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Salud America! and Chef Johnny Team Up to Share Kid-Friendly Summer Healthy Recipes


Chef Johnny saludsummer campaign for summer

Did you know kids gain more weight during their summer vacation than they do the entire school year? That’s why Salud America! and San Antonio celebrity Chef Johnny Hernandez are partnering to launch #SaludSummer, a social media recipe-sharing campaign to promote healthy—and fun—eating for families during the summer. Starting on July 1, the campaign will use #SaludSummer to share one new kid-friendly recipe a week on social media by Chef Johnny, who puts his passion for Latino flavors, including fresh fruit cups, licuados (smoothies), and tortas into practice at his restaurants in San Antonio and Las Vegas. People also can share photos of their own healthy foods on social media using #SaludSummer and be entered into a random drawing for a grand prize—a Jawbone fitness ...

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Watch the Award-Winning ‘Salud Heroes’ Video Series


Rick Carrillo

The Salud Heroes video series shows how real people have made healthy changes for kids across the country, to inspire others to make similar changes. Now the series can be called "award-winning." More than 40 awards have been given to the Salud Heroes video series and the Salud America! website. Salud America! is a childhood obesity research and communication network funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by Dr. Amelie Ramirez of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. The recognition is from the AVA Digital Awards, Communicator Awards, Telly Awards, Aurora Awards, Web Health Awards, HERMES Awards, Davey Awards, and W³ Awards. Just this week, Rick Carrillo, Salud America! TV producer/director, was named a finalist for the "Best in ...

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Rebecca (Adeigbe) Jones: Pushing the Public Health Envelope


Dr. Rebecca (Adeigbe) Jones

Rebecca (Adeigbe) Jones grew up in South Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley, a mostly Latino area that often lacks basic infrastructure—like streets and running water—and also is short on doctors and public health services. Jones now works to improve health in this region and beyond. Jones, a researcher at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio, empowers people to take control of their health, and emboldens others to focus on health research and changes. “I’ve been increasingly attuned to high poverty and disease rates—and I enjoy working hard to make a real difference in improving health and quality of life,” Jones said. Jones got her big break into public health in 2010. As an intern for Míranos!, an obesity prevention ...

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New TV Series: ‘Making Awesome Changes’ in San Antonio to Fight Obesity


making awesome changes

Childhood obesity is a big problem in San Antonio. That's why Salud America! and KSAT-TV are teaming up for a new series, "Making Awesome Changes," which will regularly feature local Salud America! Salud Heroes—people and groups who are pushing for healthy changes—on the evening news. Salud America!, a childhood obesity research and communication network supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and directed by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, uses research, stories, and resources to help people drive healthy change in their own communities. Salud America! tells the stories of many youth, parents, teachers and other community members are working to improve physical activity and nutrition to help reduce ...

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Salud America! Gets $1.3M to Fuel Changes that Reduce Childhood Obesity


Salud America Logo

Who is stepping up for child and family health? Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Children this week received a one-year, $1.3 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to develop new educational content that empowers people to drive healthy changes for children. The new funding allows Salud America! to expand its membership, which has recruited more than 10,000 parents, leaders, academics, and more. The network also will conduct research reviews and recommendations to guide anti-obesity efforts. It also will enhance its award-winning Salud America! Growing Healthy Change website with: new campaigns to engage people in reducing obesity; new multimedia Salud Heroes stories and videos of successful healthy changes; expanded ...

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Here’s How to Help Improve Health in Your Area (& Get a Scholarship for It!)


ut health san antonio CTSA clinical care GMaP Region 4

A regional health research program has unveiled a new website, membership opportunity, and scholarships under the direction of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Ramirez’ program is called GMaP Region 4. It is one of six regional GMaPs (or Transdisciplinary Geographic Management Programs) funded by the National Cancer Institute to bring together local networks of investigators to collaboratively identify and address health issues in regions across the country. GMaP Region 4 is enhancing local communication, recruitment, and evaluation capacity to support health research, training and outreach in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Wyoming, Utah and Nebraska. Join the program to learn ...

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10 Years (and Counting!): Latinas v. Breast Cancer


joan trevino lawhon nuestras historias

Julie La Fuente Louviere of San Antonio has fought—and survived—three bouts of breast cancer. She doesn’t let cancer keep her down. The wife and mother of two has lost weight, ran a half-marathon, celebrated 25 years of marriage, turned 50, become a grandmother, and watched her oldest graduate from law school. "Survivorship means I am able to wake up every morning and be a wife to my husband, a mom to my girls, now a glam'ma to my grandson and loving aunt and sister," Louviere said. "It means I can be an active part of the present and never take life's moments for granted." Louviere is among the 16 survivors in South Texas who will celebrate a decade of cancer survival, triumph, and resiliency as part of the 10th anniversary of Nuestras Historias. Nuestras Historias, ...

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Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez Wins ‘Mujer’ Award for Community Service


Amelie Ramirez

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, has received the 2014 “Regional Mujer Award” from the National Hispana Leadership Institute, a national leadership organization. Mujer (Woman) awards are given annually to those who serve their communities. Past Mujer winners include actresses Eva Longoria and Rosaro Dawson, Lidia Soto-Harmon, CEO of Girl Scouts, and Ivelisse Estrada, VP of Univision. “I am honored by this recognition for our multi-faceted work to reduce cancer and increase healthy behaviors,” said Dr. Ramirez. Dr. Ramirez & Her Health Promotion Research Ramirez is an internationally recognized health researcher at UT Health San Antonio. Here, she is professor and chair of the Department of ...

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Alma Daneshi: Three-Time Cancer Survivor Brings Message of Hope, Prevention


Alma-Daneshi-Headshot-e1680030317478-1429x1536

Alma Daneshi cried as she sat in her San Diego-area oncologist’s office, traumatized by past-and-present health battles that continued to endanger her life. She had been through a brain aneurism and open-brain surgery. Then breast cancer. Then breast cancer again, followed by cervical cancer. She had lost her job managing a TGI Fridays restaurant while recovering from the aneurism and taking time off for cancer treatment. She got evicted and worried how she would care for herself and her then 12-year-old daughter. Then she learned she contracted viral meningitis during treatment. Daneshi, sitting beside her oncologist, broke down and wept. But then she got some life-changing advice. “My oncologist let me cry for a bit before she said, ‘Instead of crying, put ...

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