Latinos represent 18.5% of the U.S. population, but are far less than 10% of those in federal cancer and drug studies. This makes it hard for researchers to create treatments that work best for Latinos. To address this issue, you’re invited to join us for “How to Encourage Latinos to Participate in Clinical Trials,” the first webinar of a new series, “Let’s Address Health Equity Together,” at 11 a.m. CST on Dec. 14, 2021. This Zoom webinar will help health care professionals understand the lack of Latino participation in clinical trials and explore strategies and system-changing advocacy actions to improve Latino enrollment in clinical trials. "This webinar will help doctors, nurses, researchers and other healthcare professionals take action for diversifying ...
You don’t have to stop smoking in one day. Start with Day 1. On Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, you can join thousands of people who will begin their smoke-free journey with the Great American Smokeout. This annual event from the American Cancer Society encourages smokers to make a plan to stop smoking. Need help? Enroll in Quitxt, a free English or Spanish text-message service that turns your phone into a personal “quit smoking” coach from UT Health San Antonio. To join Quitxt, text “iquit” (for English) or “lodejo” (for Spanish) to 844-332-2058. “For the Great American Smokeout, we’re excited to share Quitxt to provide real-time help with motivation to quit, setting a quit date, handling stress, and much more, all on your phone,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, ...
Maria Maldonado knows what it’s like to experience the tragedy of COVID-19. She lost five family members to the virus in the past year, including her mother. “It was just a tidal wave. And it was just very hard for us to go through something so tragic, back to back. It was a very difficult time,” Maldonado said. When the vaccine became available for adults, Maldonado couldn’t wait to get one. “I was not hesitant at all. Why? Because I trust science. They developed it fast, but they still took the protocols and the safety measures that they had to take,” Maldonado said. Once the vaccine was available for children ages 5 to 11, Maldonado got her 9-year-old son Jacob vaccinated. She hopes that other Latino parents will vaccinate their children and help protect ...
In the U.S., Latinos are uninsured nearly three times more than their white peers. Given that Latinos are projected to grow to 25% of the population by 2045, this lack of healthcare coverage will continue to endanger the health of many more individuals, families, and the healthcare system. A recent federal report shows just how large this problem is and why it is critical that civic and business leaders address it. “Latinos have consistently been overrepresented in the uninsured population,” states the report from the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). “Prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Latinos had the second-highest nonelderly uninsurance rate among ethnic and racial populations with more than 30% uninsured. “Studies ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio and a leading health promotion researcher, will serve as the 2021-2022 chair of the the Women in Cancer Research Council of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). The council organizes the activities of the members of the Women in Cancer Research group. This includes fostering career development, recognizing scientific achievements, and advising AACR leadership. Ramirez is currently serving a three-year term on the council through December 2022. “It is a great honor to serve as chair of this group for the 2021-2022 term. Despite the challenges we have seen during the pandemic, I am proud to say we are still making strides and progressing in the field of ...
The AAMC Center for Health Justice and American Medical Association (AMA) co-developed a new guide on inclusive language to advance health equity. “Designed for physicians and other health care professionals, Advancing Health Equity: AMA-AAMC Guide on Language, Narrative, and Concepts provides guidance and promotes a deeper understanding of equity-focused, first-person language and why it matters,” according to the AAMC Center for Health Justice. The guide is broken down sections on language to use to promote health equity, why these narratives matter, and a glossary that defines key terminology. Using inclusive language is important for healthcare providers to ensure that they are giving culturally comprehensive care that is absent of implicit bias or discrimination, which ...
Inadequate transportation can hurt a person’s social, economic, and health outcomes. But planners and policymakers have not had a good tool to measure transportation insecurity—a condition in which one is unable to regularly move from place to place in a safe or timely manner due to the absence of the material, economic, or social resources needed for transportation. So, in 2018, researchers from University of Michigan and others created a tool to explore transportation security modeled after the Food Security Index and based on interviews with families living in poverty. They call it the Transportation Security Index. In 2021, they validated the 16-question index using a nationally representative sample. “We hope [the Transportation Security Index 16] will be adopted ...
UT Health San Antonio is known for doing everything it takes. Everything it takes to treat COVID-19 patients, to change our teaching methods on a dime, to pass health provider exams on the first try, to partner in our community, and to find new cures for dreaded diseases. Our team at Salud America!, which is led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio, is excited to share the university's new “Everything It Takes” campaign. Ramirez is featured in the campaign. Visit EverythingItTakes.org. The campaign will have TV, radio, print, and digital ads. This includes Spanish-language materials, like this radio spot and this one. "We want all of San Antonio and South Texas to know that we’ll do 'Everything It Takes' to serve the health needs of patients in our region ...
Many children in the U.S. have lost a parent or caregiver due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 1 in 500 U.S. children have experienced COVID-19 associated orphanhood, and Latinos and others of color are particularly affected, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. “From April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, data suggest that more than 140,000 children under age 18 in the United States lost a parent, custodial grandparent, or grandparent caregiver who provided the child’s home and basic needs, including love, security, and daily care,” states the study, led by researchers at CDC, Harvard University, Imperial College of London, and others. The study found that the pandemic accentuated racial, ethnic, and geographical disparities associated with the deaths of ...
