Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Mitzy Gonzalez
Carraboro, N.C. Growing up partaking in conversations and gossip that brewed when her mom served up café con leche for guest in their home in Titusville, Fla., Mitzy Gonzalez learned how to truly appreciate people’s stories and communicate through love. Now she’s making a career of improving people’s lives. Encouraged by her parents’ love and dedication, at age 20 Gonzalez earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies at the University of South Florida, and at age 21 is currently pursuing a master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Gonzalez’ areas ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Griselda Rubio
Laredo, Texas Griselda Rubio is the definition of healthy: A vegetarian who is physically fit and taught yoga and kickboxing. Rubio, born and raised in Laredo, Texas, has applied this passion for a healthy lifestyle and a love of learning to a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in health administration—and works to manage data, coordinate patients and community relations, and help with clinical research. She also believes that “you have to be able and willing to do a little bit of everything even if it means learning a new skill.” That’s why she ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Maritza Pulido
San Francisco, Calif. Growing up in California, Maritza Pulido had a strong-willed father who would object to her being placed into English-as-a-second-language classes just because of her last name. Now she is an advocate for those who are mislabeled due to their last name and race. Pulido, who developed a compassion for Latinos through her studies abroad in Chile and her travel throughout Latin America, wants to see educational equity for all people. She also values empowering youth toward education and overall betterment. To that end, she earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Christina Olson
San Diego, Calif. With a long-felt desire to study science and encouragement from her family, it was not a shock when Christina Olson earned a neuroscience degree in college. However, her interest in public health came as a surprise. When a close supervisor and mentor encouraged her to “sit at that table” and pursue public health, she did just that, moving to Washington, D.C., to work in international and border health policy and finishing a master’s degree in public health from San Diego State University. To expand her passion for public health and to consider pursuing a doctoral degree, Olson applied ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program. Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez
Naranjito, Puerto Rico Despite growing up in poverty-stricken neighborhoods in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, Eduardo Santiago-Rodriguez was able to see the sincerity and beauty of the environments, people and culture—and he learned and important lesson: “Great things can be done to help others with only giving your time.” Motivated by his childhood experiences and family support, Santiago-Rodriguez earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus, and a master’s degree public health in epidemiology from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences ...
What is health equity? The answer to this question, which has strong implications for Latino and other minority populations, is part of a new series of infographics from the Health Equity Institute at San Francisco State University. Infographic 1 defines health equity as "efforts to ensure that all people have full and equal access to opportunities that enable them to lead healthy lives" and identifies a framework to show how social, economic, and environmental conditions affect health and health equity in a number of ways. To achieve health equity, we must treat everyone equally and eliminate avoidable health inequities and health disparities. Health inequities (Infographic 2) are health differences "that are avoidable, unfair, and unjust." Health disparities (Infographic ...
Find the latest advances in Latino health—from cancer survival to solving park access to how to improve mental health—in the IHPR Noticias E-newsletter. IHPR Noticias has lots of info on the latest local and national health disparities-related news, resources and events: Story: Latinas—10 Years after Breast Cancer Survival (Pg. 1)
Profile: Mentees Promote Healthier Lifestyles in San Antonio (Pg. 2)
Story: Latino Researchers among Recipients of $8 Million in Grants to Study Cancer (Pg. 3)
Scholarships: How to Fight Health Disparities in Your Area & Get a Scholarship for It! (Pg. 4)
Story: How to Solve San Antonio’s Low Park Access Score (Pg. 6)
Story: White Students Now a Minority in School; Hispanic Numbers Surge (Pg. 8)
Resources: Tackling Mental Health, ...
You're invited to join a webinar exploring the current state of U.S. obesity and related health disparities, and the latest efforts to combat the problem. Register here for the webinar at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014. The webinar, hosted by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and Voices for Healthy Kids, will discuss a summary, key findings, and the latest research on obesity's toll related to health disparities from a recent report, The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America. The report found that adult obesity rates increased in six states over the past year and did not decrease in any. Furthermore, significant geographic, income, racial, and ethnic disparities persist, with obesity rates highest in the South and among Blacks, Latinos, and ...
Did you know Latinos suffer more from certain diseases? For example, Latinos are 45% more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer, 65% more likely to be diabetic, and six times as likely to have tuberculosis than Whites. These health disparities are captured in a new infographic. The infographic, from Families USA, which works to heighten health care for all Americans, urges people to "work together to improve our health care system to make it high-quality, comprehensive, affordable, and accessible for ...
