated as maternity care deserts. These are areas where pregnant individuals and mothers have limited or nonexistent access to vital prenatal and postpartum health care. Maternal care deserts exist in 35% of US counties — encompassing 2.3 million reproductive aged women, according to the March of Dimes’ annual report, Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts in the US. According to the report, living in these areas greatly increases their risk for infant and maternal mortality, pre-term labor, and untreated conditions that could harm the lives of the mother or ...
After years of anticipation, the brand-new UT Health San Antonio hospital is set to open its doors to the public on Dec. 10, 2024. The UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital is the first of its kind. Serving patients in South Texas, the hospital aims to be a hub for innovative therapies and treatments for cancer and other diseases while granting visitors access to experts in their fields of study. Let’s break down all the details about the new UT Health San Antonio hospital and how it will serve Latinos and all people in The Alamo City.
New UT Health San Antonio Hospital
The new $472 million facility stands at eight stories tall to house advanced interventional radiology, a specialized intensive care unit and an integrated imaging center ...
Two million Texans lost their Medicaid health insurance coverage in part due to state errors after federal funding to Texas ended after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent article from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune. Many who feel “wrongly removed” are struggling to regain their coverage. “Texas’ zealousness in removing people from Medicaid was a choice that contradicted federal guidelines from the start,” according to the article. “That decision was devastating in Texas, which already insures a smaller percentage of its population through Medicaid than almost any other state and is one of 10 that never expanded eligibility after the passage of the Affordable Care Act.” If you’re struggling with a Medicaid application in Texas, you can share your story ...
Cancer can be many things. Some describe cancer as a journey, a struggle, or a fight. For Brittney Millard, a breast cancer diagnosis was a life-changing event that gave her the passion to help other cancer survivors. “It's really what's in your heart. You can [help] people you know in your daily life, just spreading awareness and taking initiative,” Millard said. Millard, 32, an intern at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, still faced many hardships with her cancer experience. But now she aims to help others avoid pitfalls she went through. Let’s learn more about her inspiring story and her goals for helping others.
A Major Life Change
A native of San Antonio, Millard described her childhood as difficult. Growing up, ...
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) provides a multitude of cancer-related resources thought its NCCN Guidelines for Patients. With the guidelines, patients and others can get easy-to-understand information about prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care for nearly every type of cancer. Now these resources are available in Spanish! Let’s dive deeper into these resources and how they can benefit Latinos and their loved ones with cancer.
The Importance of Spanish-Language Resources for Cancer Patients
Many Latinos experience challenges when it comes to accessing healthcare, including finding Spanish-language content. “Language [gaps] in healthcare lead to miscommunication between the medical professional and patient, decrease the ...
Drug misuse continues to be a pervasive problem in the US.
Use of illicit drugs can have disastrous health consequences, especially for vulnerable populations like Latinos, and can lead to premature death.
While there are methods to combat addiction, lack of information, lack of insurance, and less access to treatment facilities can get in the way of seeking treatment.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released its annual report on the state of mental health and substance use in the US.
Based on results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States covers mental health and substance use, including tobacco, illicit drugs, and more.
So far, we have covered alcohol, tobacco and vaping, ...
Latinos currently make up 19.5% of the US population. Yet only 7% of physicians are Latino, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). What’s more, only 2% of the 7% are Latina, according to the publication Latina Women in the U.S. Physician Workforce. Having Latinos in medicine is vital to achieve better health outcomes for all patients, including Latinos. This glaring difference can increase instances of mistreatment or negative perceptions, delay preventative care, influence what kind of treatment someone receives, and cause a stronger mistrust of the healthcare system – all of which can disastrously impact Latino health. During Hispanic Heritage Month we are honoring Latino physicians on National Latino Physician Day, Oct. 1, to ...
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Salud America! is spotlighting some amazing Latinos. Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías blazed a trail for Latinos in public health. Rodríguez-Trías helped children as a pediatrician, spoke up for rights for women and those overlooked in healthcare, and became the first Latina president of the American Public Health Association. Let’s explore her career, accomplishments, and how her legacy continues to inspire Latinos in health and medicine today!
Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías: Early Life and Stepping Stones
Helen Rodríguez-Trías was born in 1929 in New York but spent much of her early childhood in Puerto Rico. At the age of 10, Rodríguez-Trías returned to New York with her family. Rodríguez-Trías would learn English quickly and did ...
