On Dec 9,10 2016 Melody Cisneros Milstead will offer the first of many Faith Leader Mental Health First Aid training sessions. This groundbreaking 8-hour training course will kick-off at Centro Cristiano Familiar in Penitas,TX a city part of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The course is aimed at giving people tools to identify when someone might be struggling with a mental health or substance use problem and to connect them with appropriate support and resources when necessary. 1 in 5 Americans has a mental illness, but many are reluctant to seek help or might not know where to turn for care. Unlike physical conditions, symptoms of mental health and substance use problems can be difficult to detect. For friends and family members, it can be hard to know when and how to step in. As a ...
In September, Gatorade announced its new line of organic sports drinks. The new beverage is said to have only seven ingredients (water, organic cane sugar, citric acid, organic natural flavors, sea salt, sodium citrate and potassium chloride). Yet, despite its use of organic sugar, it still contains an unhealthy amount of about 20 grams of sugar per 12-ounce bottle. Lindsay Moyer, a senior nutritionist with the Center for Science in Public Interest says, “G Organic is still a sugary drink-essentially, liquid candy-and organic sugar is no healthier than [regular] sugar. For most people the best ‘sports drink’ is water.” The organic label can be misleading to consumers because many think that organic is always healthier. Lisa Cimperman, a clinical dietitian and spokesperson ...
In Orange County, California, diabetes, heart disease and obesity are serious challenges that disproportionately affect the Latino community. Orange County’s Latino population (34% Latino), like many cities throughout the nation, is growing and changing the demographics of the county and consequentially changing the way healthcare is provided.
A new bilingual campaign called, “Shop With Your Doc” gives shoppers the opportunity to ask questions in a non-clinical environment and allows the St. Joseph Hoah Health system to provide care beyond their hospital walls. The events are being launched from mid-October through November at Ralphs and Food 4 Less supermarkets throughout the country with aims to help shoppers get nutritional advice about what to eat, how to read ...
Mental health inequities are a key problem that many Latinos face in their overall health care. In California (38.18% Latino population), steps have been taken to help alleviate some of these problems with the passing of a new law that will take effect on January 1, 2017. In past years, many health centers in rural parts of the state were unable to bill Medi-Cal, the government health program for low-income Californians, for services; the new law reverses that decision. Without proper treatment, mental health conditions can worsen and make day-to-day life hard. Latinos are less likely to seek mental health treatment. A 2001 Surgeon General’s report found that only 20% of Latinos with symptoms of a psychological disorder talk to a doctor about their concerns. Only 10% contact a mental ...
Research has long shown that U.S. Latinos face higher rates of diabetes and obesity. But are there differences among Mexicans? Cubans? Puerto Ricans? The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), the first long-term study to look exclusively at the health of Latinos, is studying heart disease, obesity, and diabetes among a cohort of more than 16,000 U.S. Latino adults of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican, South American and Central American heritage in the Bronx, Chicago, San Diego and Miami areas, the American Heart Association (AHA) reports. For diabetes, a study of this cohort found that adults of South American heritage have the lowest rate of diabetes. Only about 10 percent of them have diabetes compared with about 18 percent of persons of ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, an internationally recognized expert in health disparities research, has received the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Distinguished Lecture on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities award. The award, sponsored by Susan G. Komen, honors an investigator with a far-reaching impact on the etiology, detection, diagnosis, treatment or prevention of cancer health disparities. Ramirez is the leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. Ramirez has more than 30 years of experience developing robust health communication models, research interventions, community outreach, public and scientific speaking engagements, and training of young minds. Her studies and programs have contributed to reduced cancer and disease among Latinos, including ...
Access to and treatment for mental health issues is has long been a problem for many Latinos. According to a recent study, one in five Americans is believed to have a mental health condition at any given time. However, Latinos receive a lot less psychiatric care overall, including visits to psychiatrists, social workers, and psychologists. In an effort to combat the growing trend of a lack of access, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) has awarded more than $44 million to increase the number of mental health providers and substance abuse counselors across the country. A recent announcement from HHS touted that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) would be funding 144 ...
Many Latinos in Minnesota get “left out,” of the healthcare picture. That’s why HealthFinders Collaborative aims to provider healthcare and services to marginalized families in Rice county, nearly 50 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. But HealthFinders leaders like Charlie Mandile continued to identify gaps in local healthcare. Mandile and his team came up with a solution a few years ago: the Pura Vida Healthy Lifestyles Program, an effort to bring free preventive health and fitness classes to the local rapidly growing Latino population. How has the effort paid off?
Gaps in Latino health in Minnesota
HealthFinders Collaborative, community health centers in Northfield, Minn. (8% Latino population), and Faribault, Minn. (11.74% Latino population) formed to ...
An investment as little as $10 per person per year in evidenced-based, community prevention programs, such as those that increase physical activity and improve nutrition, could create health care savings of more than $16 billion annually within five years. In 2012, the Massachusetts (11.2% Latino) became the first state to use a wellness trust as an effort to reduce health care costs by preventing chronic conditions when the Massachusetts Legislature established the Prevention and Wellness Trust (PWTF) through a one time assessment on acute hospitals and payers, totaling $57 million. The Trust supports nine community-based partnerships, including municipalities, clinical organizations, healthcare systems, community-based organizations, businesses, regional planning organizations, ...
