Among all the people in Texas, 12.1% have a disability, according to data from the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) via the Texas Workforce Investment Council. But who makes up the disabled population? Which disabilities are the most prevalent and in which communities? What resources are available to these individuals, their families, and caregivers? Let’s explore the answers to reveal the state of Texans with disabilities.
Demographic Data: State of Texans with Disabilities
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines disability as a condition that impairs either the body or the mind, making it more difficult to perform day-to-day activities or tasks. There are many different classifications of disability, including vision, ...
You can share your voice to influence health by filling out the 2026 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) from the South Texas Area Health Education Center, which is headquartered at UT Health San Antonio. The CHNA is a brief, anonymous survey that asks South Texans to share their experiences, needs, and priorities related to health and wellbeing. “Your input helps shape health strategies, services, and partnerships in our communities,” according to the South Texas AHEC program. take the community survey!
Why is the CHNA Survey Important for South Texas?
The CHNA survey can help healthcare professionals better understand what is happening in the communities by gathering information about several factors: health concerns
access to care and services
social ...
Good health is important for all people! With this in mind, Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America!, is sharing an important comment to focus on many aspects of health for Latinos and all people as part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031. Endorse Dr. Ramirez’s comment here. Comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. May 2026 UPDATE: 97 Salud America! members submitted comments in support of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez’s comment to prioritize many aspects of health and research for Latinos and all people. Endorese the Comment
Endorse Dr. Ramirez’s Comment on the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan
Dear NIH leaders, As the leader of Salud America!, an organization that promotes health improvement ...
There are now 631 colleges and universities registered as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) across 29 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. This is an increase over the 602 reported last year, according to a new report from ¡Excelencia in Education!. HSIs are defined as “accredited, degree-granting public or private not-for-profit institutions of higher education with 25% or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent student (FTE) enrollment.” Let’s explore what this means and how it impacts students.
By the Numbers: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
HSIs represent 21% of all colleges and universities but enroll 65% of Latino and 32% of all undergraduates, according to ¡Excelencia in Education!. The graduation rate for HSIs include 67% of ...
In 2024, 15 Latina cancer survivors from across the US and beyond met for the first-ever Latino Cancer Patient Advocate Training Program to become cancer patient leaders.
Since then, the survivors-turned-patient leaders, like Marielle Santos McLeod and Andrea Suarez Vargas have been sharing their stories to help cancer patients, elevate their voices among decision-makers, and create new research opportunities for Latinos and all people.
However, there is still more work to do.
On the heels of the first training, program creators Dr. Barbara Segarra-Vázquez of the University of Puerto Rico and Sandi Stanford of the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation turned around to do it again.
This time the pair welcomed 16 new Latino cancer survivors to participate in the second cohort of Latino Cancer ...
Artificial intelligence, better known as AI, is part of everyday life for many people. In fact, experts say people interact with AI almost constantly or several times a day, from looking up information to creating something to making decisions. That goes for health decision-making, too. “AI is rapidly becoming a key player in many people's medical decisions. According to OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, more than 40 million people consult the platform every day for health information,” NPR reports. Let’s dive deeper into what this means and how trustworthy AI is for health advice.
Making the Right Medical Choices with AI?
One in six American adults consult AI chatbots for health information at least once a month, according to a recent study in Nature Medicine. The ...
Marielle Santos McLeod thought she knew a lot about cancer care. Years as a health professional had given her time to learn about cancer care and gain a closer look at the challenges Latinos face in getting treatment. That’s why, when the mother of four was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 36, she was shocked by just how little she really knew. However, it was enduring the disease as a young Latina that guided her toward her life's purpose – serving as a patient health leader to uplift the voice of Latino cancer survivors. “I love advocacy .... It's like one of the things that I'm convinced that I was put on this earth to do. I just had to get cancer to get to it first,” Santos McLeod said. Update 03/16/2026: After the initial publication of her story ...
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. There are roughly 147,000 new colorectal cancer cases in the US each year as of 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What’s more, colorectal cancer was linked to 53,779 deaths in the US in 2023. These statistics make colorectal cancer the fourth-most common type of cancer and the fourth-largest cause of cancer-related deaths across all age groups, according to the CDC. Many of these cases and deaths are in individuals from overlooked populations, including Latinos, which were brought on by non-medical drivers of health, such as lack of access to quality cancer care and limitedaccess to screening. In honor of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we are diving into the 8 ...
For the last several years, instances of colorectal cancer have been on the rise in the US, especially in younger populations. As cases rise, so too does the number of deaths caused by colorectal cancer. American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers recently found that colorectal cancer moralities have risen by at least 1.1% in people younger than 50 every year since 2005. What’s more, a sharp decrease in other cancer mortalities has placed colorectal cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among people young than 50 in the US, according to an ACS study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Let’s go over the study findings and learn why colorectal cancer moralities have increased.
Study Findings on Colorectal Cancer
For the ...
97 People Endorsed Dr. Amelie Ramirez’s Comment on NIH Strategic Plan
Good health is important for all people! With this in mind, Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America!, is sharing an important comment to focus on many aspects of health for Latinos and all people as part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031. Endorse Dr. Ramirez’s comment here. Comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. May 2026 UPDATE: 97 Salud America! members submitted comments in support of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez’s comment to prioritize many aspects of health and research for Latinos and all people. Endorese the Comment Endorse Dr. Ramirez’s Comment on the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan Dear NIH leaders, As the leader of Salud America!, an organization that promotes health improvement ...
Read More