Eric Cooper knows what it's like to depend on public assistance programs. He grew up in a low-income family, relying on free school meals and food assistance to get enough food to eat. Today, as CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank, Cooper helps families like his. And with rising amounts of food insecurity amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, he led the Food Bank to orchestrate a whole new way of operating. An army of volunteers has stepped up to meet the needs of so many, by working in back-to-back shifts and implementing new strategies, such as drive-through pickup lines or COVID-19 preparation kits. Their efforts have garnered national acclaim and have turned a crisis into a rallying point for those who need it most. "I think all of us, as human beings find ourselves in ...
Last week, we discussed how high levels of stress can influence the development of cancer. This week, we explore another risk factor in cancer development — genetics. A person’s family or place of origin, even dating back years and years, can influence that individual’s risk for certain types of cancers. Dr. Laura Fejerman, an Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, joins Salud Talks to discuss her research into the discovery of genetic and non-genetic factors that contribute to breast cancer risk and prognosis in Latinas. Check out this discussion on the Salud Talks Podcast, Episode 30, "Hereditary Sickness"! WHAT: A #SaludTalks discussion about genetics and their impact on cancer
GUEST: Dr. Laura Fejerman, an ...
Without paid sick leave, too many Latinos are forced to choose between financial security and health. After all, just a few days of lost pay due to illness is the same as losing an entire month’s worth of groceries for some families, which fare worse during a pandemic like COVID-19. “For a typical Latino family without paid sick days, losing an average of 3.3 days due to sickness is equivalent to a family’s entire monthly health care budget or its monthly grocery budget,” according to a joint fact sheet from UnidosUS and National Partnership for Women & Families. This situation won’t just fix itself after the pandemic, either. “Lives are at stake when policies are not put in place from the top down to prevent the spread of disease or create healthy living ...
Half of workers with the lowest wages and more than half of Latinos are unable to earn a single paid sick day through their jobs. Without paid sick leave, these workers are forced to choose between the financial consequences of staying home without pay and the health risks of both ignoring health problems and exposing others to contagious disease. Afterall, just a few days of lost pay due to illness is the same as losing an entire month’s grocery budget for some families. Workers everywhere should be able to earn paid sick leave, particularly as our country focuses on economic recovery after COVID-19. Join #SaludTues on May 19, 2020, at 1:00 PM EST to tweet about why it is so important to for all workers to be able to earn paid sick leave. WHAT: #SaludTuesTweetchat: ...
Dr. Amelie Ramirez, Director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, and Rosalie Aguilar, National Project Coordinator, discussed some of the challenges U.S. Latinos face amid the COVID-19 pandemic, on a recent episode of The Nation's Health, The American Public Health Association (APHA) podcast. On the podcast, Ramirez and Aguilar talked about: How COVID-19 impacts U.S. Latinos differently
The important role language plays during a pandemic like COVID-19
Promoting health equity during the pandemic
What public health practitioners can do to close the gap and lessen the harmful impact on Latino communities Latinos already face a number of health disparities due to underlying inequities in poverty, access to quality and affordable housing, jobs, and ...
Use La Loteria to talk about health with your family amid COVID-19! La Loteria, a traditional game in Latino families, is a version of Bingo using pictures on cards instead of numbers. The National Alliance for Hispanic Health has created COVID-19 Bingo (La Loteria). The family game has pictures of social distancing, hand-washing, video calls, physical activity, healthy food, faith, hope, and more. "My daughter and I were playing La Loteria and we thought it might be a great way to help other kids understand COVID-19," said Edgar Gil Rico of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. "So it became a family project resulting in a new version of Bingo (La Loteria) with tips for parents to use the game to discuss COVID-19 and what families can do to stay well and healthy." La ...
By Julie Moser
Military Spouse, Breast Cancer Advocate
Founder, Executive Director, PWATX October 28, 2013, is a date that will always be one that will be remembered without thinking about it. You know, like a birth date or wedding anniversary. October 28, 2013, is the day I became a survivor. When the doctor said the words: “You have cancer." On the early morning of my husband’s third deployment send-off, I noticed a brown line under my left breast after a shower. It looked like I had burned my skin with a curling iron. My husband said that it probably wasn’t a big deal as long as I didn’t feel any lumps. I didn’t tell him I felt something but told him that I would get it checked out later in the day with my primary care physician. My doctor found three ...
Wonder what health looks like in your community? Select your county name and get a customized Health Report Card from Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, which shows your area stacks up in housing, transit, poverty, health care, food, and other health issues compared to your state and nation. The Health Report Card auto-generates local data with interactive maps and comparative gauges, which can help you visualize and explore health issues. Get your Health Report Card! “People can easily email their local Health Report Card to decision-makers, share it on social media, and use it to make the case for community change to boost health,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Salud America! Latino health equity program, based at the Institute for Health Promotion ...
Some kids witness domestic violence or murder. Some see loved ones hurt in accidents. These kids still have to go to class or carry on while school is out for summer or due to a pandemic. They face a burden of stress and trauma that can interfere with their behavior and grades—and schools often aren’t even aware there’s an issue. Fortunately, you can still help these kids. Download the free Salud America! “Handle With Care Action Pack.” The Action Pack helps police, school, and mental healthcare leaders start the Handle with Care program, in which police notify schools when they encounter children at a toughscene, so schools can provide support right away. They can virtually support kids if school is out for summer or closed due to a pandemic. GET THE ACTION ...
