The USDA is proposing to make online food shopping an option for families in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Up to now, WIC participants had to use vouchers or electronic benefits cards (EBT) at the store. With the proposed changes, participants could shop online for groceries – a move that aims to improve the WIC shopping experience while increasing access to nutritious foods for WIC participants, thus positively impacting nutrition security. May 2023 Update: 329 Salud America! members submitted a model comment and were among over 1,600 people overall to USDA’s proposed changes to enable WIC participants to shop online for food. The model comment was created by Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio in partnership with ...
Studies show that community health workers (CHWs) can help address a variety of health differences in vulnerable populations, such as Latinos. A new study, published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, adds to this growing body of evidence. Let’s look at the findings of this study and why CHWs, also known as promotoras de salud and patient navigators, are increasingly recognized for their critical role in increasing healthcare access for medically overlooked populations.
The Impact of CHWs on Heart Health
The new study, conducted by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, examined high blood pressure differences in New York’s South Asian American population. This population faces similar challenges as Latinos in accessing healthcare, ...
Obesity Care Week 2023 (#OCW2023) is here! From Feb. 27 to March 3, 2023, Obesity Care Week is an annual public awareness effort to end weight intolerance, as well as raise awareness, educate and speak up for a better world for people living with obesity. Also, World Obesity Day is March 4, 2023. Our Salud America! Latino health improvement team at UT Health San Antonio is happy to serve as an OCW2023 Champion to support this awareness week. "Unlike most other diseases, obesity is one that continues to be stigmatized and those impacted struggle to receive any care in many cases, let alone adequate care," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. "OCW2023 aims to raise awareness, educate, and [speak up] for people living with obesity and ...
In November 2022, the USDA proposed science-backed changes to improve nutrition and promote and support breastfeeding in the food packages of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). USDA sought comments on its proposal through Feb. 21, 2023. As of today, 15,238 people submitted comments on the proposed WIC food package update, including over 135 comments in English and Spanish from a comment campaign by Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio in partnership with UnidosUs! See all comments here.
Why are the Proposed WIC Changes Needed for Latinos?
Many Latinos face both food and nutrition insecurity. Of Latino low-income households, 69.4% were food secure, 18.8% were food insecure, and 11.8% were very low food security, according to ...
Research shows that the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age can have a big impact on our health. Health data tools, like Salud America!’s Report Card, can help everyone from elected leaders to everyday Americans assess local health data, compare data to other places, and determine how to address the differences that are driving health issues in their communities. Now, Americans have access to another health data tool – the Congressional Health District Dashboard – thanks to the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The dashboard provides all 435 US congressional districts (and DC) access to local health data that was previously unavailable at the congressional district level, nor was it compiled in a single ...
The pandemic revealed long-standing gaps in infection control knowledge and understanding among the frontline healthcare workforce. This is why CDC launched Project Firstline, a training and education collaborative designed to ensure all healthcare workers, no matter their role or educational background, have the infection control knowledge and understanding they need and deserve to protect themselves, their patients, and their coworkers. Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, in partnership with the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) and CDC Project Firstline, brings you a three-part episode podcast series, “Behind the Mask,” to explore infection control through three specific and healthcare lenses: patient navigators/health screeners/community health ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio is launching the new ACS Avanzando Center thanks to a 4-year, $4.08-million grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS). The ACS Avanzando Center, which began work in February 2023, is a response to the severe cancer burden in South Texas. The center will unite South Texas research scholars and the community to improve health across the cancer care continuum by targeting the non-medical drivers of health that prevent people from obtaining equitable care. “Our new center will conduct a unique combination of community-engaged research, training, patient assessment, and promotion to address the non-medical drivers of health, such as financial strain and food insecurity, to improve access to cancer care, prevention, early detection, ...
COVID-19 certainly hurt the health of many, including Latinos. But the pandemic is also threatening the education of children, amid three years of school shutdowns, isolation, and continuing waves of cases. Many students are falling behind in reading, especially. In 2022, the average reading score at both 4th and 8th grade decreased by 3 points compared to 2019, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The National Assessment for Education Progress (NEAP), further highlights that while average 4th grade reading scores in 2022 were higher for Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Latino, and White students, Latino and Black students still had lower reading average scores than White students. Let’s examine the literacy issues children face, the factors that ...
With all the Valentine’s Day candy now on sale, it can be tempting to buy your child a sweet treat. But indulging in sugary food and drinks on a regular basis can cause an array of health problems, such as cavities and other dental health issues. In recognition of National Children’s Dental Health Month, here’s five tooth-friendly snacks you can feed your child to promote good oral health, according to Beatriz Hicks, a clinical associate professor in the department of periodontics at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio.
Tooth-Friendly Snacks Crunchy fruits, like apples and pears “Apples and pears act like toothbrushes. They are crunchy, have the potential to clear plaque from your children’s teeth and can freshen breath,” Hicks explained. Another fruit ...
