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Reports: Hispanic Kids Have High Cancer Rates



Childhood cancer rates are highest among white children, and second-highest among Latino children, according to the American Cancer Society's "Cancer Facts & Figures 2014" report. Hispanic children have the highest death rates. Factors that may be associated with these survival disparities include socioeconomic status, health insurance status, timely diagnosis and quality of treatment and supportive care, and genetic factors. Early diagnosis of cancer in children is often difficult because of the similarity of symptoms to more common diseases of childhood. The American Cancer Society suggests that parents should ensure that children have regular medical checkups and be alert to any unusual signs or persistent symptoms, such as: an unusual mass or swelling; unexplained paleness ...

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Sandra Acevedo: An Èxito! Grad Working to Prevent Diabetes



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Sandra Acevedo Torrance, Calif. When Sandra Acevedo first came to the United States at age 10, she didn’t know anybody who spoke Spanish like she did. But with the support of her family and mentors, Acevedo not only learned English but has gone on to earn a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of California Riverside and a master’s in public health degree (with a focus on nutrition) from Loma Linda University. Acevedo currently works for a diabetes prevention and management program that provides services in underserved areas of Los Angeles County. In search of information about applying ...

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Monica Aguilar: An Èxito! Grad Blazes a Trail to Helping Others



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Monica Aguilar Downey, Calif. With a Belizean mother who always cared for others, offered support, and excelled in a health profession, Monica Aguilar was motivated to blaze her own trail to improve the lives of others. Aguilar got her start in health with a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in health science. Today she gone on to serve as a community health educator, research assistant, and data manager for health education and health promotion projects, and now she is pursuing a master’s in public health degree at California State University Long Beach. Aguilar applied for the Éxito! Latino ...

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Lani Alcaraz: An Èxito! Grad Overcoming Hurdles to Higher Education



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Lani Alcaraz Houston, Texas Lani Alcaraz watched her father overcome many hardships and poverty in Mexico to become a doctor. Encouraged by his success, Alcaraz developed her own sense of perseverance and ambition and earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology (with a minor in chemistry) and her certificate in public health from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in January 2010. Alcaraz is currently pursuing her master’s in public health in epidemiology with a concentration in maternal and child health at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Her research ...

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Sanae El Ibrahimi: An Èxito! Grad Promoting Health for All, Regardless of Culture



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Sanae El Ibrahimi Las Vegas, Nevada Growing up in Morocco and traveling abroad gave Sanae El Ibrahimi a passion for learning about other cultures. El Ibrahimi also is passionate in her belief that everyone has the right to health and well-being so that they can achieve their purpose in life, no matter what their culture. In keeping with this belief, she obtained her undergraduate degree in business administration and a master’s degree in international economics from Mohammed V University (Rabat, Morocco). She is currently pursuing a master’s of public health at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her ...

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Latino Health in Focus: Cooking Up Latino Dishes to Fight Cancer



Find the latest advances in Latino health—like a new cookbook with cancer-fighting recipes—in IHPR Noticias, the newsletter from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. IHPR Noticias has these stories and more: Cookbook: Local Latinas’ Tasty Recipes Get Cancer-Fighting Makeover (Pg 1) Profile: Inspired by Her Youth to Give Back...The Story of the IHPR's Rose A. Trevino (Pg 2) New Guide: How to Increase Latino Accrual to Cancer Clinical Trials (Pg 3) New Website: How to Grow a Healthy Change for Latino Kids (Pg 4) Study: Study: Promotores de Salud Help Diabetic Latinos Improve Health (Pg 6) Story: Latinos, Why is Organ and Sample Donation Important? (Pg ...

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Second Largest School District in U.S. Transforms Lunch with Meatless Mondays



Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is the second-largest district in the United States, serving breakfast and lunch in more than 1,200 schools daily. Since the early 2000s they have been creating a healthy food culture that teaches students about healthy eating and introduces them to many new foods, while embracing federal nutritional standards as they improve over time. LAUSD has banned soda and junk food from campus, removed flavored milks, and brought healthy breakfasts to the classroom. A recent accomplishment, pushed by LAUSD Director of Food Services David Binkle and other school leaders, is removing what they call “kid food” from their cafeterias—instead serving healthy meals with flavors and ingredients from a variety of cultures and backgrounds—including ...

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Wendy Ramirez: An Èxito! Grad Serving as a Role Model for LGBT Youth



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Wendy Ramirez South Gate, Calif. Wendy Ramirez uses her outgoing personality to put her own stamp on improving public health. She already has a grant for a research project, she has presented data at several professional conferences, and she hopes to offer support and a role model to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Ramirez, who has a bachelor’s degree in health education and is currently working on her master’s in public health degree at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), is a graduate research fellow with the NCLR/CSULB Center for Latino Community. Ramirez decided to ...

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Bilingual Parent Toolkit Can Track Students’ Academic Benchmarks from Pre-K to 12th Grade



Have you heard of NBC News’ Parent Toolkit? The Parent Toolkit, available in English and Spanish, is a website and mobile app that helps parents navigate their children’s academic development and personal growth. The resource includes: A “growth chart” with grade-by-grade academic benchmarks for Pre-K through 12th grade in math and English language arts; Tips and resources for parents to support their children’s learning for Pre-K through 12th grade; and A guide to parent-teacher conferences and school counselor meetings. The goals of this toolkit, which is sponsored by Pearson, are to give parents a clear understanding of what is expected of their children at each step in their academic journey, and to provide a comprehensive set of tips and tools to help ...

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