Webinar Series: Let’s Improve Health in South Texas and Beyond

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We want all people to be as healthy as possible.

How can we reach this ideal, especially as we face high rates of cancer and chronic disease and many people struggle with access to clinical trials, income, health care, food, housing, and other issues?

Genentech_LogoYou’re invited to a webinar series, “Let’s Improve Health in South Texas and Beyond,” a collaboration of the Salud America! program, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, and Genentech.

We are planning three webinars in 2025:

Here are the three webinars from 2024:

Here are the four webinars from 2023:

Here are the original six webinars from 2021-2022:

“These webinars will help healthcare professionals and the public understand and take action for health in South Texas and beyond,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, leader of Salud America! and the IHPR at UT Health San Antonio.

2025 Webinar Series: 3/4/25 — The Thing that Could Save Your Life

Cancer screening can save lives by detecting cancer early, when it’s most treatable or before it starts.

Watch a webinar about cancer screening at UT Health San Antonio’s webinar, “The Thing that Could Save Your Life,” which took place at 1 p.m. Central on March 4, 2025.

The webinar featured experts from the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, Genentech, and a cancer survivor, who explored available cancer screenings and how to access them in South Texas and beyond.

Panelists examined common myths and challenges to routine cancer screening, including the non-medical drivers of health, and strategies to overcome those myths and challenges. Panelists also shared other cancer prevention strategies from risk reduction and participating in clinical trials.

watch the webinar!

2025 Webinar Series: 4/23/25 — Tipping the Scales Toward Health

Obesity is a critical risk factor for diabetes and cancer.

We shared the latest in obesity prevention and management at UT Health San Antonio’s webinar, “Tipping the Scales Toward Health,” at 11 a.m. Central on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.

The webinar featured experts from the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, the Metropolitan Health District of the City of San Antonio, and Genentech to explore the issue of obesity and related chronic health conditions like diabetes and related cancers that are impacting South Texas.

Panelists discussed strategies for obesity management, diabetes management, and promoting a healthy weight. They will addressed the non-medical drivers of health and share available resources and support for healthy lifestyles and the prevention of obesity, diabetes, and related cancers.

watch the  webinar!

2024 Webinar Series: 9/10/24 — How to Fight El Asesino Silencioso

Some people with cancer face a challenging survivorship journey.

High blood pressure is a silent killer (el asesino silencioso in Spanish) that can spur heart disease and stroke among Latinos and all people.

We addressed heart health at UT Health San Antonio’s webinar, “How to Fight El Asesino Silencioso,” at 11 a.m. Central on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.

This webinar featured experts from UT Health San Antonio, the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), and Genentech to share resources and relevant tools that families and healthcare workers can use to help prevent, treat, and manage high blood pressure, also called hypertension.

watch the webinar!

2024 Webinar Series: 7/15/24 — How to Support Latino Cancer Survivors

People with cancer face a challenging survivorship journey.

Find new ways to address these cancer survivorship challenges at UT Health San Antonio’s webinar, “How to Support Cancer Survivors,” at 11 a.m. Central on Monday, July 15, 2024.

The webinar will feature experts from the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, Genentech, as well as cancer survivors and safety-net organizations, who will explore cancer among Latinos and all people and how to help them on the road to recovery.

Topics will cover ways patient’s can speak up for themselves, support groups, clinical trials, referrals to resources through screening for non-medical drivers of health, and more.

watch the webinar!

2024 Webinar Series: 4/25/24 — How to Respond to Local Cancer Needs

Do you how cancer impacts your local population? How can you help?

Find new strategies to address the local cancer burden at UT Health San Antonio’s webinar, “How to Identify and Respond to Local Cancer Needs,” at 10 a.m. Central on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

This webinar featured experts from the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, Genentech, as well as a patient support person, who together explored local cancer issues.

Panelists shared how to strategically listen, engage, and respond to local cancer needs to guide cancer research, care, and outreach tailored to address the needs of local communities.

watch the webinar!

2023 Webinar Series: 3/9/23 — Busting the Myths and Challenges to Clinical Trials

Some people fear becoming a guinea pig.

This webinar will define clinical trials, bust several common myths about clinical trials, and share testimonials of real people who have been through and benefited from clinical trials at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio and beyond.

Panelists will also connect audience members with relevant resources and available opportunities to participate in clinical trials at the Mays Cancer Center to improve enrollment in clinical trials.

watch the webinar recording!

2023 Webinar Series: 4/5/23 — Importance of Biospecimens: Who Is Collecting and How Can You Donate?

This webinar will feature a collection of local and national experts who will promote the donation and collection of biospecimens.

When people donate biospecimens—blood, fluid, or tissue samples—it gives researchers the opportunity to better understand, treat, and prevent medical conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s.

But not many people have heard of it.

This webinar will explore how to increase donation and collection of biospecimens; including pointing to donation opportunities.

watch the webinar recording!

2023 Webinar Series: 6/27/23 — How to Care for the Caregiver

For many people, family is the heart and children are expected to be caregivers for their aging parents.

1 in every 3 U.S. Latino households has at least one family caregiver. These caregivers—mainly women in their 40s—juggle multiple jobs or leave the workforce entirely to enter the respectable but high-stress role of taking care of aging family members, who are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related mental health issues.

Latino experts and caregivers will join this webinar to share how to support caregivers, and ease caregivers’ stress, anxiety, and depression.

watch the webinar recording!

2023 Webinar Series: 9/20/23 — How to Address the Non-Medical Drivers of Health in Our Clinics and Systems

We know some people face issues in a variety of non-medical drivers of health, from housing to income, which make it harder to achieve health, where everyone has a fair opportunity to be their healthiest.

But why aren’t clinics and hospitals systematically checking patients for non-medical drivers of health and connecting them to needed resources?

In this webinar, a panel of experts will share how to consider and implement screening for non-medical drivers of health in a clinic or health system, with connections to community resources.

watch the WEBINAR recording!

10/4/22 Webinar: Ladies, Why Should You Get Screened for Cancer?

People in South Texas have lower cancer screening rates than their peers in the rest of Texas and nation.

This webinar will explore the challenges to screening, demystify the screening tests, and share testimonials of women who have gotten screened.

watch the WEBINAR recording!

8/17/22 Webinar: Why Should I Think about Joining a Clinical Trial?

This webinar will define clinical trials, break down the clinical trial process, explore clinical trials as treatment options, and share testimonials of real people who have been through and benefited from clinical trials at the Mays Cancer Center.

We will also address the non-medical drivers of health that prevent joining a clinical trial, from language to complex paperwork, and how to address those issues through healthy changes. 

watch the recording!

6/9/22 Webinar: Men, Why Should You Get Screened for Cancer?

Men in South Texas have lower cancer screening rates than their peers in the rest of Texas and nation.

This webinar will explore the challenges to screening, demystify the screening tests, and share testimonials of men who have gotten screened.

watch the recording!

4/25/22 Webinar: Overcoming Issues in the Doctor’s Office and Research Studies

Doctors often have involuntary preferences for some patients over others.

This issue, which impacts our understanding and decisions about others beyond our conscious control, can contribute to health conditions in patients.

This webinar will feature guest speakers to help health care professionals understand this issue, “rewire” it toward compassion for patients and research participants, and engage local leaders in implementing training on a greater scale.

watch the recording!

2/10/22 Webinar: Targeting Needs in Efforts to Prevent and Reduce Cancer

This webinar will help health care professionals explore the alarming non-medical drivers of health experienced by their patients and research cohorts in the South Texas community.

Non-medical drivers of health include access to health care, insurance, affordable housing, transportation, education, as well as linguistic challenges.

Webinar panelists also will share how health care leaders can speak up for healthy changes that address the non-medical drivers of health, beyond providing more sensitive care and/or research.

WATCH THE RECORDING!

12/14/21 Webinar: How to Encourage People to Participate in Clinical Trials

Latinos represent 18.5% of the U.S. population, but are far less than 10% of those in federal cancer and drug studies.

This makes it hard for researchers to create treatments that work best for Latinos and all people.

To address this issue, this webinar will help health care professionals understand the lack of participation in clinical trials and explore strategies and actions to improve enrollment in clinical trials that better reflects the makeup of the US population.

WATCH THE RECORDING!

Behind the Webinar Series

The “Let’s Improve Health in South Texas and Beyond” webinar series is a collaboration of the Salud America! program, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, and Genentech.

Salud America! is a national organization that creates relevant and research-based stories, videos, and tools to inspire people to start and support healthy changes where all families can better live, learn, work, and play.

The Mays Cancer Center, also known as the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, has a mission to decrease the burden of cancer in San Antonio, South Texas and beyond. We bring South Texas a level of exceptional care that is comparable with the nation’s most respected programs. More patients put their trust in our program because we have a unique understanding of our community’s cancer care needs. We excel in delivering advanced therapies.

Founded more than 40 years ago as the first biotechnology company, Genentech is dedicated to the rigorous pursuit of science and the development and delivery of life-changing medicines for people facing serious diseases. Headquartered in South San Francisco, California and a proud member of the Roche Group, our community is united by a common purpose and sense of urgency to transform the future of healthcare. Learn more at gene.com.

Explore More:

Cancer, Clinical Trials

By The Numbers By The Numbers

142

Percent

Expected rise in Latino cancer cases in coming years

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