In the rural Columbia Gorge region of Oregon and Washington, collaboration has truly been the key to elevating the culture of health of everyone in the area. This vast area is larger than the state of Connecticut, however only 75,000 people live in this extreme environment. While many high-tech companies have moved into new the riverfront properties in Washington (11.74% Latino population) and Oregon (12.15% Latino population), many in remote areas live in poverty and the nearest medical care is over an hour’s drive away. Orchards in the region produce bounties of pears, apples, and cherries and yet 1 in 5 people are food insecure on a regular basis. To bridge these disparities, the people of the Columbia Gorge region have turned an “ordinary requirement” into an extraordinary ...
A new analysis of federal data details the serious and widespread problem of chronic absenteeism in public schools. It has long been a belief that skipping one or two days of school in a month has little impact on a student’s academic success has been proven statically incorrect. According to the new study entitled “Preventing Missed Opportunity,” missing just two days in a month can “expose kids to a cascade of academic setbacks,” ranging from lower reading and math scores in third grade to higher risks of dropping out of high school. The data studied showed that the problem of chronic absenteeism was both widespread and concentrated. More than 6 million students were found to be chronically absent and half attended just 4% of the nation’s school districts and only 12% ...
According to a new study from the Columbia University Medical Center, most Americans – including a majority of Latinos – who screen positive for depression don’t receive treatment for it. Also, many who do receive treatment, don’t appear to have the disorder. “Over the last several years there has been an increase in prescription of antidepressants,” said Mark Olfson, lead author of the study. “In that context, many people assumed that undertreatment of depression is no longer a common problem.” Olfson found the opposite was true after analyzing the data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys in 2012 and 2013. Asked if they had been screened for adults, 8.4% of the more than 46,000 adults answered in ways suggested they had depression. Only 28.7% who appeared ...
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) has committed nearly $31 million over the next five years toward launching a new program for “Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers (TCCs)” that will research health disparities and explore the potential for precision medicine to promote health equity for minorities. “Ultimately, the TCCs will generate new knowledge about precision medicine that resonates from the community level to the national population level,” said Dr. Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, Director of the NIMHD. Although many scientific and technological advances have improved the overall health of the U.S., several racial/ethnic minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and rural populations continue to experience a disproportionate share of ...
Several barriers affect Latinos when it comes to accessing quality health care. Finances, communication, and transportation are three of the most prevalent issues. In North Carolina, these issues, especially communication, are especially acute. Latinos who do not speak English often have to pay extra in rural areas of North Carolina to have a translator with them at their doctor’ “Probably one of the biggest problems [at the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry (GHCCM)] is communication,” said Sue Troutman, a registered nurse at GHCCM. “If they don’t speak good English, they miss things. Sometimes they don’t know what’s available and that’s partially to the translation barrier.” Even when translators are on staff, the possibility exists that something is ...
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently announced more than $140 million that will be distributed among 12 workforce programs across the country. A study from the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortfall of between 14,900 and 35,600 primary care physicians by 2025. The award from HRSA will fund grants related to primary care training, specifically, encouraging diversity in the primary care workforce. As the Latino population continues to grow in the United States, there is also a growing need for qualified Latino/Hispanic healthcare workers to address this population’s needs. In addition to needing someone to communicate in Spanish, having healthcare workers that are culturally sensitive to the needs of their patients is essential to the ...
In Las Cruces, NM city council members will meet today, May 23, 2016, to discuss plans for expanding the local agriculture and food environment, through a comprehensive Urban Agriculture and Food Policy plan, developed by local non-profit La Semilla Food Center. Exactly what is urban agriculture (UA)? The idea is to inform leaders about the many forms, benefits and opportunities that UA has to offer the local community. UA is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in and around towns and cities. Through UA communities are no longer held to the idea that local growing is just for farmers or rural communities, but in reality schools, churches, local businesses, housing authorities, residents and virtually anyone with a desire to grow and produce their ...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has newly released a toolkit for those in urban agriculture or looking to be an agri-business entrepreneur. The opportunities in agri-business help drive job growth in agriculture and expand food access and choice which is vital to Latino communities in need of healthy food access in urban and rural areas. The toolkit is an electronic document that helps urban and small farms navigate more than 70 resources including tech assistance and financing opportunities. Baltimore organizations have added resources into the toolkit including "How-To' guides and law project manuals. To learn more, click here! To access the Toolkit, click here! Copy & Share on Twitter: Attention all #urbanfarm #entrepreneurs, need resources? See the new @USDA ...
The child poverty rate in Colorado declined in 2014, marking the first consecutive decline in over a decade as was determined by the annual KIDS COUNT in Colorado! report. However, disparities still exist and improvements are not reaching all children. Colorado’s overall child poverty rate is 15%, which is still five points higher than it was in 2000. Poverty is defined as an annual income of less than $23,850 for a family of four. Disparities also remain significant for many children of ethnic and racial minorities. “We’re encouraged by the improvements in well-being for Colorado kids,” said Chris Watney, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “These trends are buoyed by economic progress, as well as key policy changes supported by research. Breakthroughs ...
