2025 was filled with plenty of ups and downs in the world of health for Latinos and all people. However, there were some significant highs that drove health in 2025. For instance, 2025 gave us two campaigns that put readers in the driver’s seat of country-wide change and Salud America! received several opportunities to help make a difference in the lives of all people. But most of all this year gave us hope in the form of stories of survivorship and perseverance. Here were the top 10 stories driving Latino Health in 2025.
1. Linda Mota Shares Her Breast Cancer Survivorship Story
Breast cancer was the last thing on Linda Mota’s mind. She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer — a disease that greatly affected her ...
Firefighters are at higher risk of cancer than the general population. That is the reason for the new San Antonio Firefighters Cancer Prevention Program. The program aims to better understand and reduce the cancer burden among local firefighters and emergency medical services personnel. It is a partnership of the San Antonio Fire Department, UT Health San Antonio, and Sylvester’s Firefighter Cancer Initiative at the University of Miami. Now the program is featured in an article in San Antonio Medicine, a publication of the Bexar County Medical Society. The article was written by Dr. Rachelle Hamblin, a family medicine physician at Health by Design, the SAFD Retiree Police and Firefighter Clinic; Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! and cancer health researcher at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, has been selected for the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA). The award honors individuals who have "demonstrated a significant and lasting impact on improving the lives of older adults, particularly Hispanic older adults," by promoting health and building healthy communities. Ramirez received the award at the 2025 NHCOA Awards Ceremony on Dec. 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Watch the livestream of the award ceremony. "I am truly humbled to be selected," Ramirez said. "NHCOA’s work is deeply meaningful, and to be recognized by an organization so dedicated to advancing the well-being and dignity of our ...
The Salud America! program, led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio, has received the National Health Award from the National Association of Medical Spanish (NAMS) and the Medical Organization for Latino Advancement (MOLA). The award was given during the MOLA-NAMS Annual Conference in November 2025 in San Antonio. "I am truly humbled and honored to accept this recognition on behalf of our Salud America! program, and the countless storytellers, community leaders, and cancer survivors who walk with us on this journey toward better health for all people," Ramirez said. Ramirez launched Salud America! in 2007 to create data-driven news report, role model stories, and action opportunities for better health for all. "Thanks to our passionate team and network, we’ve ...
UT San Antonio is shining a light on Alzheimer’s disease with a new research center to study an aging Latino population, the university announced in UT San Antonio Today. Funding for the center, called the San Antonio Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Population Aging and Social Studies (CAPAS), was made available through a grant program from the National Institute on Aging. CAPAS seeks to bridge the gap in Alzheimer’s research by aligning experts in demography, neuropsychology, biology, economics and public health across UT San Antonio’s campuses, including its Health Science Center. UT San Antonio experts will be working alongside experts from other institutes, such as the Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative ...
Veteran's Day is on Nov. 11, 2025. We at Salud America! are excited to honor all U.S. military personnel, including the Latinos, who have served our country.
Latinos in the Military: History
Latinos have a “proud and indeed enviable” record of military service that dates back to the Civil War, according to a U.S. Army historical website. About 20,000 Latino serviceman and women participated in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, 80,000 in the Vietnam War in 1959-1973, and more than 400,000 in World War II in 1939-1945. Latinos have received more than 40 Medals of Honor, according to the Department of Defense. “Whether their heritage can be traced to Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or one of dozens of other Spanish-speaking countries or cultures, they’ve ...
Latinos continue to be one of the fastest growing groups in the U.S., rising to 20% of the population for the first time this past year, according to the U.S. Census. In addition, Pew Research Center shared these facts: Latinos have played a major role in U.S. population growth.
The sources of Latino population growth have changed in recent years.
S. Latinos trace their roots to many countries.
California and Texas have the nation’s largest Latino populations.
The share of U.S. Latinos with college experience is rising.
The religious affiliation of U.S. Latinos is changing. Let’s dig deeper into these facts and how they can impact others.
Latino Population Growth in the U.S.
The U.S. was home to 340,110,988 people in 2024. Of those, 195 million are ...
For the last few years, Hispanic/Latinos living in South Texas have been sharing their cancer stories with the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Cohort study team at UT Health San Antonio. But up until now those stories were limited to survivors of prostate, colorectal, lung, stomach, liver, endometrial, breast, cervical, and kidney cancers. Now it’s time for the bladder, melanoma, ovarian, thyroid, and lymphoma cancer survivors to share their journeys, too. The Avanzando Caminos study is now enrolling participants who have completed their primary cancer treatments for one of the designated cancer types within the last 10 years. share your story with avanzando caminos!
What is the Avanzando Caminos Study?
The Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino ...
Do you smoke cigarettes and want to quit? On Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, you can join thousands of people who will begin their smoke-free journey with the Great American Smokeout, an annual quitting event. To get help, enroll in Quitxt, a free English or Spanish texting 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. And, if you’re in the San Antonio area, visit the “Mega Lung,” a giant model of a human lung that shows the importance of the respiratory system’s most vital organ.
Step Inside the Mega Lung
The MEGA Lung is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at the Neighborhood Place cafeteria, 3014 Rivas Street, San ...
