New Program to Bring Patient Navigators, Breast Cancer Screening and Education to South Texas Women



Minority women have low breast cancer screening rates. Even if they are screened, they delay confirmatory diagnosis and treatment because of costs, cultural and language issues, competing responsibilities, and more. That’s why Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, professor and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, is offering the Navegando Salud patient navigator program, which trains bilingual, bicultural community health workers to offer breast cancer screenings, education and other services to women in South Texas. Navegando Salud just received a one-year, $100,000 grant from the Avon Foundation. The grant was among 10 announced at the 12th Annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Houston on April 13, 2014. “We’re ...

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Why Do Latinos Struggle with Asthma?



Latinos are at high risk for asthma because prevalence, illness and deaths are strongly correlated with urban air quality, indoor allergens, lack of patient education and inadequate medical care, according to an American Lung Association report. Both asthma and allergies are caused by the body's immune response to environmental triggers, such that some allergens can also trigger asthma, according to Kaiser Permanente. Other irritants can trigger asthma, too, such as the flu. So what can Latinos do? To make an action plan, visit Kaiser Permanente's bilingual website. You can also check out Spanish-language resources from the American Lung Association: Breathe Well, Live Well is an adult asthma self-management education program led by an American Lung Association-trained ...

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New Bilingual App Helps Heart Attack Patients



Latinos face higher rates of heart disease than other populations because of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes, the American Heart Association reports. There's a new free app to give peace of mind for those who have recovered from a heart attack. The CathMaps+ app has a GPS locator to find the nearest cath lab—an exam room with diagnostic imaging equipment to see the heart's arteries and chambers and treat abnormalities—anywhere in the world and stores the user's emergency medical records for immediate access, offering critical tools needed in an emergency incident. "People who have had a heart attack are at significant risk of a repeat cardiac event in the future. If this happens, calling an ambulance and rushing to the nearest hospital with a cath lab is crucial. ...

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New Website: HealthyChildren.org en Español



A new website, HealthyChildren.org en Español, launched this week with nearly 2,000 translated articles on more than 300 children's health topics. The site has features such as: Pregúntele al pediatra (Ask the Pediatrician) Revise sus síntomas (Symptom Checker) Temas de actualidad (Hot Topics) The site, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, aims to be a resource for pediatric health and safety information in ...

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Resource: Bilingual Information on Heart Health



To help Latinos from suffering from heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases, the Million Hearts program has released some new Spanish-language resources to get this group information and tools needed to improve their heart health. Resources include: Million Hearts website (en Español) Four Steps for Heart Health Community Health Workers Fact Sheet How to Control Your Hypertension by Learning to Control Your Sodium Intake: A Fotonovela How to Control Your Hypertension by Learning to Control Your Sodium Intake: Promotora Guide Million Hearts is a national initiative that was launched by the Department of Health and Human Services in September 2011 to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over five years. The group asks you to share your heart ...

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VIDEOS: ‘No Excuses’ for Not Getting Colorectal Cancer Screening



What's your excuse? A new bilingual public service announcement (PSA) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) addresses common excuses and misconceptions that lead people to delay or avoid getting screened for colorectal cancer. The PSA features men and women who voice their personal reasons for not being screened, while an off-camera announcer responds by providing facts about colorectal cancer screening and its importance. Adults ages 50-59, Hispanics, and persons with lower income, less than a high school education, and without health insurance were least likely to have been screened for colorectal cancer, according to CDC statistics. Watch in English: Watch in ...

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Latina Moms and Moms-to-Be, Get Free Health Tips by Text



// Check out Text4baby, a free bilingual mobile information service that provides pregnant women and new moms with information to help them care for their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. Sign up for the service by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411. Once enrolled, three free SMS messages are sent each week, timed to either a woman’s due date or baby’s date of birth. Text4baby has proven beneficial effects, according to a recent study of 122 women by the National Latino Research Center at California State University, San Marcos, and the University of California, San Diego: 64% reported text4baby helped them remember an appointment or immunization they or their child needed. 75.4% reported that a text4baby message informed them of ...

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VIDEO: San Antonio Residents Urged to Find a Healthy Balance



A new TV spot from SABalance.com, the City of San Antonio's initiative to encourage healthy lifestyles, urges residents to "Find Your Balance" and develop good eating and exercise habits. The bilingual spot prominently features active Latinos and beautiful San Antonio cityscapes. Watch in English here or below: Watch in Spanish here or ...

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Bilingual Booklet Helps Patients Understand Clinical Trials as Treatment Options



The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's new bilingual booklet, Knowing All Your Treatment Options/Conozca Todas Sus Opciones de Tratamiento, aims to help patients understand clinical trials as one of the treatment choices they may want to consider. There is also a Healthcare Question Guide inside the back cover of the booklet for patients and family members to take with them to their doctor appointments. To access this booklet and others on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Web site, please visit www.LLS.org/freematerials, or you can order hard copies of the booklet by calling 1-800-955-4572 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST. Information specialists can answer general questions about blood cancers and help patients form additional questions to ask their doctor specific to their ...

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