Latinos not targeted enough by telehealth programs
The Latino Journal E-News, September 21, 2009
At a time when healthcare is at the top of national debate, few are discussing the power of telehealth and how this could drive medical bills down. So what is telehealth and how is it used?
Telehealth is the use of telecommunications to provide a variety of health services, especially to rural areas of the world. The services include clinical healthcare, patient and professional-related education, and general health administration. The technologies used in telehealth include: videoconferencing, the Internet, store and forward imaging, streaming media, and terrestrial and wireless communications. While new applications are increasingly found for using these technologies, significant barriers remain to making these technologies an integral part of daily health care practice.
In the 2006-2007 fiscal year, numerous grants were awarded by the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to universities, clinics and hospitals implementing telehealth programs. Although there were programs in every state that received an award, not all programs served more than 20 percent of Latinos within their service area. This was especially alarming for California and Texas, where only two and three programs respectively, serviced more than 20 percent Latinos within their service areas. Both states have Latino populations that are quickly approaching 40 percent and nearly half living in rural areas.
The following are the number of programs by state that served more than 20 percent Latinos according to OAT:
Arizona - 3
Califiornia - 2
Colorado - 1
District of Columbia - 1
Florida - 1
Georgia - 2
Idaho - 1
Indiana - 1
Kansas - 2
Kentucky - 1
Massachusetts - 1
Montana - 1
New Jersey - 2
New Mexico - 2
New York - 4
Ohio - 3
Oklahoma - 2
Pennsylvania - 5
Rhode Island - 1
South Carolina - 2
Tennessee - 2
Texas - 3
Utah - 3
Virginia - 1
Washington - 1
Wyoming - 1
For more information about OAT grants, visit their website at http://www.hrsa.gov/grants.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Hispanics lag on insurance and healthcare access
Hispanics, Health Insurance and Health Care Access
By Gretchen Livingston, Pew Hispanic Center, September 25, 2009
Six-in-ten Hispanic adults living in the United States who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents lack health insurance, according to a new analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center of a survey it conducted in 2007.1 The nationwide survey offers a detailed look at the health insurance and health care access of an immigrant subgroup that has become a focus of attention in the current debate over health care reform.
The share of uninsured among this group (60%) is much higher than the share of uninsured among Latino adults who are legal permanent residents or citizens (28%), or among the adult population of the United States (17%).
Hispanic adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents tend to be younger and healthier than the adult U.S. population and are less likely than other groups to have a regular health care provider. Just 57% say there is a place they usually go when they are sick or need advice about their health, compared with 76% of Latino adults who are citizens or legal permanent residents and 83% of the adult U.S. population.
Overall, four-in-ten (41%) non-citizen, non-legal permanent resident Hispanics state that their usual provider is a community clinic or health center. These centers are designed primarily as "safety nets" for vulnerable populations and are funded by a variety of sources, including the federal government, state governments and private foundations, as well as reimbursements from patients, based upon a sliding scale (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008).
Some 15% of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that they use private doctors, hospital outpatient facilities or health maintenance organizations when they are sick or need advice about their health. Traditionally, patients in these settings are required to pay for their care, either via insurance or out of pocket.
An additional 6% of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that they usually go to an emergency room when they are sick or need advice about their health. Most emergency rooms are required by law to provide care to all patients. Patients are responsible for payment for emergency room services, but in some instances the Federal government partially reimburses hospitals for expenses the patients cannot afford.
Some 37% of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents have no usual health care provider. More than one-fourth (28%) of the people in this group indicate that financial limitations prevent them from having a usual provider -- 17% report that their lack of insurance is the primary reason, while 12% cite high medical costs in general. However, a majority (56%) say they do not have a usual provider because they simply do not need one. An additional 5% state that difficulty in navigating the U.S. health care system prevents them from having a usual provider.
Undocumented immigrants and their children comprise 17% of the estimated 46 million Americans who lack health insurance.2 According to Pew Hispanic Center estimates, 11.9 million undocumented immigrants were living in the U.S. in 2008. Three-quarters (76%) of these undocumented immigrants were Latinos.
Overall, about one-quarter of all adult Latinos are undocumented. Pew Hispanic Center analyses of Current Population Survey data indicate that approximately 98% of Hispanic immigrants who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents are undocumented. So, while the survey classification used in this report does not line up exactly with the Latino undocumented population, the two groups are nearly identical.
The Latino population in the U.S. is relatively young, and Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents are younger still. Some 43% of adult Latinos who are not citizens or legal permanent residents are younger than age 30, compared with 27% of Hispanic adults who are citizens or legal permanent residents and 22% of the adult U.S. population. The youthfulness of this population contributes to its relative healthiness. Among adult Latinos who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents, about one-third (34%) report that they either missed work, or spent at least half a day in bed over the past year, because of illness or injury. The rate rises to 42% among adult Latinos who are citizens or legal permanent residents and to 52% among the U.S. adult population.
Experiences in the Health Care System
Three-fourths (76%) of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that the quality of medical care they received in the past year was excellent or good. This is similar to the proportion of adult Latino citizens and legal permanent residents (78%) who express satisfaction with their recent health care.
However, when asked a separate question -- whether they had received any poor medical treatment in the past five years -- adult Latinos who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents are less likely (16%) to report any problems than are Latinos who are citizens or legal permanent residents (24%).
Among those Latinos who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents who report receiving poor medical treatment in the past five years, a plurality (46%) state that they believed their accent or the way they spoke English contributed to that poor care. A similar share (43%) believed that their inability to pay for care contributed to their poor treatment. More than one-third (37%) felt that their race or ethnicity played a part in their poor care, and one-fourth (25%) attributed the unsatisfactory treatment to something in their medical history.
When asked about their most recent medical appointment, three-fourths (76%) of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that they felt comforted or relieved by the visit, and 69% report feeling reassured. Much smaller proportions left their most recent medical visit feeling frustrated (31%) or confused (27%).
By Gretchen Livingston, Pew Hispanic Center, September 25, 2009
Six-in-ten Hispanic adults living in the United States who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents lack health insurance, according to a new analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center of a survey it conducted in 2007.1 The nationwide survey offers a detailed look at the health insurance and health care access of an immigrant subgroup that has become a focus of attention in the current debate over health care reform.
The share of uninsured among this group (60%) is much higher than the share of uninsured among Latino adults who are legal permanent residents or citizens (28%), or among the adult population of the United States (17%).
Hispanic adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents tend to be younger and healthier than the adult U.S. population and are less likely than other groups to have a regular health care provider. Just 57% say there is a place they usually go when they are sick or need advice about their health, compared with 76% of Latino adults who are citizens or legal permanent residents and 83% of the adult U.S. population.
Overall, four-in-ten (41%) non-citizen, non-legal permanent resident Hispanics state that their usual provider is a community clinic or health center. These centers are designed primarily as "safety nets" for vulnerable populations and are funded by a variety of sources, including the federal government, state governments and private foundations, as well as reimbursements from patients, based upon a sliding scale (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008).
Some 15% of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that they use private doctors, hospital outpatient facilities or health maintenance organizations when they are sick or need advice about their health. Traditionally, patients in these settings are required to pay for their care, either via insurance or out of pocket.
An additional 6% of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that they usually go to an emergency room when they are sick or need advice about their health. Most emergency rooms are required by law to provide care to all patients. Patients are responsible for payment for emergency room services, but in some instances the Federal government partially reimburses hospitals for expenses the patients cannot afford.
Some 37% of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents have no usual health care provider. More than one-fourth (28%) of the people in this group indicate that financial limitations prevent them from having a usual provider -- 17% report that their lack of insurance is the primary reason, while 12% cite high medical costs in general. However, a majority (56%) say they do not have a usual provider because they simply do not need one. An additional 5% state that difficulty in navigating the U.S. health care system prevents them from having a usual provider.
Undocumented immigrants and their children comprise 17% of the estimated 46 million Americans who lack health insurance.2 According to Pew Hispanic Center estimates, 11.9 million undocumented immigrants were living in the U.S. in 2008. Three-quarters (76%) of these undocumented immigrants were Latinos.
Overall, about one-quarter of all adult Latinos are undocumented. Pew Hispanic Center analyses of Current Population Survey data indicate that approximately 98% of Hispanic immigrants who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents are undocumented. So, while the survey classification used in this report does not line up exactly with the Latino undocumented population, the two groups are nearly identical.
The Latino population in the U.S. is relatively young, and Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents are younger still. Some 43% of adult Latinos who are not citizens or legal permanent residents are younger than age 30, compared with 27% of Hispanic adults who are citizens or legal permanent residents and 22% of the adult U.S. population. The youthfulness of this population contributes to its relative healthiness. Among adult Latinos who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents, about one-third (34%) report that they either missed work, or spent at least half a day in bed over the past year, because of illness or injury. The rate rises to 42% among adult Latinos who are citizens or legal permanent residents and to 52% among the U.S. adult population.
Experiences in the Health Care System
Three-fourths (76%) of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that the quality of medical care they received in the past year was excellent or good. This is similar to the proportion of adult Latino citizens and legal permanent residents (78%) who express satisfaction with their recent health care.
However, when asked a separate question -- whether they had received any poor medical treatment in the past five years -- adult Latinos who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents are less likely (16%) to report any problems than are Latinos who are citizens or legal permanent residents (24%).
Among those Latinos who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents who report receiving poor medical treatment in the past five years, a plurality (46%) state that they believed their accent or the way they spoke English contributed to that poor care. A similar share (43%) believed that their inability to pay for care contributed to their poor treatment. More than one-third (37%) felt that their race or ethnicity played a part in their poor care, and one-fourth (25%) attributed the unsatisfactory treatment to something in their medical history.
When asked about their most recent medical appointment, three-fourths (76%) of Latino adults who are neither citizens nor legal permanent residents report that they felt comforted or relieved by the visit, and 69% report feeling reassured. Much smaller proportions left their most recent medical visit feeling frustrated (31%) or confused (27%).
Not all Hispanic kids getting H1N1 shots
Swine flu: Parents not flocking toward H1N1 flu vaccinations for their kids
LA Times, September 24, 2009
Germ-spreading school children are expected to be the focus of a massive U.S. vaccination campaign against the novel H1N1 flu. But if their parents are hearing the sounding of the tocsin at all, they're not buying it, says a new national survey.
A poll conducted by the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that only 4 in 10 parents said they would get their children immunized against the H1N1 virus--even as 54% indicated they will get their kids vaccinated against regular seasonal flu. Among those that said they do not intend to have their kids vaccinated against H1N1, almost half--46% indicated they're not worried about their child becoming ill with the pandemic virus. One in five told surveyers they do not believe the H1N1 flu is serious.
Skepticism about the new vaccine among parents has drawn on many old, and a few new fears, according to a recent look at the subject in The Times.
There were differences along racial and ethnic groups in parents' responses. More than half of Latino parents said they will bring their kids to get vaccinated against H1N1. Among white parents, 38% said they would do so. African American parents were least inclined to vaccinate: 30% said they planned to do so.
About half of the parents who planned to take a pass on the H1N1 flu shot for their kids expressed concern about possible side effects of the vaccine.
The chatter about seasonal flu and novel H1N1 flu and their relative virulence has certainly confused parents, the survey suggests. Half of respondents said they believe that, for children, seasonal and H1N1 flu pose roughly equivalent risks.
"That perception may not match the actual risks," says Dr. Matthew Davis, a University of Michigan professor of pediatrics and internal medicine and director of the poll. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that while serious complications of seasonal flu appear to spare most kids and strike the elderly and very young most heavily, the novel H1N1 flu appears to hit children and young adults hardest.
Parents who believe that H1N1 flu will be worse for children were most likely to say they will have their own children vaccinated. In a news release accompanying the poll results, Davis said that public health officials wishing to maximize vaccination rates among school children need to communicate clearly to their parents that kids are at relatively greater risk of becoming seriously ill with the novel flu strain if they get it.
-- Melissa Healy
LA Times, September 24, 2009
Germ-spreading school children are expected to be the focus of a massive U.S. vaccination campaign against the novel H1N1 flu. But if their parents are hearing the sounding of the tocsin at all, they're not buying it, says a new national survey.
A poll conducted by the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that only 4 in 10 parents said they would get their children immunized against the H1N1 virus--even as 54% indicated they will get their kids vaccinated against regular seasonal flu. Among those that said they do not intend to have their kids vaccinated against H1N1, almost half--46% indicated they're not worried about their child becoming ill with the pandemic virus. One in five told surveyers they do not believe the H1N1 flu is serious.
Skepticism about the new vaccine among parents has drawn on many old, and a few new fears, according to a recent look at the subject in The Times.
There were differences along racial and ethnic groups in parents' responses. More than half of Latino parents said they will bring their kids to get vaccinated against H1N1. Among white parents, 38% said they would do so. African American parents were least inclined to vaccinate: 30% said they planned to do so.
About half of the parents who planned to take a pass on the H1N1 flu shot for their kids expressed concern about possible side effects of the vaccine.
The chatter about seasonal flu and novel H1N1 flu and their relative virulence has certainly confused parents, the survey suggests. Half of respondents said they believe that, for children, seasonal and H1N1 flu pose roughly equivalent risks.
"That perception may not match the actual risks," says Dr. Matthew Davis, a University of Michigan professor of pediatrics and internal medicine and director of the poll. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that while serious complications of seasonal flu appear to spare most kids and strike the elderly and very young most heavily, the novel H1N1 flu appears to hit children and young adults hardest.
Parents who believe that H1N1 flu will be worse for children were most likely to say they will have their own children vaccinated. In a news release accompanying the poll results, Davis said that public health officials wishing to maximize vaccination rates among school children need to communicate clearly to their parents that kids are at relatively greater risk of becoming seriously ill with the novel flu strain if they get it.
-- Melissa Healy
Friday, September 25, 2009
Latino behavioral group kicks off program
Groundbreaking Latino Consumer Network to Kickoff at 1st Annual “Tenemos Voz” Symposium
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON– Sept. 22: The National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) announced today its plans to establish a national Latino consumer network to improve the delivery of mental health services for Latinos across the country. The consumer-driven network will be the first of its kind for the Latino population and will be launched at the first annual Tenemos Voz (“we have a voice”) Symposium to be held in Los Angeles on September 22.
“We are hopeful that our work to bring Latinos together from across the country to discuss their mental and behavioral health care needs will positively impact how these services are delivered to our community, and believe it will have a major impact on the behavioral health of Latinos throughout the country,” explains Guillermo Brito, executive director of NLBHA. “Given the current U.S. health care reform discussion, we have a unique opportunity to draw attention to the great disparities that exist in areas of access, utilization, practice based research, and adequately trained personnel in the behavioral health arena.”
The invitation-only symposium will convene a steering group of nearly 70 Latino consumer leaders from across the U.S. to establish an operating structure and work plan for the national network. “Latinos in the United States account for more than 45 million people, making the need for a national Latino consumer network quite obvious” said Fred Sandoval, NLBHA Board President. “NLBHA is positioned to play a role in helping to empower consumers so that they can impact the behavioral health care system and make it more responsive to their needs. It will open many doors and opportunities that the Latino community did not even know existed.”
Other factors affecting disparities in the delivery of mental health care and substance abuse treatment services and that the network will address include the insufficient number of Latino mental health care practitioners, low educational and socioeconomic levels, the high percentage of uninsured Latinos, and racial as well as ethnic discrimination.
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON– Sept. 22: The National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) announced today its plans to establish a national Latino consumer network to improve the delivery of mental health services for Latinos across the country. The consumer-driven network will be the first of its kind for the Latino population and will be launched at the first annual Tenemos Voz (“we have a voice”) Symposium to be held in Los Angeles on September 22.
“We are hopeful that our work to bring Latinos together from across the country to discuss their mental and behavioral health care needs will positively impact how these services are delivered to our community, and believe it will have a major impact on the behavioral health of Latinos throughout the country,” explains Guillermo Brito, executive director of NLBHA. “Given the current U.S. health care reform discussion, we have a unique opportunity to draw attention to the great disparities that exist in areas of access, utilization, practice based research, and adequately trained personnel in the behavioral health arena.”
The invitation-only symposium will convene a steering group of nearly 70 Latino consumer leaders from across the U.S. to establish an operating structure and work plan for the national network. “Latinos in the United States account for more than 45 million people, making the need for a national Latino consumer network quite obvious” said Fred Sandoval, NLBHA Board President. “NLBHA is positioned to play a role in helping to empower consumers so that they can impact the behavioral health care system and make it more responsive to their needs. It will open many doors and opportunities that the Latino community did not even know existed.”
Other factors affecting disparities in the delivery of mental health care and substance abuse treatment services and that the network will address include the insufficient number of Latino mental health care practitioners, low educational and socioeconomic levels, the high percentage of uninsured Latinos, and racial as well as ethnic discrimination.
Border health research project funded
UTEP gets $12.4M to further border health research
By Erica Molina Johnson / El Paso Times, 09/23/2009
EL PASO -- The University of Texas at El Paso is poised to further its work on border-health topics with a $12.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
The university on Tuesday announced that it received the five-year grant to support its Border Biomedical Research Center.
The center focuses on developing possible therapies for illnesses prevalent in the border area, such as tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, diabetes, cancer and certain neurological disorders, said Robert Kirken, professor and chairman of the department of biomedical sciences at UTEP.
"This grant is focused on developing research infrastructure. It is supposed to provide or enhance the competitiveness of especially minority institutions," Kirken said.
The grant, made through the institutes of health Research Centers in Minorities Institutions program, will fund six new faculty positions and at least two postdoctoral fellowships.
It also will pay for equipment, support staff and some travel.
This is the fourth time the center has received a five-year grant from the agency.
"It's an extremely important building block on our road to Tier One (research university status)," UTEP President Diana Natalicio said. "It's the kind of sustained funding that creates opportunities for faculty and students, and it's extremely important that we continue to grow our portfolio of grants like this from NIH, the National Science Foundation, NASA and the Department of Energy."
By Erica Molina Johnson / El Paso Times, 09/23/2009
EL PASO -- The University of Texas at El Paso is poised to further its work on border-health topics with a $12.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
The university on Tuesday announced that it received the five-year grant to support its Border Biomedical Research Center.
The center focuses on developing possible therapies for illnesses prevalent in the border area, such as tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, diabetes, cancer and certain neurological disorders, said Robert Kirken, professor and chairman of the department of biomedical sciences at UTEP.
"This grant is focused on developing research infrastructure. It is supposed to provide or enhance the competitiveness of especially minority institutions," Kirken said.
The grant, made through the institutes of health Research Centers in Minorities Institutions program, will fund six new faculty positions and at least two postdoctoral fellowships.
It also will pay for equipment, support staff and some travel.
This is the fourth time the center has received a five-year grant from the agency.
"It's an extremely important building block on our road to Tier One (research university status)," UTEP President Diana Natalicio said. "It's the kind of sustained funding that creates opportunities for faculty and students, and it's extremely important that we continue to grow our portfolio of grants like this from NIH, the National Science Foundation, NASA and the Department of Energy."
Latinos and Blacks will gain from new diabetes center
South Dallas diabetes education goes into the neighborhood
By ROY APPLETON and DIANNE SOLÍS / The Dallas Morning News, September 23, 2009
The diagnosis of diabetes is accelerating across the nation, most commonly afflicting blacks and Latinos.
With those realities in mind, Baylor Health Care System is confronting the disease in a core spot – South Dallas.
Hospital and city officials joined neighborhood leaders Tuesday morning at Juanita Craft Recreation Center for a ceremonial groundbreaking of what they hope will be a model for diabetes care.
The center at 4500 Spring Ave. will become home next year to Baylor's Diabetes Health and Wellness Institute – an initiative involving both treatment and prevention with a goal of improving lives and reducing health care costs.
"Instead of treating the disease in our hospitals, we want to deal with it in the neighborhoods," said Dr. Paul Convery, chief medical officer of the Baylor system.
The Rev. Henry Green Jr. attended the event. He presides over the Community Outreach Baptist Church, across the street from the recreation center. He knows diabetes well. The lanky 62-year-old was diagnosed seven years ago and plans to work closely with the initiative.
Even with health insurance, the preacher found it difficult to find a good diabetes education program near his home, he said.
"With this place here, I can see a lot of us not losing our legs, not losing our eyesight, not losing our lives because of diabetes," he said. "I applaud Baylor for making a bold statement."
The institute will offer a clinic staffed by doctors and other medical specialists, affordable medications, plus diabetes education ranging from nutrition and cooking classes to exercise programs.
The Juanita Craft center will still offer its regular services and will be expanded for the institute. The city is contributing $2 million toward that work with Baylor paying $15 million for construction, equipping and staffing the institute for four years, Convery said.
The institute will be open to all regardless of residency, insurance or income. "We won't turn anyone away," he said.
South Dallas was selected because of its predominantly black population that is relatively poor, medically underserved with limited access to healthy food, he said.
"It was considered the least healthy area of Dallas County," he said.
Nationwide, 6 percent of the population was diagnosed with diabetes in 2006, up from about 3 percent in 1997, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. And in Texas, diabetes rates are highest among African-Americans (12.9 percent) and Latinos (12.3 percent) compared with Anglos (8.5 percent), according to the Texas Diabetes Council.
rappleton@dallasnews.com;
dsolis@dallasnews.com
By ROY APPLETON and DIANNE SOLÍS / The Dallas Morning News, September 23, 2009
The diagnosis of diabetes is accelerating across the nation, most commonly afflicting blacks and Latinos.
With those realities in mind, Baylor Health Care System is confronting the disease in a core spot – South Dallas.
Hospital and city officials joined neighborhood leaders Tuesday morning at Juanita Craft Recreation Center for a ceremonial groundbreaking of what they hope will be a model for diabetes care.
The center at 4500 Spring Ave. will become home next year to Baylor's Diabetes Health and Wellness Institute – an initiative involving both treatment and prevention with a goal of improving lives and reducing health care costs.
"Instead of treating the disease in our hospitals, we want to deal with it in the neighborhoods," said Dr. Paul Convery, chief medical officer of the Baylor system.
The Rev. Henry Green Jr. attended the event. He presides over the Community Outreach Baptist Church, across the street from the recreation center. He knows diabetes well. The lanky 62-year-old was diagnosed seven years ago and plans to work closely with the initiative.
Even with health insurance, the preacher found it difficult to find a good diabetes education program near his home, he said.
"With this place here, I can see a lot of us not losing our legs, not losing our eyesight, not losing our lives because of diabetes," he said. "I applaud Baylor for making a bold statement."
The institute will offer a clinic staffed by doctors and other medical specialists, affordable medications, plus diabetes education ranging from nutrition and cooking classes to exercise programs.
The Juanita Craft center will still offer its regular services and will be expanded for the institute. The city is contributing $2 million toward that work with Baylor paying $15 million for construction, equipping and staffing the institute for four years, Convery said.
The institute will be open to all regardless of residency, insurance or income. "We won't turn anyone away," he said.
South Dallas was selected because of its predominantly black population that is relatively poor, medically underserved with limited access to healthy food, he said.
"It was considered the least healthy area of Dallas County," he said.
Nationwide, 6 percent of the population was diagnosed with diabetes in 2006, up from about 3 percent in 1997, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. And in Texas, diabetes rates are highest among African-Americans (12.9 percent) and Latinos (12.3 percent) compared with Anglos (8.5 percent), according to the Texas Diabetes Council.
rappleton@dallasnews.com;
dsolis@dallasnews.com
Hispanics, blacks less likely to control blood pressure
Minorities Less Likely to Have Blood Pressure Under Control
Blacks have the highest readings, despite taking medications, study finds
By Jennifer Thomas, HealthDay, September 23, 2009
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Blacks and Hispanics with a history of stroke or coronary artery disease have higher blood pressure than whites, while Hispanics are less likely to be prescribed medications to control it, a new U.S. study shows.
About 63 percent of whites, 58 percent of Hispanics and 40 percent of blacks had blood pressure readings that fell within national guidelines, the researchers found.
"There was a significant disparity in achievement of blood pressure goals among African Americans as compared to whites or Hispanics," said senior study author Dr. Nerses Sanossian, associate director of the Stroke Center at University of Southern California.
The study was to be presented Wednesday at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research Conference in Chicago.
Researchers evaluated data on blood pressure levels from 517 participants in the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey who reported having had either a stroke or coronary artery disease. About 12 percent of participants were Hispanic and 25 percent were black.
National recommendations call for most adults to keep their blood pressure under a reading of 140 for the top number and 90 for the lower number, while diabetics should keep it under 130/80.
"The greatest risk factor for having a heart attack or stroke is having a previous heart attack or stroke," Sanossian said. "Blood pressure control is one of the cornerstones of prevention. This is a group of people in whom prevention is really crucial."
Reasons for the disparities may include lifestyle or economic factors, genetics and differences in the quality of health care received, the researchers said.
While blacks and whites reported being prescribed blood pressure medications at similar rates, blood pressure was not as well-controlled in black patients as in white patients.
Black participants had average systolic blood pressure (the upper number in a reading) of 140, compared to 134 among whites. Blacks had diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) of 74, compared to 65 in whites. Both are significant differences, Sanossian noted.
Previous research shows that a systolic decrease of 10 translates into a 31 percent reduction in stroke rate.
"The average person out there has to have their blood pressure controlled, but if you've had a stroke or coronary artery disease you have to have your blood pressure controlled in a much stricter way," Sanossian stressed.
Hispanics and whites had similar systolic blood pressure (133 compared to 134), though Hispanics had higher diastolic blood pressure (72 compared to 65), the researchers noted.
Yet, only 54 percent of Hispanics who'd had a stroke or who had coronary artery disease were taking drugs for hypertension, compared to 77 percent of whites and 76 percent of blacks.
Among stroke survivors, 52 percent of Hispanics were prescribed blood pressure medications compared to 74 percent of whites and 87 percent of blacks. Among Hispanics with coronary artery disease, about 59 percent were taking hypertension medications compared to 80 percent of whites and 74 percent of blacks.
Making sure that minorities get the proper blood pressure medication to get blood pressure under control is of critical importance, said Dr. Rhian M. Touyz, a professor of medicine at University of Ottawa.
Hypertension is more common in blacks than whites and tends to be more difficult to get under control, Touyz said. Blacks tend to suffer more severe complications from high blood pressure at a younger age than other racial groups. Blacks are also more sensitive to the effects of salt in the diet, which can raise blood pressure.
"It's well known that African Americans tend to develop much worse renal complications and stroke than white patients with high blood pressure," Touyz said. "If we can understand better what are the mechanisms that are responsible for the differences in hypertension rates and why the complications are more severe, it will allow us to better treat patients who are black."
In addition, certain high blood pressure treatments don't work as well in blacks. Classes of drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system, which can raise blood pressure when overactive, tend to be more effective in whites, Touyz said.
The data used in the study did not include information about what medications participants were taking or the doses.
Education and outreach programs targeting minorities, along with aggressive screening and treatment for hypertension, would help eliminate some of the disparities, the researchers said.
Blacks have the highest readings, despite taking medications, study finds
By Jennifer Thomas, HealthDay, September 23, 2009
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Blacks and Hispanics with a history of stroke or coronary artery disease have higher blood pressure than whites, while Hispanics are less likely to be prescribed medications to control it, a new U.S. study shows.
About 63 percent of whites, 58 percent of Hispanics and 40 percent of blacks had blood pressure readings that fell within national guidelines, the researchers found.
"There was a significant disparity in achievement of blood pressure goals among African Americans as compared to whites or Hispanics," said senior study author Dr. Nerses Sanossian, associate director of the Stroke Center at University of Southern California.
The study was to be presented Wednesday at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research Conference in Chicago.
Researchers evaluated data on blood pressure levels from 517 participants in the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey who reported having had either a stroke or coronary artery disease. About 12 percent of participants were Hispanic and 25 percent were black.
National recommendations call for most adults to keep their blood pressure under a reading of 140 for the top number and 90 for the lower number, while diabetics should keep it under 130/80.
"The greatest risk factor for having a heart attack or stroke is having a previous heart attack or stroke," Sanossian said. "Blood pressure control is one of the cornerstones of prevention. This is a group of people in whom prevention is really crucial."
Reasons for the disparities may include lifestyle or economic factors, genetics and differences in the quality of health care received, the researchers said.
While blacks and whites reported being prescribed blood pressure medications at similar rates, blood pressure was not as well-controlled in black patients as in white patients.
Black participants had average systolic blood pressure (the upper number in a reading) of 140, compared to 134 among whites. Blacks had diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) of 74, compared to 65 in whites. Both are significant differences, Sanossian noted.
Previous research shows that a systolic decrease of 10 translates into a 31 percent reduction in stroke rate.
"The average person out there has to have their blood pressure controlled, but if you've had a stroke or coronary artery disease you have to have your blood pressure controlled in a much stricter way," Sanossian stressed.
Hispanics and whites had similar systolic blood pressure (133 compared to 134), though Hispanics had higher diastolic blood pressure (72 compared to 65), the researchers noted.
Yet, only 54 percent of Hispanics who'd had a stroke or who had coronary artery disease were taking drugs for hypertension, compared to 77 percent of whites and 76 percent of blacks.
Among stroke survivors, 52 percent of Hispanics were prescribed blood pressure medications compared to 74 percent of whites and 87 percent of blacks. Among Hispanics with coronary artery disease, about 59 percent were taking hypertension medications compared to 80 percent of whites and 74 percent of blacks.
Making sure that minorities get the proper blood pressure medication to get blood pressure under control is of critical importance, said Dr. Rhian M. Touyz, a professor of medicine at University of Ottawa.
Hypertension is more common in blacks than whites and tends to be more difficult to get under control, Touyz said. Blacks tend to suffer more severe complications from high blood pressure at a younger age than other racial groups. Blacks are also more sensitive to the effects of salt in the diet, which can raise blood pressure.
"It's well known that African Americans tend to develop much worse renal complications and stroke than white patients with high blood pressure," Touyz said. "If we can understand better what are the mechanisms that are responsible for the differences in hypertension rates and why the complications are more severe, it will allow us to better treat patients who are black."
In addition, certain high blood pressure treatments don't work as well in blacks. Classes of drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system, which can raise blood pressure when overactive, tend to be more effective in whites, Touyz said.
The data used in the study did not include information about what medications participants were taking or the doses.
Education and outreach programs targeting minorities, along with aggressive screening and treatment for hypertension, would help eliminate some of the disparities, the researchers said.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Hispanic groups promote therapeutic art
Anaheim Family YMCA, Latino Health Access and Others Team Up with American Chemistry Council to Promote Recycling Education
PRESS RELEASE
ORANGE COUNTY, CA (September 19, 2009) – Today, the Anaheim Family YMCA, Latino Health Access (LHA), Anaheim League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Orange County Children’s Therapeutic ARTS Center (OCCTAC), Keep California Beautiful (KCB) and the American Chemistry Council have partnered to promote recycling in Orange County. By dropping off a 30-gallon bag of plastics and other materials for recycling, family members of the YMCA, LHA and OCCTAC will receive free tickets to the September 26th Angels game that includes attendance in the day-long Angels Fiesta Day celebration.
ACC also is working with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to place recycling bins in the baseball stadium to encourage and promote recycling.
Anaheim Family YMCA, LHA, Anaheim LULAC and OCCTAC have become the latest partners in an ongoing recycling campaign that began in 2007 when representatives from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, ACC and KCB launched a new beach recycling program on State Parks sites in the Los Angeles and Central Coast areas. The program soon spread to State Parks beaches in San Diego, Monterey, and Santa Cruz and to the cities of and Brentwood and Woodland. To date, the program has installed more than 500 permanent and seasonal recycling bins and signage on 25 state beaches.
“Teaching kids the importance of recycling is one of the many ways the Anaheim Family YMCA instills respect, responsibility and other valuable character traits in our youth,” said John Guastaferro, Vice President of Communications, Anaheim Family YMCA. “We’re thrilled to be able to share the message of recycling with our members, in collaboration with the Angels, American Chemistry Council and other community partners.”
“Latino Health Access welcomes the opportunity to partner with the American Chemistry Council to promote the value of recycling education with our community,” said Gabriela Gonzalez, Communications and Development Coordinator. “We believe that ‘participation makes the difference’. Our families will enjoy an Angel’s baseball game and Angels Fiesta Day activities all the while contributing to a cleaner and healthier community. This is a win-win situation for all.”
“In times like these, a free afternoon of Angel’s baseball is a spectacular way to spend time with family,” said Yvonne Gonzalez Duncan, President, Anaheim League of United Latin American Citizens. “Adding the education element of environmental stewardship, conservation and recycling further promotes our civic pride.”
The Director and Founder of Orange County Children’s Therapeutic ARTS Center, Dr. Ana Jimenez-Hami, adds, "What a wonderful idea for our children to learn about recycling in such a practical way!"
The recycling of plastics in California, particularly in away-from-home settings, can help to reduce litter and marine debris. As a result, program participants welcome opportunities to work with communities like Anaheim and Santa Ana to deliver educational opportunities reminding people that plastics are too valuable to waste and should be recycled.
"Too much plastic – including many readily recyclable products – is ending up as litter on our beaches, in our waterways and in our neighborhoods,” said Steve Russell, Vice President, Plastics, of the American Chemistry Council. “We know Californians want to recycle more. We appreciate this opportunity to work with community groups like the Anaheim Family YMCA, Latino Health Access and the Anaheim League of United Latin American Citizens to help make our environment cleaner for the future of California.”
More than 80 percent of U.S. households have access to a recycling program, be it curbside collection or community drop-off centers. While there are approximately 2,100 certified recycling centers in California, too many people still see plastics as trash instead of valuable materials that should be recycled.
PRESS RELEASE
ORANGE COUNTY, CA (September 19, 2009) – Today, the Anaheim Family YMCA, Latino Health Access (LHA), Anaheim League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Orange County Children’s Therapeutic ARTS Center (OCCTAC), Keep California Beautiful (KCB) and the American Chemistry Council have partnered to promote recycling in Orange County. By dropping off a 30-gallon bag of plastics and other materials for recycling, family members of the YMCA, LHA and OCCTAC will receive free tickets to the September 26th Angels game that includes attendance in the day-long Angels Fiesta Day celebration.
ACC also is working with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to place recycling bins in the baseball stadium to encourage and promote recycling.
Anaheim Family YMCA, LHA, Anaheim LULAC and OCCTAC have become the latest partners in an ongoing recycling campaign that began in 2007 when representatives from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, ACC and KCB launched a new beach recycling program on State Parks sites in the Los Angeles and Central Coast areas. The program soon spread to State Parks beaches in San Diego, Monterey, and Santa Cruz and to the cities of and Brentwood and Woodland. To date, the program has installed more than 500 permanent and seasonal recycling bins and signage on 25 state beaches.
“Teaching kids the importance of recycling is one of the many ways the Anaheim Family YMCA instills respect, responsibility and other valuable character traits in our youth,” said John Guastaferro, Vice President of Communications, Anaheim Family YMCA. “We’re thrilled to be able to share the message of recycling with our members, in collaboration with the Angels, American Chemistry Council and other community partners.”
“Latino Health Access welcomes the opportunity to partner with the American Chemistry Council to promote the value of recycling education with our community,” said Gabriela Gonzalez, Communications and Development Coordinator. “We believe that ‘participation makes the difference’. Our families will enjoy an Angel’s baseball game and Angels Fiesta Day activities all the while contributing to a cleaner and healthier community. This is a win-win situation for all.”
“In times like these, a free afternoon of Angel’s baseball is a spectacular way to spend time with family,” said Yvonne Gonzalez Duncan, President, Anaheim League of United Latin American Citizens. “Adding the education element of environmental stewardship, conservation and recycling further promotes our civic pride.”
The Director and Founder of Orange County Children’s Therapeutic ARTS Center, Dr. Ana Jimenez-Hami, adds, "What a wonderful idea for our children to learn about recycling in such a practical way!"
The recycling of plastics in California, particularly in away-from-home settings, can help to reduce litter and marine debris. As a result, program participants welcome opportunities to work with communities like Anaheim and Santa Ana to deliver educational opportunities reminding people that plastics are too valuable to waste and should be recycled.
"Too much plastic – including many readily recyclable products – is ending up as litter on our beaches, in our waterways and in our neighborhoods,” said Steve Russell, Vice President, Plastics, of the American Chemistry Council. “We know Californians want to recycle more. We appreciate this opportunity to work with community groups like the Anaheim Family YMCA, Latino Health Access and the Anaheim League of United Latin American Citizens to help make our environment cleaner for the future of California.”
More than 80 percent of U.S. households have access to a recycling program, be it curbside collection or community drop-off centers. While there are approximately 2,100 certified recycling centers in California, too many people still see plastics as trash instead of valuable materials that should be recycled.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Latino nutrition group celebrates healthy living
Resources From Oldways Celebrate Latino Nutrition
Gourmet Retailer, Sept 17, 2009
In celebration of Latino Nutrition Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, Oldways and the Latino Nutrition Coalition (LNC) have released "Latino Living -- A Guide to Better Health Through Traditional Food and Active Lifestyles" for both consumers and health professionals.
"'Latino Living' was originally designed for health professionals and dietitians, but it is so user-friendly and simple that it's perfect for consumers from coast to coast," said Sara Baer-Sinnott, executive vice president of Oldways.
For consumers, the kit offers:
• A seven-day Healthy Latino Meal Plan, with recipes and grocery list.
• A bilingual Latino Lifestyle Calendar, featuring a tip-a-day for following the healthy Latin American diet.
• New, illustrated, bilingual Latin American Diet Pyramid, with basic guidelines to help plan daily meals.
• The following in both English and Spanish:
--A list of Latin American super foods
--Kitchen Strategies: timesavers and smart swaps
--Tips for Kids: cooking, lunches and snacks
--Tips on how to exercise with your family
For health professionals and RDs, the kit offers:
• All of the above, plus
• Statistics concerning obesity, nutrition, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer rates occurring in the Latino American population.
• A detailed explanation of the Latin American Diet Pyramid, along with basic guidelines that help plan daily meals.
• Weekly Goal Tracking and 24-Hour Recall Sheets.
Consumers, health professionals and RDs can request this free resource (on CD-ROM or online) by e-mailing or calling Adriene Worthington (aworthington@oldwayspt.org, 617-896-4876).
Coinciding with National Hispanic Heritage Month, Latino Nutrition Month will introduce consumers to a variety of ways to cook, eat and enjoy the Latino diet pattern. The introduction of an updated Latin American Diet Pyramid will stress the importance of putting plant foods such as fruits, veggies, grains (mostly whole), nuts and peanuts, beans, and spices at the core of one's diet. Additionally, consumers can enter Oldways/LNC's Latin American Diet Recipe Contest (see below) to win a variety of prizes.
See what else is happening during Latino Nutrition Month on the Oldways and LNC Web sites. These programs include:
1. An updated Camino Mágico, a downloadable, bilingual supermarket shopping guide to help Latino shoppers make healthy choices among the endless food options available at supermarkets today.
2. Latin American Diet Recipe Contest featured on the Oldways and LNC Web sites and on the official Oldways Table Blog. Consumers should submit a recipe that uses at least two Latin American Diet products (list is featured on the Oldways Table Blog). Winners will be drawn at the end of the month, and announced on their Web sites. Prizes include wonderful Latino food products; autographed copies of the widely praised book, "The Oldways Table," chock-full of wonderful recipes and short essays about food and wine experiences; and the new poster of the Latin American Diet Pyramid.
3. A 2-foot-by-3-foot poster with an updated illustration of the Latin American Diet Pyramid will be available at The Oldways Store on Sept. 21, 2009.
Gourmet Retailer, Sept 17, 2009
In celebration of Latino Nutrition Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, Oldways and the Latino Nutrition Coalition (LNC) have released "Latino Living -- A Guide to Better Health Through Traditional Food and Active Lifestyles" for both consumers and health professionals.
"'Latino Living' was originally designed for health professionals and dietitians, but it is so user-friendly and simple that it's perfect for consumers from coast to coast," said Sara Baer-Sinnott, executive vice president of Oldways.
For consumers, the kit offers:
• A seven-day Healthy Latino Meal Plan, with recipes and grocery list.
• A bilingual Latino Lifestyle Calendar, featuring a tip-a-day for following the healthy Latin American diet.
• New, illustrated, bilingual Latin American Diet Pyramid, with basic guidelines to help plan daily meals.
• The following in both English and Spanish:
--A list of Latin American super foods
--Kitchen Strategies: timesavers and smart swaps
--Tips for Kids: cooking, lunches and snacks
--Tips on how to exercise with your family
For health professionals and RDs, the kit offers:
• All of the above, plus
• Statistics concerning obesity, nutrition, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer rates occurring in the Latino American population.
• A detailed explanation of the Latin American Diet Pyramid, along with basic guidelines that help plan daily meals.
• Weekly Goal Tracking and 24-Hour Recall Sheets.
Consumers, health professionals and RDs can request this free resource (on CD-ROM or online) by e-mailing or calling Adriene Worthington (aworthington@oldwayspt.org, 617-896-4876).
Coinciding with National Hispanic Heritage Month, Latino Nutrition Month will introduce consumers to a variety of ways to cook, eat and enjoy the Latino diet pattern. The introduction of an updated Latin American Diet Pyramid will stress the importance of putting plant foods such as fruits, veggies, grains (mostly whole), nuts and peanuts, beans, and spices at the core of one's diet. Additionally, consumers can enter Oldways/LNC's Latin American Diet Recipe Contest (see below) to win a variety of prizes.
See what else is happening during Latino Nutrition Month on the Oldways and LNC Web sites. These programs include:
1. An updated Camino Mágico, a downloadable, bilingual supermarket shopping guide to help Latino shoppers make healthy choices among the endless food options available at supermarkets today.
2. Latin American Diet Recipe Contest featured on the Oldways and LNC Web sites and on the official Oldways Table Blog. Consumers should submit a recipe that uses at least two Latin American Diet products (list is featured on the Oldways Table Blog). Winners will be drawn at the end of the month, and announced on their Web sites. Prizes include wonderful Latino food products; autographed copies of the widely praised book, "The Oldways Table," chock-full of wonderful recipes and short essays about food and wine experiences; and the new poster of the Latin American Diet Pyramid.
3. A 2-foot-by-3-foot poster with an updated illustration of the Latin American Diet Pyramid will be available at The Oldways Store on Sept. 21, 2009.
Diabetes a major killer of Latinos
Diabetes a major killer of Latinos
By Michael Collins, Ventura County Star, September 19, 2009
Diabetes is killing Latinos in Ventura County at twice the rate it is claiming lives in other racial and ethnic groups.
Nearly 6 percent of Latinos who died in Ventura County in 2005 and 2006 were killed by diabetes, an examination of death records by The Star and Scripps Howard News Service shows.
That is twice the diabetes death rate for all racial groups and more than twice the rate for non-Latino whites and African-Americans.
Doctors say those numbers are alarming but hardly shocking. Diabetes has been increasing for years among Latinos, they say, not only among adults but also teenagers and young children.
“These numbers don’t surprise me at all,” said Dr. Theresa Cho, who runs the adult diabetes clinic at Ventura County Medical Center. “It’s just a reality that we deal with on a daily basis.’’
Reported figures probably low
The diabetes death rate might be even higher than the numbers suggest, doctors say, because people with the disease often die from other conditions. In those cases, diabetes would not be listed on the death certificate as the cause of death, although it often is a contributing factor.
“Diabetes as a direct cause of death may be underrepresented because most people die from the complications of the disease,” said Dr. Robert Gonzalez, medical director for the Ventura County Health Care Agency.
“Diabetes increases the incidence of stroke, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, kidney failure, and all of those are major contributors to a person’s vulnerability.”
The Star examined the 474,163 deaths reported in California and the 9,679 reported in Ventura County in 2005 and 2006. The statistics were provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study found the diabetes death rate in Ventura County is closely in line with statewide figures.
In California, 5.4 percent of Latinos who died during the two-year period were killed by diabetes — nearly twice the rate for all races and more than twice the death rate for non-Latino whites.
In Ventura County, the diabetes death rate for Latinos was 5.7 percent, compared with 2.2 percent for non-Latino whites and African-Americans and 2.9 percent for all racial groups combined. In hard numbers, 92 of the county’s 1,628 Latinos who died in 2005-06 were killed by diabetes.
In Los Angeles County, the diabetes death rate among Latinos was 5.6 percent. In Santa Barbara County, it was 5.7 percent.
10% of U.S. Latinos afflicted
Nearly 2.5 million Latinos in the United States, or roughly 10 percent of the nation’s Latino population, are afflicted with diabetes, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program.
By 2050, the agency predicts, two of five Latino young people, and one in two Latino females born in the year 2000, will have developed diabetes.
Because of genetics and childhood obesity, diabetes is starting to show up in Latinos at a much younger age.
Recently, a 7-year-old Latino boy was treated for Type 2 diabetes by doctors at Clinicas del Camino Real, which operates 10 health clinics across Ventura County, said Dr. Anil Chawla, the agency’s medical director.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t make enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it makes. It usually develops in adults older than 40 but is becoming more prevalent in children and adolescents.
Chawla said she sees a lot of teenagers and people in their early 20s who have developed Type 2 diabetes. Many, like the 7-year-old boy, are overweight, she said.
Some studies have suggested Latinos might be genetically predisposed to diabetes. But doctors in Ventura County say other factors also are contributing to the diabetes death rate, including diet, economic challenges and culture.
For example, cooking with lard is still prevalent in the Latino community, which can add to weight gain and obesity. The Latino diet also is heavy in starches, which is true for a lot of cultures. Latinos, however, tend to eat a lot of starchy foods in one setting, Cho said.
“It’s something that is very much a part of the culture, to have tortillas and the beans and the rice all in one meal,” she said. “The important message we send to people is it’s not that we are asking them to stop eating those foods, but they need to eat them in moderation.”
Free screenings available
Cho’s clinic often does outreach programs that include free diabetes screenings in areas with high concentrations of Latinos in hopes of catching the disease early before serious complications set in.
“We do discover some people who actually had no idea they were diabetic,” she said.
Even when diabetes is diagnosed, medical experts say, many Latinos don’t get proper healthcare because they can’t afford it or think they can’t afford it.
Some Latinos in Ventura County are migrant workers with incomes at the federal poverty level. To them, “medical care can seem like a daunting task and an incredible economic burden,” Gonzalez said.
The Ventura County Health Care Agency, which oversees two hospitals and more than two dozen health clinics, tries to help them overcome those economic barriers by offering a self-pay discount policy in which medical fees are based on a patient’s ability to pay.
The agency also recently set up a program to provide healthcare for the uninsured. Some 12,000 people have enrolled so far, Gonzalez said, and about 40 percent have chronic illnesses, such as diabetes.
“I think we have good access to care,” Gonzalez said, “but it’s all about whether the person perceives that it’s there.”
A number of places in Ventura County offer healthcare and other services for diabetics.
Cho’s clinic, for example, has two staff dietitians, a nurse educator and a registered nurse who take a team approach to patients’ diabetes care. Once a treatment decision has been made, the educator will meet with the patient to discuss issues such as how to self-administer an insulin shot. A dietitian also will instruct the patient on what kinds of foods to eat and avoid.
Some stores color-code food
The Westminster Free Clinic, a largely volunteer clinic that provides free healthcare for disadvantaged working families in east county, offers diabetic counseling classes in Spanish.
The clinic also has a program in which foods at participating grocery stores are color-coded to promote healthy eating habits for people with diabetes and heart disease.
“I’m dealing with the poorest of the poor — people who are uninsured, working poor, uninsured-trying-to-find-jobs poor, and homeless poor,” said Dr. Steven Kamajian, the clinic’s chief medical officer.
“A lot of them are illegal aliens, and they don’t qualify for benefits in the United States. I understand that, but they still need to be properly cared for. Healthcare is not a right, it’s not a privilege, it’s a necessity. It’s like clean water.”
Many don’t trust doctors
Latinos sometimes forgo traditional medical care for diabetes in favor of home remedies, such as drinking special teas or eating large amounts of cactus to control blood sugar.
Some have a deep distrust or even fear of insulin treatments, doctors say.
They might know of a relative or friend who took insulin and suffered other complications, such as blindness or kidney failure. They incorrectly associate those problems with the insulin, even though the real problem was that the diabetes was already in advanced stages when the patient sought treatment, Chawla said.
“It takes a lot of convincing that this happens over a long time; that vision problems are associated with diabetes and are not associated with insulin,” she said. “Some of them accept that. But some of them are really adamant about these problems.”
By Michael Collins, Ventura County Star, September 19, 2009
Diabetes is killing Latinos in Ventura County at twice the rate it is claiming lives in other racial and ethnic groups.
Nearly 6 percent of Latinos who died in Ventura County in 2005 and 2006 were killed by diabetes, an examination of death records by The Star and Scripps Howard News Service shows.
That is twice the diabetes death rate for all racial groups and more than twice the rate for non-Latino whites and African-Americans.
Doctors say those numbers are alarming but hardly shocking. Diabetes has been increasing for years among Latinos, they say, not only among adults but also teenagers and young children.
“These numbers don’t surprise me at all,” said Dr. Theresa Cho, who runs the adult diabetes clinic at Ventura County Medical Center. “It’s just a reality that we deal with on a daily basis.’’
Reported figures probably low
The diabetes death rate might be even higher than the numbers suggest, doctors say, because people with the disease often die from other conditions. In those cases, diabetes would not be listed on the death certificate as the cause of death, although it often is a contributing factor.
“Diabetes as a direct cause of death may be underrepresented because most people die from the complications of the disease,” said Dr. Robert Gonzalez, medical director for the Ventura County Health Care Agency.
“Diabetes increases the incidence of stroke, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, kidney failure, and all of those are major contributors to a person’s vulnerability.”
The Star examined the 474,163 deaths reported in California and the 9,679 reported in Ventura County in 2005 and 2006. The statistics were provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study found the diabetes death rate in Ventura County is closely in line with statewide figures.
In California, 5.4 percent of Latinos who died during the two-year period were killed by diabetes — nearly twice the rate for all races and more than twice the death rate for non-Latino whites.
In Ventura County, the diabetes death rate for Latinos was 5.7 percent, compared with 2.2 percent for non-Latino whites and African-Americans and 2.9 percent for all racial groups combined. In hard numbers, 92 of the county’s 1,628 Latinos who died in 2005-06 were killed by diabetes.
In Los Angeles County, the diabetes death rate among Latinos was 5.6 percent. In Santa Barbara County, it was 5.7 percent.
10% of U.S. Latinos afflicted
Nearly 2.5 million Latinos in the United States, or roughly 10 percent of the nation’s Latino population, are afflicted with diabetes, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Diabetes Education Program.
By 2050, the agency predicts, two of five Latino young people, and one in two Latino females born in the year 2000, will have developed diabetes.
Because of genetics and childhood obesity, diabetes is starting to show up in Latinos at a much younger age.
Recently, a 7-year-old Latino boy was treated for Type 2 diabetes by doctors at Clinicas del Camino Real, which operates 10 health clinics across Ventura County, said Dr. Anil Chawla, the agency’s medical director.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t make enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it makes. It usually develops in adults older than 40 but is becoming more prevalent in children and adolescents.
Chawla said she sees a lot of teenagers and people in their early 20s who have developed Type 2 diabetes. Many, like the 7-year-old boy, are overweight, she said.
Some studies have suggested Latinos might be genetically predisposed to diabetes. But doctors in Ventura County say other factors also are contributing to the diabetes death rate, including diet, economic challenges and culture.
For example, cooking with lard is still prevalent in the Latino community, which can add to weight gain and obesity. The Latino diet also is heavy in starches, which is true for a lot of cultures. Latinos, however, tend to eat a lot of starchy foods in one setting, Cho said.
“It’s something that is very much a part of the culture, to have tortillas and the beans and the rice all in one meal,” she said. “The important message we send to people is it’s not that we are asking them to stop eating those foods, but they need to eat them in moderation.”
Free screenings available
Cho’s clinic often does outreach programs that include free diabetes screenings in areas with high concentrations of Latinos in hopes of catching the disease early before serious complications set in.
“We do discover some people who actually had no idea they were diabetic,” she said.
Even when diabetes is diagnosed, medical experts say, many Latinos don’t get proper healthcare because they can’t afford it or think they can’t afford it.
Some Latinos in Ventura County are migrant workers with incomes at the federal poverty level. To them, “medical care can seem like a daunting task and an incredible economic burden,” Gonzalez said.
The Ventura County Health Care Agency, which oversees two hospitals and more than two dozen health clinics, tries to help them overcome those economic barriers by offering a self-pay discount policy in which medical fees are based on a patient’s ability to pay.
The agency also recently set up a program to provide healthcare for the uninsured. Some 12,000 people have enrolled so far, Gonzalez said, and about 40 percent have chronic illnesses, such as diabetes.
“I think we have good access to care,” Gonzalez said, “but it’s all about whether the person perceives that it’s there.”
A number of places in Ventura County offer healthcare and other services for diabetics.
Cho’s clinic, for example, has two staff dietitians, a nurse educator and a registered nurse who take a team approach to patients’ diabetes care. Once a treatment decision has been made, the educator will meet with the patient to discuss issues such as how to self-administer an insulin shot. A dietitian also will instruct the patient on what kinds of foods to eat and avoid.
Some stores color-code food
The Westminster Free Clinic, a largely volunteer clinic that provides free healthcare for disadvantaged working families in east county, offers diabetic counseling classes in Spanish.
The clinic also has a program in which foods at participating grocery stores are color-coded to promote healthy eating habits for people with diabetes and heart disease.
“I’m dealing with the poorest of the poor — people who are uninsured, working poor, uninsured-trying-to-find-jobs poor, and homeless poor,” said Dr. Steven Kamajian, the clinic’s chief medical officer.
“A lot of them are illegal aliens, and they don’t qualify for benefits in the United States. I understand that, but they still need to be properly cared for. Healthcare is not a right, it’s not a privilege, it’s a necessity. It’s like clean water.”
Many don’t trust doctors
Latinos sometimes forgo traditional medical care for diabetes in favor of home remedies, such as drinking special teas or eating large amounts of cactus to control blood sugar.
Some have a deep distrust or even fear of insulin treatments, doctors say.
They might know of a relative or friend who took insulin and suffered other complications, such as blindness or kidney failure. They incorrectly associate those problems with the insulin, even though the real problem was that the diabetes was already in advanced stages when the patient sought treatment, Chawla said.
“It takes a lot of convincing that this happens over a long time; that vision problems are associated with diabetes and are not associated with insulin,” she said. “Some of them accept that. But some of them are really adamant about these problems.”
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hispanic unique cancer profile
For Hispanics, a Unique Cancer Profile Emerges
AJC.com, Health
TUESDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Hispanics in the United States are less likely to die from cancer than non-Hispanic whites, but they have higher rates of cancers linked to infections, including stomach, liver and cervix malignancies, a new report says.
At first glance, Hispanics' lower death rate from cancer seems to be good news, but one explanation is that the Hispanic population skews younger than the general U.S. population. Cancer risk rises with age.
The new detailed look at cancer incidence is from Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics/Latinos 2009-2011, a report released Sept. 15 that's published every three years by the American Cancer Society.
Hispanics are the largest, fastest-growing and youngest minority in the United States, according to the report. They also have a cancer risk profile that differs from whites and other ethnic groups.
Hispanics are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to die from the four most common cancers: breast, prostate, colorectal and lung.
But Hispanics have higher rates of stomach cancer, associated with Helicobacter pylori infection; liver cancer, associated with hepatitis B and C infection; and cervical cancer, linked to human papillomavirus infection.
Immunizations against human papillomavirus in teenage girls can prevent cervical cancer, and regular gynecological screenings for women can catch cervical cancer early, but Hispanic women are less likely to get either, said Vilma Cokkinides, the American Cancer Society's director for risk factor surveillance.
And though Hispanics are less likely to smoke and drink alcohol, both risk factors for cancer, they are more likely to be poor, have fewer years of education and lack health insurance, barriers to getting recommended screenings, according to the report.
Hispanics are also more likely than whites to be diagnosed with breast and melanoma cancers at a later stage, when the cancers are more difficult to treat and have spread to other organs.
Cokkinides said that programs targeting Spanish-speakers about the importance of screening and risk factors for cancer could help, as could programs to increase access to medical insurance and medical care.
But one challenge in developing such programs, she said, is that the U.S. Hispanic population is diverse, with variations in country of origin, length of time in the United States, educational attainment and experience and knowledge of the health-care system.
"Things like mammograms and Pap smears aren't necessarily routine where people are coming from," Cokkinides said.
Yet certain lessons should be stressed across all cultures, she said.
"Avoidance of tobacco products, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a largely plant-based diet, minimizing alcohol consumption and exercising is good advice for everybody," Cokkinides said.
Hilary Waldman, a spokeswoman for the Hispanic Health Council in Hartford, Conn., said that it's not uncommon for Hispanic women to be diagnosed with later-stage cancers that could have been picked up sooner through proper screenings. The council runs a Spanish-language cancer support group for Hispanic women, in addition to its research and advocacy functions.
"There's a real lack of support for culturally appropriate and linguistically appropriate services for them," Waldman said.
And though many big-city hospitals have interpreters, smaller or suburban hospitals often don't, she said, adding that the complexity of cancer and its often-complicated treatment plans and serious side effects make interpreters all the more important.
In the support groups, Waldman said, women often talk about their distress in not being able to understand their doctors -- or having their doctors understand them.
"There's a big problem getting medical interpretation for people who don't speak English," she said. "There is no mechanism to pay for it. If you're lucky, they will bring in the housekeeper or somebody who happens to be around to translate."
The inability to communicate, combined with financial issues, has led some women to skip appointments, Waldman said.
Nearly 99,000 Hispanics in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society. Among men, prostate is the most common malignancy; among women, it's breast cancer. Colorectal cancer is the second-most common cancer in both Hispanic men and women.
About 18,800 Hispanics will die from cancer in 2009, the society estimates. Among men, lung and colorectal cancer cause the most deaths, whereas breast and lung cancer are the top two killers of women.
The American Cancer Society has more on racial and ethnic disparities and cancer.
AJC.com, Health
TUESDAY, Sept. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Hispanics in the United States are less likely to die from cancer than non-Hispanic whites, but they have higher rates of cancers linked to infections, including stomach, liver and cervix malignancies, a new report says.
At first glance, Hispanics' lower death rate from cancer seems to be good news, but one explanation is that the Hispanic population skews younger than the general U.S. population. Cancer risk rises with age.
The new detailed look at cancer incidence is from Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics/Latinos 2009-2011, a report released Sept. 15 that's published every three years by the American Cancer Society.
Hispanics are the largest, fastest-growing and youngest minority in the United States, according to the report. They also have a cancer risk profile that differs from whites and other ethnic groups.
Hispanics are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to die from the four most common cancers: breast, prostate, colorectal and lung.
But Hispanics have higher rates of stomach cancer, associated with Helicobacter pylori infection; liver cancer, associated with hepatitis B and C infection; and cervical cancer, linked to human papillomavirus infection.
Immunizations against human papillomavirus in teenage girls can prevent cervical cancer, and regular gynecological screenings for women can catch cervical cancer early, but Hispanic women are less likely to get either, said Vilma Cokkinides, the American Cancer Society's director for risk factor surveillance.
And though Hispanics are less likely to smoke and drink alcohol, both risk factors for cancer, they are more likely to be poor, have fewer years of education and lack health insurance, barriers to getting recommended screenings, according to the report.
Hispanics are also more likely than whites to be diagnosed with breast and melanoma cancers at a later stage, when the cancers are more difficult to treat and have spread to other organs.
Cokkinides said that programs targeting Spanish-speakers about the importance of screening and risk factors for cancer could help, as could programs to increase access to medical insurance and medical care.
But one challenge in developing such programs, she said, is that the U.S. Hispanic population is diverse, with variations in country of origin, length of time in the United States, educational attainment and experience and knowledge of the health-care system.
"Things like mammograms and Pap smears aren't necessarily routine where people are coming from," Cokkinides said.
Yet certain lessons should be stressed across all cultures, she said.
"Avoidance of tobacco products, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a largely plant-based diet, minimizing alcohol consumption and exercising is good advice for everybody," Cokkinides said.
Hilary Waldman, a spokeswoman for the Hispanic Health Council in Hartford, Conn., said that it's not uncommon for Hispanic women to be diagnosed with later-stage cancers that could have been picked up sooner through proper screenings. The council runs a Spanish-language cancer support group for Hispanic women, in addition to its research and advocacy functions.
"There's a real lack of support for culturally appropriate and linguistically appropriate services for them," Waldman said.
And though many big-city hospitals have interpreters, smaller or suburban hospitals often don't, she said, adding that the complexity of cancer and its often-complicated treatment plans and serious side effects make interpreters all the more important.
In the support groups, Waldman said, women often talk about their distress in not being able to understand their doctors -- or having their doctors understand them.
"There's a big problem getting medical interpretation for people who don't speak English," she said. "There is no mechanism to pay for it. If you're lucky, they will bring in the housekeeper or somebody who happens to be around to translate."
The inability to communicate, combined with financial issues, has led some women to skip appointments, Waldman said.
Nearly 99,000 Hispanics in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society. Among men, prostate is the most common malignancy; among women, it's breast cancer. Colorectal cancer is the second-most common cancer in both Hispanic men and women.
About 18,800 Hispanics will die from cancer in 2009, the society estimates. Among men, lung and colorectal cancer cause the most deaths, whereas breast and lung cancer are the top two killers of women.
The American Cancer Society has more on racial and ethnic disparities and cancer.
Latino aids awareness day planned
2nd SACRAMENTO LATINO AIDS AWARENESS DAY
PRESS RELEASE
As the largest minority group in the U.S., Hispanics are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Hispanics comprised 15% of the U.S. population or 44.3 million people, yet represented 18% of the HIV/AIDS cases.
October 15 is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD). This date marks an opportunity for the greater Sacramento area to increase awareness of the devastating and disproportionate effects of AIDS in the Hispanic community. Out reach activities include: A community prayer, and news conference, media and live presentations, and FREE on-site testing.
As of July 31, 2008, California had 180,997 cumulative reported HIV/AIDS cases; of these, 43,510 or 24 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases were Latinos.
"Call to Action" to the Sacramento community to attend and participate with invited speakers, activists, health service organizations, Hispanic performers, entertainers and local TV & radio celebrities to advocate, educate and promote the National Latino Aids Awareness Day locally.
PLANNED EVENT
2nd SACRAMENTO LATINO AIDS AWARENESS DAY
Thursday Oct 15th 2009 at 5:30PM - 9:00PM.
Sacramento Cultural Arts Center
6520 44th Street Ste. 308, Sacramento, California 95823
For more information, contact: Frank Lizárraga, 916.267.3689 lizarraga@lovetaxi.biz or Eliego López (MAAP, Inc), 916.394.2320 x256, eliegolopez@maap.org
PRESS RELEASE
As the largest minority group in the U.S., Hispanics are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Hispanics comprised 15% of the U.S. population or 44.3 million people, yet represented 18% of the HIV/AIDS cases.
October 15 is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD). This date marks an opportunity for the greater Sacramento area to increase awareness of the devastating and disproportionate effects of AIDS in the Hispanic community. Out reach activities include: A community prayer, and news conference, media and live presentations, and FREE on-site testing.
As of July 31, 2008, California had 180,997 cumulative reported HIV/AIDS cases; of these, 43,510 or 24 percent of all HIV/AIDS cases were Latinos.
"Call to Action" to the Sacramento community to attend and participate with invited speakers, activists, health service organizations, Hispanic performers, entertainers and local TV & radio celebrities to advocate, educate and promote the National Latino Aids Awareness Day locally.
PLANNED EVENT
2nd SACRAMENTO LATINO AIDS AWARENESS DAY
Thursday Oct 15th 2009 at 5:30PM - 9:00PM.
Sacramento Cultural Arts Center
6520 44th Street Ste. 308, Sacramento, California 95823
For more information, contact: Frank Lizárraga, 916.267.3689 lizarraga@lovetaxi.biz or Eliego López (MAAP, Inc), 916.394.2320 x256, eliegolopez@maap.org
Latino physician responds to firing
Prominent Latino physician responds to firing
MD Daily Record, September 11, 2009
Serrano case deserves close attention
If the facts submitted as evidence in this case are reflective of what actually took place (“Fired doctor seeks $24M,” Aug. 26), the integrity tenets of the entire surgical training program at [Johns Hopkins Hospital] have been violated.
Although these cases are rare, they must not be ignored because the outcome will determine policies, processes and systems that will impact surgical training programs across the country.
As details become flushed out, is what Dr. [Oscar K.] Serrano did of such an egregious nature that he should be summarily fired? If this is his first offense, it certainly seems very heavy-handed and over-reacting. Was he given a chance to cure his performance deficiencies?
The apparent outstanding background of Dr. Serrano reflects the over-achieving traits that are found in most Latino medical students and physicians.
Workforce diversity studies and the under supply of Latino physicians in the United States further support the need for Latino post-graduate training residents to be valued and supported since the need is so great and the supply is so [limited].
This case needs to be brought to the attention of all key stakeholders in the field of post-graduate physician training who are impacted by decisions to terminate physician residents.
Robert A. Beltran, M.D., M.B.A.
President, Latino Med Policy Institute
Los Alamitos, Calif.
MD Daily Record, September 11, 2009
Serrano case deserves close attention
If the facts submitted as evidence in this case are reflective of what actually took place (“Fired doctor seeks $24M,” Aug. 26), the integrity tenets of the entire surgical training program at [Johns Hopkins Hospital] have been violated.
Although these cases are rare, they must not be ignored because the outcome will determine policies, processes and systems that will impact surgical training programs across the country.
As details become flushed out, is what Dr. [Oscar K.] Serrano did of such an egregious nature that he should be summarily fired? If this is his first offense, it certainly seems very heavy-handed and over-reacting. Was he given a chance to cure his performance deficiencies?
The apparent outstanding background of Dr. Serrano reflects the over-achieving traits that are found in most Latino medical students and physicians.
Workforce diversity studies and the under supply of Latino physicians in the United States further support the need for Latino post-graduate training residents to be valued and supported since the need is so great and the supply is so [limited].
This case needs to be brought to the attention of all key stakeholders in the field of post-graduate physician training who are impacted by decisions to terminate physician residents.
Robert A. Beltran, M.D., M.B.A.
President, Latino Med Policy Institute
Los Alamitos, Calif.
Latino group says reforms may threaten healthcare
DRACONIAN REFORM PROPOSALS MAY THREATEN HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS, SAYS NCLR
PRESS RELEASE
Washington, DC—NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, expressed serious concerns regarding the recent actions of President Obama and Congress that could prevent gains for Latinos and other Americans in health care reform.
“We support health care reform and the process of moving legislation forward, but we are concerned that the tone of the debate has put roadblocks in front of meaningful reform. Health care policies should not be dictated by a heckler. NCLR cautioned decision-makers that giving in to the dishonesty of Representative Wilson would undermine U.S. citizens and legal immigrants, and that is what has happened,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO.
NCLR is aware that the president does not support health care for undocumented immigrants, but a public commitment from the administration to ensure that those who are here legally are covered under health care reform has not been demonstrated either.
Legislation released by the Senate Finance Committee creates state exchanges and offers tax credits for individuals to purchase affordable health insurance. The proposal has some clear effects on Latinos and immigrants:
- Undocumented immigrants, including children, are explicitly barred from purchasing any coverage through the health insurance exchange, even if they or their parents can afford to pay full price. Legal residents and U.S. citizens in the family or household may have access to coverage in the exchange.
- Most legal immigrants are required to purchase insurance and are eligible for tax credits and the health insurance exchanges to choose a private health care plan. Some of the very poorest may not qualify.
- The legislation would examine health disparities through data collection. The quality of health care may not be enhanced for Latinos, since many previous health disparities provisions that have been a part of the Senate Finance Committee’s plans have been removed.
- All individuals may need to go through extensive verification before they can gain access to health coverage. The proposal contains requirements for every citizen and legal immigrant to verify their status. The only publicly discussed proposals on verification have gone beyond the pale, imposing costly bureaucracy and red tape in the system.
- U.S. citizens or legal immigrants living with an undocumented person may have their tax credits reduced or entirely eliminated, even though they are mandated to purchase coverage.
Moving forward, NCLR urges Congress to take immediate action to shift the focus of the health care reform debate back to passing health care reform. Specifically, Congress must fix the plethora of flaws in the health care reform plans and ensure that no further harm is done.
“NCLR urges Congress to immediately stop putting bad politics in front of sound policy. Senator Bob Menendez and Senator Jeff Bingaman and a number of Senate Finance Committee members have worked with the Chair and deserve credit for undoing some of the harm to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants that has happened in the past week, but we must do more to ensure the security and stability of reform for Americans. Left unaddressed, the plan has the potential to drive up costs, leave people uncovered, and threaten public health,” Murguía said.
PRESS RELEASE
Washington, DC—NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, expressed serious concerns regarding the recent actions of President Obama and Congress that could prevent gains for Latinos and other Americans in health care reform.
“We support health care reform and the process of moving legislation forward, but we are concerned that the tone of the debate has put roadblocks in front of meaningful reform. Health care policies should not be dictated by a heckler. NCLR cautioned decision-makers that giving in to the dishonesty of Representative Wilson would undermine U.S. citizens and legal immigrants, and that is what has happened,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO.
NCLR is aware that the president does not support health care for undocumented immigrants, but a public commitment from the administration to ensure that those who are here legally are covered under health care reform has not been demonstrated either.
Legislation released by the Senate Finance Committee creates state exchanges and offers tax credits for individuals to purchase affordable health insurance. The proposal has some clear effects on Latinos and immigrants:
- Undocumented immigrants, including children, are explicitly barred from purchasing any coverage through the health insurance exchange, even if they or their parents can afford to pay full price. Legal residents and U.S. citizens in the family or household may have access to coverage in the exchange.
- Most legal immigrants are required to purchase insurance and are eligible for tax credits and the health insurance exchanges to choose a private health care plan. Some of the very poorest may not qualify.
- The legislation would examine health disparities through data collection. The quality of health care may not be enhanced for Latinos, since many previous health disparities provisions that have been a part of the Senate Finance Committee’s plans have been removed.
- All individuals may need to go through extensive verification before they can gain access to health coverage. The proposal contains requirements for every citizen and legal immigrant to verify their status. The only publicly discussed proposals on verification have gone beyond the pale, imposing costly bureaucracy and red tape in the system.
- U.S. citizens or legal immigrants living with an undocumented person may have their tax credits reduced or entirely eliminated, even though they are mandated to purchase coverage.
Moving forward, NCLR urges Congress to take immediate action to shift the focus of the health care reform debate back to passing health care reform. Specifically, Congress must fix the plethora of flaws in the health care reform plans and ensure that no further harm is done.
“NCLR urges Congress to immediately stop putting bad politics in front of sound policy. Senator Bob Menendez and Senator Jeff Bingaman and a number of Senate Finance Committee members have worked with the Chair and deserve credit for undoing some of the harm to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants that has happened in the past week, but we must do more to ensure the security and stability of reform for Americans. Left unaddressed, the plan has the potential to drive up costs, leave people uncovered, and threaten public health,” Murguía said.
WIN TICKETS TO SEE THE SPACE THRILLER "PANDORUM"
MOVIE TICKET GIVEAWAY
Be the first to email us and win tickets to the movie screening of “PANDORUM” a space thriller starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster. Just be the first to email us at latinojournal.net. All movie screenings are scheduled for September 24th at 8 p.m. in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, and Chicago.
About the Movie
Two astronauts awaken in a hyper-sleep chamber aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft. It’s pitch black, they are disoriented, and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the ship. They can’t remember anything: Who are they? What is their mission?
With Lt. Payton (Quaid) staying behind to guide him via radio transmitter, Cpl. Bower (Foster) ventures deep into the ship and begins to uncover a terrifying reality. Slowly the spacecraft’s shocking, deadly secrets are revealed…and the astronauts find their own survival is more important than they could ever have imagined.
This movie ticket giveaway will end Monday, September 21, 2009. To win, all you need to do is be the first to email us at latinojournal@gmail.com. Don’t delay so you can enjoy this space thriller on September 24.
Be the first to email us and win tickets to the movie screening of “PANDORUM” a space thriller starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster. Just be the first to email us at latinojournal.net. All movie screenings are scheduled for September 24th at 8 p.m. in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, and Chicago.
About the Movie
Two astronauts awaken in a hyper-sleep chamber aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft. It’s pitch black, they are disoriented, and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the ship. They can’t remember anything: Who are they? What is their mission?
With Lt. Payton (Quaid) staying behind to guide him via radio transmitter, Cpl. Bower (Foster) ventures deep into the ship and begins to uncover a terrifying reality. Slowly the spacecraft’s shocking, deadly secrets are revealed…and the astronauts find their own survival is more important than they could ever have imagined.
This movie ticket giveaway will end Monday, September 21, 2009. To win, all you need to do is be the first to email us at latinojournal@gmail.com. Don’t delay so you can enjoy this space thriller on September 24.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Healthcare a patchwork for Hispanic immigrants
For sick U.S. migrants, healthcare a patchwork
By Tim Gaynor, Reuters, Sep 13, 2009
PHOENIX, Sept 13 (Reuters) - When Mexican illegal immigrant Jose Luis Lopez developed a skin allergy, he went to a doctor and paid $50 for a consultation.
When day laborer Daniel Galindo got an upset stomach, he sought traditional Mexican folk remedies at a local "yerberia," curing himself with infusions of herbs.
When Roberto Robles' wife got sick with diabetes, he took her to the local hospital emergency room for treatment -- and paid nothing.
"They didn't want to treat her, but in the end they gave her an injection of insulin ... they didn't charge us," said Robles, 50, as he touted for work outside a Wal-Mart store in Phoenix.
As President Barack Obama pushes a controversial overhaul of the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system to cut costs, improve care and regulate insurers, Americans are divided over whether the 12 million mostly Hispanic illegal immigrants living stateside will get coverage. On the wane as a hot political issue, immigration flared again over healthcare.
Obama made explicit in his address to Congress last week that the proposal, at a cost of nearly $1 trillion over 10 years, would expand coverage to 30 million Americans who are now uninsured, but would not cover illegal immigrants living and working in the shadows.
But some Republican critics do not believe him -- including Representative Joe Wilson who shouted "You lie" during Obama's speech when he said healthcare for illegal immigrants would not be covered. Wilson later apologized for the outburst.
The facts are difficult to establish, in part as there is no widely accepted national estimate of the annual cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants.
As Democrats and Republican lawmakers continue to spar over the issue, public health experts say migrants currently patch together care from a variety of sources, including paid visits to clinics, trips to traditional healers and yerberias as well as emergency room care.
"If things get really bad, they will go to the emergency department," said Michael R. Cousineau, a specialist in public health at the University of Southern California.
Otherwise they "cobble the care (together) as best they can," he added.
RASHES AND STOMACH ACHES
Around 6.1 million adult illegal immigrants go without health insurance in the United States, according to an estimate by the non-partisan Pew Hispanic Center, which is based on U.S. Census Bureau data from 2007.
Cousineau said migrants used disproportionately fewer medical services and contributed less to healthcare costs in relation to their population share, in part because they were fearful of seeking care.
"The use rate among undocumented immigrants is quite a bit lower than similar people who are here legally," he said.
Standing in the shade of an acacia tree as they sought work in Phoenix this week, several day laborers painted a vivid picture of improvised care, not dissimilar to many Americans among the 46 million people without health insurance.
Mexican construction worker Jose Luis Lopez, 45, said he paid to see a doctor after developing an allergic reaction to insulation materials he handled at work.
"I had a rash ... the doctor charged me $50 and gave me (a course of) little pills for three days," he said, speaking in Spanish.
Odd jobber Daniel Galindo, meanwhile, sought treatment for an upset stomach at his local yerberia -- a traditional store packed with herbal remedies, votive candles and esoteric items such as soaps to wash away bad luck.
"I go to the yerberia if it's a stomach ache," said Galindo, 32, who paid a few dollars for the remedy. "Otherwise I walk, run and cycle, and eat fruit and vegetables to stay healthy," he added.
But when laborer Francisco Cortes, 31, came down with the flu, he said he opted to shrug it off and go out to look for work -- something which is increasingly scarce in the current downturn.
"With flu, fevers and that type of thing it's just a matter of pull yourself together and go out and earn a crust to support your family," he said. (Additional reporting by Matthew Bigg in Atlanta)
By Tim Gaynor, Reuters, Sep 13, 2009
PHOENIX, Sept 13 (Reuters) - When Mexican illegal immigrant Jose Luis Lopez developed a skin allergy, he went to a doctor and paid $50 for a consultation.
When day laborer Daniel Galindo got an upset stomach, he sought traditional Mexican folk remedies at a local "yerberia," curing himself with infusions of herbs.
When Roberto Robles' wife got sick with diabetes, he took her to the local hospital emergency room for treatment -- and paid nothing.
"They didn't want to treat her, but in the end they gave her an injection of insulin ... they didn't charge us," said Robles, 50, as he touted for work outside a Wal-Mart store in Phoenix.
As President Barack Obama pushes a controversial overhaul of the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system to cut costs, improve care and regulate insurers, Americans are divided over whether the 12 million mostly Hispanic illegal immigrants living stateside will get coverage. On the wane as a hot political issue, immigration flared again over healthcare.
Obama made explicit in his address to Congress last week that the proposal, at a cost of nearly $1 trillion over 10 years, would expand coverage to 30 million Americans who are now uninsured, but would not cover illegal immigrants living and working in the shadows.
But some Republican critics do not believe him -- including Representative Joe Wilson who shouted "You lie" during Obama's speech when he said healthcare for illegal immigrants would not be covered. Wilson later apologized for the outburst.
The facts are difficult to establish, in part as there is no widely accepted national estimate of the annual cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants.
As Democrats and Republican lawmakers continue to spar over the issue, public health experts say migrants currently patch together care from a variety of sources, including paid visits to clinics, trips to traditional healers and yerberias as well as emergency room care.
"If things get really bad, they will go to the emergency department," said Michael R. Cousineau, a specialist in public health at the University of Southern California.
Otherwise they "cobble the care (together) as best they can," he added.
RASHES AND STOMACH ACHES
Around 6.1 million adult illegal immigrants go without health insurance in the United States, according to an estimate by the non-partisan Pew Hispanic Center, which is based on U.S. Census Bureau data from 2007.
Cousineau said migrants used disproportionately fewer medical services and contributed less to healthcare costs in relation to their population share, in part because they were fearful of seeking care.
"The use rate among undocumented immigrants is quite a bit lower than similar people who are here legally," he said.
Standing in the shade of an acacia tree as they sought work in Phoenix this week, several day laborers painted a vivid picture of improvised care, not dissimilar to many Americans among the 46 million people without health insurance.
Mexican construction worker Jose Luis Lopez, 45, said he paid to see a doctor after developing an allergic reaction to insulation materials he handled at work.
"I had a rash ... the doctor charged me $50 and gave me (a course of) little pills for three days," he said, speaking in Spanish.
Odd jobber Daniel Galindo, meanwhile, sought treatment for an upset stomach at his local yerberia -- a traditional store packed with herbal remedies, votive candles and esoteric items such as soaps to wash away bad luck.
"I go to the yerberia if it's a stomach ache," said Galindo, 32, who paid a few dollars for the remedy. "Otherwise I walk, run and cycle, and eat fruit and vegetables to stay healthy," he added.
But when laborer Francisco Cortes, 31, came down with the flu, he said he opted to shrug it off and go out to look for work -- something which is increasingly scarce in the current downturn.
"With flu, fevers and that type of thing it's just a matter of pull yourself together and go out and earn a crust to support your family," he said. (Additional reporting by Matthew Bigg in Atlanta)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Hispanics face high cancer risk indoors
Hispanics face high cancer risk from breathing household chemical
By Janet Wilson, Environmental Health News, September 11, 2009
Elena Rios still remembers going into the bathroom as a child and smelling a pungent odor from the big, round air freshener hanging on the back of the toilet.
“I’m Mexican American, I grew up in Los Angeles, and I can tell you that particular product was in all the stores in the neighborhood, at low cost,” said Rios, a doctor who currently heads the National Hispanic Medical Assn.
Now a new study concludes that heavy use of these products could be jeopardizing the health of consumers, particularly Hispanics, across the country.
Among residents tested in parts of Houston, Los Angeles, and Elizabeth, NJ, Hispanics faced a cancer risk from air pollutants as much as five times the rate of non-Hispanic whites. But it wasn’t outdoor air causing the greatest risk; it was something much closer to home: A chemical, called p-dichlorobenzene, found in many inexpensive toilet deodorizers and moth repellents in bathrooms and closets.
Inside Houston homes with the highest levels of the chemical, 16 out of every 1,000 Hispanic residents were at risk of cancer. In the New Jersey city, six out of every 1,000 were at risk, and in Los Angeles, four out of every 1,000..
Experts say such a high cancer danger from a single source is highly unusual. Federal guidelines usually consider ten cancers per million people an “acceptable” risk; in some of the Hispanic households, the cancer risk is about 1,000-fold higher.
“The risk numbers we’re talking about for that group are comparable to or greater than what we see for radon, which has been identified as the most dangerous hazard in homes in the country by far,” said Richard Corsi, a professor specializing in indoor air pollution at the University of Texas at Austin. He was one of the authors of the study, which was published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives last month.
Many of the products contain 100 percent p-dichlorobenzene packaged in large, white tablets or blocks that can be hung inside the back of toilets or placed in men’s urinals. The chemical also is used in some mothballs, and in moth-repellent crystals packaged in miniature hangers. The products are designed to release the substance into the air in confined spaces, meaning it sticks to clothes and skin and is repeatedly inhaled.
Corsi and the other authors said their findings were alarming, particularly because Hispanics are the fastest growing population in the United States. “Hispanic” was a designation researchers assigned to people who spoke Spanish as their first language and those who identified themselves as Hispanic.
The researchers are not sure why Hispanics had sharply higher exposure. But they noted that the products cost less than other deodorizers, and that they may have been more readily available in countries from which they emigrated.
Rios, from the Hispanic medical association in Washington, D.C., said marketers have targeted generations of Latino Americans with the cheap air fresheners.
“It’s because of the stores in the neighborhood, and the buying patterns for low income neighborhoods, where you have limited opportunities for purchasing products,” she said.
Other populations, such as people in colder climates who keep windows closed or use more mothballs in coat closets, also might be at higher risk. Some mothballs contain p-dichlorobenzene while others are made of another chemical, naphthalene.
“Basically if Caucasians were using more of these products, I would expect their exposures and risks would be just as high,” Corsi said.
The authors cautioned that the study was based on only a couple hundred volunteers, which is not statistically representative of the country. But they, along with researchers not involved with the study, said the findings are important because they were so striking.
"These are just three locations in three parts of the country," said Tracey Woodruff, associate director of reproductive health and the environment at University of California, San Francisco. "Nonetheless, they have actual monitoring data, which to me is very powerful.”
The pollutants measured in the homes are “at a level that would be of concern. High concern,” said Woodruff, who specializes in research of hazardous air pollutants.
The authors of the new report recommended that products containing p-dichlorobenzene be removed from homes. There are plenty of other air fresheners available, they said, although they cost more.
“There’s a very simple answer…don’t let people purchase these products anymore,” said Corsi. “It doesn’t take a sophisticated air pollution control system to solve this problem.”
But regulating the products isn’t simple: They come under the authority of various federal and state agencies.
Air fresheners are regulated by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Officials from the commission did not return calls seeking comment about the products.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates moth repellants because they are considered pesticides. The agency has approved use of the chemical, although it requires the products to bear warnings such as "avoid breathing vapors" because they can irritate eyes and nasal passages and cause liver problems.
Regulators from various agencies disagree about the level of human threat that these products pose. In animal tests, p-dichlorobenzene causes kidney and liver tumors.
The EPA and the Dept. of Health and Human Services decided years ago that p-dichlorobenzene was a hazardous air pollutant and possible human carcinogen. As a result, the EPA regulates its industrial emissions. But the arm of EPA that approves pesticides concluded in 2007 that it was “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” A full assessment is now being conducted, an agency spokeswoman said.
Maria Morandi, the study’s principal investigator, explained that p-dichlorobenzene is a milder carcinogen than other substances, meaning it could take years of high-level exposure to develop cancer. The EPA only looked at low levels of exposure from the products, while the new data show some Hispanics are breathing extremely high levels, said Morandi, a recently retired University of Texas at Houston assistant professor of environmental sciences and occupational health.
California has banned bathroom products containing p-dichlorobenzene since 2006. The city of Seattle, New York State’s corrections department, and New York City’s fire department also have banned them. Urinal blocks traditionally have been used in some prisons and firehouses.
“It’s nasty stuff,” said Dmitri Stanich, a spokesman for the California Air Resources Board, which regulates air pollutants. “We banned it as an air freshener because it’s carcinogenic. Our position is it’s not safe.”
However, mothballs and miniature hangers loaded with the substance are still on sale in California because they come under the control of a separate state agency.
The California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation this year began to assess the potential hazards of the moth products. “We are evaluating whether additional restrictions are necessary,” said Mary-Ann Warmerdam, the department’s director.
Willert Home Products, a leading manufacturer of home air freshener and closet products, said during California’s rulemaking that the levels people were exposed to were too low to cause harm, and that there was no evidence of human cancer. Calls to the company seeking comment on the new study were not returned.
In the study, 243 people wore personal monitors that measured their exposure to 12 major pollutants over 48-hour stretches. The results were based not on actual cancers, but on measured levels of the chemical, which were then used to calculate the estimated cancer risk. A larger study is being conducted.
Hispanic residents in Elizabeth and Houston had higher exposures than those in Los Angeles, probably because there were also greater exchanges of indoor and outdoor air in California. In the Los Angeles area, risk levels from the chemical were about equal for all populations, but still higher than federally accepted guidelines. The testing was done from 1999 to 2002, years before California’s partial ban was enacted.
Hispanics in the study also were exposed to higher levels of formaldehyde, probably from car upholstery and particle board used in some home construction.
And Latina women had higher exposure to chloroform, probably as a byproduct of cleaning with chlorine. But by far the highest levels of exposure were from p-dichlorobenzene.
The researchers said their findings show that consumers should be wary of household chemicals because the risk of inhaling them can be more dangerous than breathing the polluted air outside.
Rios said she was glad that scientists were studying Hispanics’ exposure to chemicals in consumer products. “Nobody realized the dangers about pesticides and migrant workers for a long time either,” she said.
By Janet Wilson, Environmental Health News, September 11, 2009
Elena Rios still remembers going into the bathroom as a child and smelling a pungent odor from the big, round air freshener hanging on the back of the toilet.
“I’m Mexican American, I grew up in Los Angeles, and I can tell you that particular product was in all the stores in the neighborhood, at low cost,” said Rios, a doctor who currently heads the National Hispanic Medical Assn.
Now a new study concludes that heavy use of these products could be jeopardizing the health of consumers, particularly Hispanics, across the country.
Among residents tested in parts of Houston, Los Angeles, and Elizabeth, NJ, Hispanics faced a cancer risk from air pollutants as much as five times the rate of non-Hispanic whites. But it wasn’t outdoor air causing the greatest risk; it was something much closer to home: A chemical, called p-dichlorobenzene, found in many inexpensive toilet deodorizers and moth repellents in bathrooms and closets.
Inside Houston homes with the highest levels of the chemical, 16 out of every 1,000 Hispanic residents were at risk of cancer. In the New Jersey city, six out of every 1,000 were at risk, and in Los Angeles, four out of every 1,000..
Experts say such a high cancer danger from a single source is highly unusual. Federal guidelines usually consider ten cancers per million people an “acceptable” risk; in some of the Hispanic households, the cancer risk is about 1,000-fold higher.
“The risk numbers we’re talking about for that group are comparable to or greater than what we see for radon, which has been identified as the most dangerous hazard in homes in the country by far,” said Richard Corsi, a professor specializing in indoor air pollution at the University of Texas at Austin. He was one of the authors of the study, which was published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives last month.
Many of the products contain 100 percent p-dichlorobenzene packaged in large, white tablets or blocks that can be hung inside the back of toilets or placed in men’s urinals. The chemical also is used in some mothballs, and in moth-repellent crystals packaged in miniature hangers. The products are designed to release the substance into the air in confined spaces, meaning it sticks to clothes and skin and is repeatedly inhaled.
Corsi and the other authors said their findings were alarming, particularly because Hispanics are the fastest growing population in the United States. “Hispanic” was a designation researchers assigned to people who spoke Spanish as their first language and those who identified themselves as Hispanic.
The researchers are not sure why Hispanics had sharply higher exposure. But they noted that the products cost less than other deodorizers, and that they may have been more readily available in countries from which they emigrated.
Rios, from the Hispanic medical association in Washington, D.C., said marketers have targeted generations of Latino Americans with the cheap air fresheners.
“It’s because of the stores in the neighborhood, and the buying patterns for low income neighborhoods, where you have limited opportunities for purchasing products,” she said.
Other populations, such as people in colder climates who keep windows closed or use more mothballs in coat closets, also might be at higher risk. Some mothballs contain p-dichlorobenzene while others are made of another chemical, naphthalene.
“Basically if Caucasians were using more of these products, I would expect their exposures and risks would be just as high,” Corsi said.
The authors cautioned that the study was based on only a couple hundred volunteers, which is not statistically representative of the country. But they, along with researchers not involved with the study, said the findings are important because they were so striking.
"These are just three locations in three parts of the country," said Tracey Woodruff, associate director of reproductive health and the environment at University of California, San Francisco. "Nonetheless, they have actual monitoring data, which to me is very powerful.”
The pollutants measured in the homes are “at a level that would be of concern. High concern,” said Woodruff, who specializes in research of hazardous air pollutants.
The authors of the new report recommended that products containing p-dichlorobenzene be removed from homes. There are plenty of other air fresheners available, they said, although they cost more.
“There’s a very simple answer…don’t let people purchase these products anymore,” said Corsi. “It doesn’t take a sophisticated air pollution control system to solve this problem.”
But regulating the products isn’t simple: They come under the authority of various federal and state agencies.
Air fresheners are regulated by the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Officials from the commission did not return calls seeking comment about the products.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates moth repellants because they are considered pesticides. The agency has approved use of the chemical, although it requires the products to bear warnings such as "avoid breathing vapors" because they can irritate eyes and nasal passages and cause liver problems.
Regulators from various agencies disagree about the level of human threat that these products pose. In animal tests, p-dichlorobenzene causes kidney and liver tumors.
The EPA and the Dept. of Health and Human Services decided years ago that p-dichlorobenzene was a hazardous air pollutant and possible human carcinogen. As a result, the EPA regulates its industrial emissions. But the arm of EPA that approves pesticides concluded in 2007 that it was “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.” A full assessment is now being conducted, an agency spokeswoman said.
Maria Morandi, the study’s principal investigator, explained that p-dichlorobenzene is a milder carcinogen than other substances, meaning it could take years of high-level exposure to develop cancer. The EPA only looked at low levels of exposure from the products, while the new data show some Hispanics are breathing extremely high levels, said Morandi, a recently retired University of Texas at Houston assistant professor of environmental sciences and occupational health.
California has banned bathroom products containing p-dichlorobenzene since 2006. The city of Seattle, New York State’s corrections department, and New York City’s fire department also have banned them. Urinal blocks traditionally have been used in some prisons and firehouses.
“It’s nasty stuff,” said Dmitri Stanich, a spokesman for the California Air Resources Board, which regulates air pollutants. “We banned it as an air freshener because it’s carcinogenic. Our position is it’s not safe.”
However, mothballs and miniature hangers loaded with the substance are still on sale in California because they come under the control of a separate state agency.
The California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation this year began to assess the potential hazards of the moth products. “We are evaluating whether additional restrictions are necessary,” said Mary-Ann Warmerdam, the department’s director.
Willert Home Products, a leading manufacturer of home air freshener and closet products, said during California’s rulemaking that the levels people were exposed to were too low to cause harm, and that there was no evidence of human cancer. Calls to the company seeking comment on the new study were not returned.
In the study, 243 people wore personal monitors that measured their exposure to 12 major pollutants over 48-hour stretches. The results were based not on actual cancers, but on measured levels of the chemical, which were then used to calculate the estimated cancer risk. A larger study is being conducted.
Hispanic residents in Elizabeth and Houston had higher exposures than those in Los Angeles, probably because there were also greater exchanges of indoor and outdoor air in California. In the Los Angeles area, risk levels from the chemical were about equal for all populations, but still higher than federally accepted guidelines. The testing was done from 1999 to 2002, years before California’s partial ban was enacted.
Hispanics in the study also were exposed to higher levels of formaldehyde, probably from car upholstery and particle board used in some home construction.
And Latina women had higher exposure to chloroform, probably as a byproduct of cleaning with chlorine. But by far the highest levels of exposure were from p-dichlorobenzene.
The researchers said their findings show that consumers should be wary of household chemicals because the risk of inhaling them can be more dangerous than breathing the polluted air outside.
Rios said she was glad that scientists were studying Hispanics’ exposure to chemicals in consumer products. “Nobody realized the dangers about pesticides and migrant workers for a long time either,” she said.
Lupus worse among Hispanics, Blacks
Lupus Worse in Blacks, Hispanics Than in Whites, Study Finds
They're more likely to have conditions that complicate treatment, researchers say
Kevin McKeever, Health MSN
FRIDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Blacks and Hispanics appear more likely than whites to develop the most common form of the autoimmune disease lupus and to develop more severe complications from it, new research shows.
Lupus, also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic inflammatory disease that often affects the joints, kidneys, blood and nervous system, is generally known to strike women more often than men and some ethnic groups more than others. Its severity can range from mild to fatal.
The study, published in the summer issue of the journal Ethnicity & Disease, was based on six years of data from lupus patients in Dallas-Fort Worth-area hospitals. The researchers found that white patients were half as likely as other ethnic groups to have the disease.
Hispanic women tended to have the most severe lupus cases, which often were complicated by the presence of other diseases. These women, for example, had a 61 percent greater chance of having kidney inflammation -- or nephritis -- in addition to lupus, and a 55 percent greater likelihood of also having diabetes, the study found.
In all, Hispanic and black patients with SLE were twice as likely as whites to also have nephritis, kidney failure and inflammation of the heart lining, all of which complicate the treatment and severity of the disease, according to the researchers.
"Ethnic minority populations have a higher incidence of severe SLE for several reasons, such as a lower socioeconomic status, barriers to adequate health care and genetic predisposition," lead author Katie Crosslin, a research scientist at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, said in a news release issued by the journal's publisher.
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about lupus.
They're more likely to have conditions that complicate treatment, researchers say
Kevin McKeever, Health MSN
FRIDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Blacks and Hispanics appear more likely than whites to develop the most common form of the autoimmune disease lupus and to develop more severe complications from it, new research shows.
Lupus, also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic inflammatory disease that often affects the joints, kidneys, blood and nervous system, is generally known to strike women more often than men and some ethnic groups more than others. Its severity can range from mild to fatal.
The study, published in the summer issue of the journal Ethnicity & Disease, was based on six years of data from lupus patients in Dallas-Fort Worth-area hospitals. The researchers found that white patients were half as likely as other ethnic groups to have the disease.
Hispanic women tended to have the most severe lupus cases, which often were complicated by the presence of other diseases. These women, for example, had a 61 percent greater chance of having kidney inflammation -- or nephritis -- in addition to lupus, and a 55 percent greater likelihood of also having diabetes, the study found.
In all, Hispanic and black patients with SLE were twice as likely as whites to also have nephritis, kidney failure and inflammation of the heart lining, all of which complicate the treatment and severity of the disease, according to the researchers.
"Ethnic minority populations have a higher incidence of severe SLE for several reasons, such as a lower socioeconomic status, barriers to adequate health care and genetic predisposition," lead author Katie Crosslin, a research scientist at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, said in a news release issued by the journal's publisher.
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about lupus.
Hispanics struggle with obesity
Outside the Superstar Spotlight, Minorities Struggle With Obesity
By Lenny Bernstein, Washington Post, September 15, 2009
As any sports fan knows, Labor Day weekend is like Christmas in September. The NFL season is about to start, and the speed, power and grace of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is on display. The U.S. Open is in full swing, with Serena Williams tearing through the field as usual. Baseball is heading toward the playoffs; the superhuman Albert Pujols has a shot at the Triple Crown. The majestic Michael Jordan has been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame and it won't be long before Kobe and LeBron are back on the floor.
Yet here is the irony I couldn't escape as I sat in front of my television, taking it all in: The overall fitness level of the minority groups those superstars represent is appalling. By any measure that matters, blacks and Hispanics are in worse shape than whites -- who, of course, are firmly in the grip of the obesity epidemic themselves.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 38.2 percent of whites over the age of 18 did no physical exercise (outside of work) in 2006. For blacks, the figure was 48.9 percent and for Hispanics it was an astonishing 53.4 percent.
The result of these disparities is sadly easy to predict. Fully 54 percent of African American women older than 20 are obese -- not overweight, obese -- by CDC standards. For Hispanics, the proportion is 42 percent, and for whites it is 32 percent. In combination with generally poorer diets and less access to medical care, that level of physical inactivity helps explain why minorities suffer proportionately more hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Their life expectancies also are shorter.
A larger percentage of African American and Hispanic children ages 6 to 19 are overweight than their white counterparts.
ad_icon
The reasons for this state of affairs are controversial and -- as with all matters of race, income and personal motivation -- a difficult subject. We'll get to them in a moment. But I bring this up now for a number of reasons.
On Wednesday night, President Obama, a fitness freak, delivered his long-awaited address on overhauling the U.S. health-care system, an effort that all sides agree must place greater emphasis on preventive measures such as improved diet and more exercise. And with summer ending, we'll all soon be spending a lot more time indoors. If you're like me, you'll be packing on the winter pounds.
Yet the approach of autumn also brings us the first annual (and possibly the first-ever) "walk-off" against obesity. On Saturday, Sept. 12, thousands of people in more than 50 cities are scheduled to assemble against this killer.
The event is organized by Ian Smith, who launched the "50 Million Pound Challenge" in 2007. If you don't watch VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" or read diet books, you may not recognize "Dr. Ian," as his fans know him. (I'd never heard of him until a colleague mentioned his name.) But among African Americans, the slim, Dartmouth-educated physician is well-known for creating a national organization that has confronted their health problems and enlisted tens of thousands in a bid to lose weight. The group has since branched out and is trying to appeal to all races.
"Listen, the swine flu isn't going to kill a tenth of the people that obesity kills on an annual basis," Smith said in an interview. "This is one of the biggest health concerns for America, and we can't get people to talk about it. . . . The sense of urgency isn't there."
One of the walk sites is in Alexandria, where Mayor William D. Euille will lead a team of about 150 people for a 1.5-mile walk. Over the past four years, Euille, an African American, has lost 60 pounds from his 5-foot-9 frame and kept it off.
"I got tired of hearing and reading and seeing obese kids and watching primarily African Americans suffer diabetes and high blood pressure," he said. "My role, being African American, and being leader of this city, [is that] I'm the best person to deliver that message.
"No more excuses," Euille said. "It is as simple as just walking."
Or is it? Here is where experts disagree, and close examination of cultural and environmental factors makes solutions more elusive than they first appear.
Yes, obesity is a problem for all races and ethnic groups in this country and, generally speaking, affects people of all income levels. But higher proportions of the poor, minorities and the less educated tend to be obese, research shows.
Start with the traditional African American diet, Smith said, one rich in salty, fried food, a menu that has been handed down over generations. Add a greater acceptance of plus-size bodies by both African American men and women, along with some women's disdain for exercise, and the cultural factors are stacked against blacks, he said.
If you're poor, you may be sacrificing leisure time and exercise to make ends meet. Your grocery store may be stocked with cheaper, less healthful food. You probably have less access to fitness facilities, your neighborhood may not have sidewalks, and the local park may be the place where gangs hang out or drugs are sold, rather than a safe haven for an evening jog.
If you think this is a bunch of liberal excuses, you should know that it is supported by research. David Marquez, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who studies the physical activity levels of Hispanics, said in a CDC survey of more than 20,000 of them, many Hispanic women feel that working, caring for their families and running their homes leaves them no leisure time at all.
Older Latinas also suggest that the only appropriate exercise for women is walking or dancing, Marquez said. Which is why he is trying to launch programs that center on dance as the primary form of physical activity.
NiCole Keith, an associate professor of physiology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, participated in one of the few studies of exercise that controlled for income. Researchers gave poor and moderate-income blacks equal access to fitness resources and -- surprise! -- they exercised at the same rates. Keith says poverty and environmental factors are unquestionably part of the equation.
"If you live in a dangerous area, you cannot get out and walk and run," she said. "If you say, 'You can walk on your lunch hour,' you're making the assumption that you have a job with a lunch hour. And you're assuming everybody can walk when many morbidly obese individuals simply cannot."
In recent years, Keith has had some success persuading Indianapolis principals to open school facilities after hours in inner-city neighborhoods so that adults and kids can exercise. She and colleagues have led videoconference exercise routines for people too infirm or too large to get outside for a walk. They also have tried adding exercise rooms to public housing projects. Urban planners are being educated on the importance of sidewalks. And the American College of Sports Medicine's Exercise Medicine Campaign calls on policymakers to require doctors to counsel patients on physical activity during primary care visits.
"If facilities are available and affordable or free, people will go," Keith said.
Comments: misfits@washpost.com.
By Lenny Bernstein, Washington Post, September 15, 2009
As any sports fan knows, Labor Day weekend is like Christmas in September. The NFL season is about to start, and the speed, power and grace of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is on display. The U.S. Open is in full swing, with Serena Williams tearing through the field as usual. Baseball is heading toward the playoffs; the superhuman Albert Pujols has a shot at the Triple Crown. The majestic Michael Jordan has been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame and it won't be long before Kobe and LeBron are back on the floor.
Yet here is the irony I couldn't escape as I sat in front of my television, taking it all in: The overall fitness level of the minority groups those superstars represent is appalling. By any measure that matters, blacks and Hispanics are in worse shape than whites -- who, of course, are firmly in the grip of the obesity epidemic themselves.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 38.2 percent of whites over the age of 18 did no physical exercise (outside of work) in 2006. For blacks, the figure was 48.9 percent and for Hispanics it was an astonishing 53.4 percent.
The result of these disparities is sadly easy to predict. Fully 54 percent of African American women older than 20 are obese -- not overweight, obese -- by CDC standards. For Hispanics, the proportion is 42 percent, and for whites it is 32 percent. In combination with generally poorer diets and less access to medical care, that level of physical inactivity helps explain why minorities suffer proportionately more hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Their life expectancies also are shorter.
A larger percentage of African American and Hispanic children ages 6 to 19 are overweight than their white counterparts.
ad_icon
The reasons for this state of affairs are controversial and -- as with all matters of race, income and personal motivation -- a difficult subject. We'll get to them in a moment. But I bring this up now for a number of reasons.
On Wednesday night, President Obama, a fitness freak, delivered his long-awaited address on overhauling the U.S. health-care system, an effort that all sides agree must place greater emphasis on preventive measures such as improved diet and more exercise. And with summer ending, we'll all soon be spending a lot more time indoors. If you're like me, you'll be packing on the winter pounds.
Yet the approach of autumn also brings us the first annual (and possibly the first-ever) "walk-off" against obesity. On Saturday, Sept. 12, thousands of people in more than 50 cities are scheduled to assemble against this killer.
The event is organized by Ian Smith, who launched the "50 Million Pound Challenge" in 2007. If you don't watch VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" or read diet books, you may not recognize "Dr. Ian," as his fans know him. (I'd never heard of him until a colleague mentioned his name.) But among African Americans, the slim, Dartmouth-educated physician is well-known for creating a national organization that has confronted their health problems and enlisted tens of thousands in a bid to lose weight. The group has since branched out and is trying to appeal to all races.
"Listen, the swine flu isn't going to kill a tenth of the people that obesity kills on an annual basis," Smith said in an interview. "This is one of the biggest health concerns for America, and we can't get people to talk about it. . . . The sense of urgency isn't there."
One of the walk sites is in Alexandria, where Mayor William D. Euille will lead a team of about 150 people for a 1.5-mile walk. Over the past four years, Euille, an African American, has lost 60 pounds from his 5-foot-9 frame and kept it off.
"I got tired of hearing and reading and seeing obese kids and watching primarily African Americans suffer diabetes and high blood pressure," he said. "My role, being African American, and being leader of this city, [is that] I'm the best person to deliver that message.
"No more excuses," Euille said. "It is as simple as just walking."
Or is it? Here is where experts disagree, and close examination of cultural and environmental factors makes solutions more elusive than they first appear.
Yes, obesity is a problem for all races and ethnic groups in this country and, generally speaking, affects people of all income levels. But higher proportions of the poor, minorities and the less educated tend to be obese, research shows.
Start with the traditional African American diet, Smith said, one rich in salty, fried food, a menu that has been handed down over generations. Add a greater acceptance of plus-size bodies by both African American men and women, along with some women's disdain for exercise, and the cultural factors are stacked against blacks, he said.
If you're poor, you may be sacrificing leisure time and exercise to make ends meet. Your grocery store may be stocked with cheaper, less healthful food. You probably have less access to fitness facilities, your neighborhood may not have sidewalks, and the local park may be the place where gangs hang out or drugs are sold, rather than a safe haven for an evening jog.
If you think this is a bunch of liberal excuses, you should know that it is supported by research. David Marquez, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who studies the physical activity levels of Hispanics, said in a CDC survey of more than 20,000 of them, many Hispanic women feel that working, caring for their families and running their homes leaves them no leisure time at all.
Older Latinas also suggest that the only appropriate exercise for women is walking or dancing, Marquez said. Which is why he is trying to launch programs that center on dance as the primary form of physical activity.
NiCole Keith, an associate professor of physiology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, participated in one of the few studies of exercise that controlled for income. Researchers gave poor and moderate-income blacks equal access to fitness resources and -- surprise! -- they exercised at the same rates. Keith says poverty and environmental factors are unquestionably part of the equation.
"If you live in a dangerous area, you cannot get out and walk and run," she said. "If you say, 'You can walk on your lunch hour,' you're making the assumption that you have a job with a lunch hour. And you're assuming everybody can walk when many morbidly obese individuals simply cannot."
In recent years, Keith has had some success persuading Indianapolis principals to open school facilities after hours in inner-city neighborhoods so that adults and kids can exercise. She and colleagues have led videoconference exercise routines for people too infirm or too large to get outside for a walk. They also have tried adding exercise rooms to public housing projects. Urban planners are being educated on the importance of sidewalks. And the American College of Sports Medicine's Exercise Medicine Campaign calls on policymakers to require doctors to counsel patients on physical activity during primary care visits.
"If facilities are available and affordable or free, people will go," Keith said.
Comments: misfits@washpost.com.
Hispanic health fair held in Elkhart County
Hispanic Health Care Coalition of Elkhart County holds health fair
WNDU, Sep 12, 2009
As lawmakers argue about health care reform, here in Michiana volunteers were doing their best to help out those who can't afford health care.
Saturday, the Hispanic Health Coalition of Elkhart County held a health fair. Hundreds of community members came out for free health screenings. The screenings were made possible by $ 7,000 in donations from area organizations and health care professionals.
Organizers say the need in this community is great and that's why more than 300 volunteers were out bright and early to help out.
“There is a huge need. We have a lot of people who are unemployed, a lot of people who are losing their insurance and if they had insurance they aren't using it because they need the extra money at home,” event organizer Liliand Quintero said.
Hispanic families are grateful for the health fair happening so they can have their health care concerns take careful.
“It helps a lot of the Hispanic families who don’t' have insurance get a lot of their health concerns answered,” fair attendee Maria Figueroa said.
The health fair offered 25 different screenings for kids and adults.
WNDU, Sep 12, 2009
As lawmakers argue about health care reform, here in Michiana volunteers were doing their best to help out those who can't afford health care.
Saturday, the Hispanic Health Coalition of Elkhart County held a health fair. Hundreds of community members came out for free health screenings. The screenings were made possible by $ 7,000 in donations from area organizations and health care professionals.
Organizers say the need in this community is great and that's why more than 300 volunteers were out bright and early to help out.
“There is a huge need. We have a lot of people who are unemployed, a lot of people who are losing their insurance and if they had insurance they aren't using it because they need the extra money at home,” event organizer Liliand Quintero said.
Hispanic families are grateful for the health fair happening so they can have their health care concerns take careful.
“It helps a lot of the Hispanic families who don’t' have insurance get a lot of their health concerns answered,” fair attendee Maria Figueroa said.
The health fair offered 25 different screenings for kids and adults.
Latino resident physician fired
Latino resident physician fired from Johns Hopkins Hospital
The Latino Journal E-News, Sept 7, 2009
Dr. Oscar Serrano is a former Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) surgical resident who was featured in the ABC documentary "Hopkins 24/7" is now suing his former employer for 24 million dollars. His suit alleges that he was unlawfully terminated and defamed by JHH officials in an effort to cover up problems with their highly reputable residency program. At a time when the U.S. and the Latino community especially, need physicians, this lawsuit appears to be uncovering a potential snag on how residency programs operate.
Serrano, 30, immigrated with his family to the U.S. when he was 10. His success in school landed him at the prestigious Standford University School of Medicine, where he graduated from, with honors, in 2006. He was signed by JHH to an eight-year surgical residency until April of 2009 when he was fired by JHH officials, Dr. Pamela A. Lipsett, director of the general surgery residency program, and Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag, chief of surgery, who are named separately in the suit.
"If the facts submitted as evidence in this case are reflective of what actually took place, the integrity tenets of the entire surgical training program at Hopkins has been violated," says Dr. Robert Beltran, President of the Latino Med Policy Institute. "Although these cases are rare, they must not be ignored because the outcome will determine policies, processes and systems that will impact surgical training programs across the country."
While at JHH, Dr. Serrano had received "excellent" evaluations during his two years of clinical residency and was the only first-year resident asked to appear on "Hopkins 24/7," an ABC News documentary about the hospital. He was the only resident featured in a hospital-wide United Way campaign for the surgery department and had been elected to a leadership position on a resident committee by his peers. But it was "what appeared to be the administration's effort to cover up the existing problems within the residency program," the lawsuit states.
In the spring of 2008, Lipsett and the administrative chief resident (who is not a defendant) attempted to coach surgical residents as they responded to a survey from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the lawsuit states. The survey is designed to gather unfiltered information from residents to ensure compliance with ACGME standards on working conditions and practical experience. Any negative feedback from ACGME generally requires a program to reform some aspect of the program and reflects badly on the individuals in charge of the program (specifically, Dr. Lipsett and Dr. Freischlag). Serrano objected to "what appeared to be the administration's effort to cover up the existing problems within the residency program," the lawsuit states.
After receiving an anonymous complaint that residents were working more than the maximum number of weekly hours allowed, fearing retaliation for speaking up, and not being allowed to handle a sufficient number of surgical procedures, the ACGME opted to revisit JHH earlier this year. JHH officials then blamed Serrano for the anonymous complaint, then fired him because of mental health problems, a charge denied in Serrano's lawsuit and by his lawyer.
"Even if we go to trial and win, there are always going to be people as a result of this think he is mentally ill, and there is zero basis for that," said Andrew D. Levy of Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP in Baltimore.
"This case needs to be brought to the attention of all key stakeholders in the field of post graduate physician training that are impacted by decision to terminate physician residents," add Beltran. "Workforce diversity studies and the under supply of Latino Physicians in the United States further supports the need for Latino post graduate training residents to be valued and supported since the need is so great and the supply is so few."
The Latino Journal E-News, Sept 7, 2009
Dr. Oscar Serrano is a former Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) surgical resident who was featured in the ABC documentary "Hopkins 24/7" is now suing his former employer for 24 million dollars. His suit alleges that he was unlawfully terminated and defamed by JHH officials in an effort to cover up problems with their highly reputable residency program. At a time when the U.S. and the Latino community especially, need physicians, this lawsuit appears to be uncovering a potential snag on how residency programs operate.
Serrano, 30, immigrated with his family to the U.S. when he was 10. His success in school landed him at the prestigious Standford University School of Medicine, where he graduated from, with honors, in 2006. He was signed by JHH to an eight-year surgical residency until April of 2009 when he was fired by JHH officials, Dr. Pamela A. Lipsett, director of the general surgery residency program, and Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag, chief of surgery, who are named separately in the suit.
"If the facts submitted as evidence in this case are reflective of what actually took place, the integrity tenets of the entire surgical training program at Hopkins has been violated," says Dr. Robert Beltran, President of the Latino Med Policy Institute. "Although these cases are rare, they must not be ignored because the outcome will determine policies, processes and systems that will impact surgical training programs across the country."
While at JHH, Dr. Serrano had received "excellent" evaluations during his two years of clinical residency and was the only first-year resident asked to appear on "Hopkins 24/7," an ABC News documentary about the hospital. He was the only resident featured in a hospital-wide United Way campaign for the surgery department and had been elected to a leadership position on a resident committee by his peers. But it was "what appeared to be the administration's effort to cover up the existing problems within the residency program," the lawsuit states.
In the spring of 2008, Lipsett and the administrative chief resident (who is not a defendant) attempted to coach surgical residents as they responded to a survey from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the lawsuit states. The survey is designed to gather unfiltered information from residents to ensure compliance with ACGME standards on working conditions and practical experience. Any negative feedback from ACGME generally requires a program to reform some aspect of the program and reflects badly on the individuals in charge of the program (specifically, Dr. Lipsett and Dr. Freischlag). Serrano objected to "what appeared to be the administration's effort to cover up the existing problems within the residency program," the lawsuit states.
After receiving an anonymous complaint that residents were working more than the maximum number of weekly hours allowed, fearing retaliation for speaking up, and not being allowed to handle a sufficient number of surgical procedures, the ACGME opted to revisit JHH earlier this year. JHH officials then blamed Serrano for the anonymous complaint, then fired him because of mental health problems, a charge denied in Serrano's lawsuit and by his lawyer.
"Even if we go to trial and win, there are always going to be people as a result of this think he is mentally ill, and there is zero basis for that," said Andrew D. Levy of Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP in Baltimore.
"This case needs to be brought to the attention of all key stakeholders in the field of post graduate physician training that are impacted by decision to terminate physician residents," add Beltran. "Workforce diversity studies and the under supply of Latino Physicians in the United States further supports the need for Latino post graduate training residents to be valued and supported since the need is so great and the supply is so few."
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Latinos unprepared for emergencies
Latinos Unprepared for Emergencies
Martín E. Martínez, Vida en el Valle, Sep 03, 2009
SACRAMENTO -- California's minority communities, especially Latinos, are the least-prepared to respond to public health emergencies like fires, floods and diseases.
A report by Drexel University in Sacramento finds that while California is one of the nation's leading states in taking actions to get its racially and ethnically diverse communities to prepare for an emergency, there remain persistent individual and institutional barriers.
Latinos are less prepared for an emergency, the report said, due mainly to the language barrier and cultural issues.
"The problem is that Latinos and minorities in general have less access to information about emergencies because most of this information is just in English and the few literature available in Spanish is very limited, which most of the times never reaches those communities," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, director of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Los Ángeles County Department of Public Health.
He said his county is currently translating all the information available into Spanish. Plough said the same should be done statewide.
"That is the big part of the solution," said Plough.
The report found that non-white ethnic groups and non-English speakers are less prepared compared to whites and English speakers. More Latinos and Asian/Pacific Islanders report their workplaces as not being prepared compared to whites. And non-English speakers also report that their workplaces are less prepared.
Plough said the report seeks to be a guide to improve quality and equality in preparing for and responding to diverse communities.
"We are increasingly focused on ensuring that our culturally diverse communities are represented across disaster planning, response and recovery," said Plough.
The study suggests:
Ensuring the inclusion of community representatives across preparedness and response planning;
Implementation and evaluation;
Focusing on preparedness needs within their broader community contexts, such as poverty, housing, employment, and transportation.
Encouraging greater flexibility in allocating state and local funds to support innovative partnerships with community and faith-based organizations;
Delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate programs and services.
"California is a state rich in racial and ethnic diversity that has a long history of facing and responding to a wide range of disasters, and has devoted significant attention at the state and local levels to tailor preparedness efforts for its diverse communities," said Dr. Dennis P. Andrulis, director of the Center for Health Equality.
He added that this was the first explicit report to review and assess the effectiveness of current programs, and identify challenges and gaps toward reaching and engaging all communities in promoting effective preparedness efforts.
Konane Martínez, director of the National Latino Research Center, said there is a general concern about the budget cuts that could stop advances achieved in past years regarding preparedness of racial and ethnic minorities.
"We have made great progress reaching Latino and all other minority groups, but we are really concerned about the possibility of losing resources and stopping the progress of our work," said Martínez
The study was conducted by researchers at the Center for Health Equality at the Drexel University School of Public Health with support from The California Endowment and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health.
The researchers interviewed individuals representing a range of regions, sectors and areas of expertise within California.
Martín E. Martínez, Vida en el Valle, Sep 03, 2009
SACRAMENTO -- California's minority communities, especially Latinos, are the least-prepared to respond to public health emergencies like fires, floods and diseases.
A report by Drexel University in Sacramento finds that while California is one of the nation's leading states in taking actions to get its racially and ethnically diverse communities to prepare for an emergency, there remain persistent individual and institutional barriers.
Latinos are less prepared for an emergency, the report said, due mainly to the language barrier and cultural issues.
"The problem is that Latinos and minorities in general have less access to information about emergencies because most of this information is just in English and the few literature available in Spanish is very limited, which most of the times never reaches those communities," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, director of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Los Ángeles County Department of Public Health.
He said his county is currently translating all the information available into Spanish. Plough said the same should be done statewide.
"That is the big part of the solution," said Plough.
The report found that non-white ethnic groups and non-English speakers are less prepared compared to whites and English speakers. More Latinos and Asian/Pacific Islanders report their workplaces as not being prepared compared to whites. And non-English speakers also report that their workplaces are less prepared.
Plough said the report seeks to be a guide to improve quality and equality in preparing for and responding to diverse communities.
"We are increasingly focused on ensuring that our culturally diverse communities are represented across disaster planning, response and recovery," said Plough.
The study suggests:
Ensuring the inclusion of community representatives across preparedness and response planning;
Implementation and evaluation;
Focusing on preparedness needs within their broader community contexts, such as poverty, housing, employment, and transportation.
Encouraging greater flexibility in allocating state and local funds to support innovative partnerships with community and faith-based organizations;
Delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate programs and services.
"California is a state rich in racial and ethnic diversity that has a long history of facing and responding to a wide range of disasters, and has devoted significant attention at the state and local levels to tailor preparedness efforts for its diverse communities," said Dr. Dennis P. Andrulis, director of the Center for Health Equality.
He added that this was the first explicit report to review and assess the effectiveness of current programs, and identify challenges and gaps toward reaching and engaging all communities in promoting effective preparedness efforts.
Konane Martínez, director of the National Latino Research Center, said there is a general concern about the budget cuts that could stop advances achieved in past years regarding preparedness of racial and ethnic minorities.
"We have made great progress reaching Latino and all other minority groups, but we are really concerned about the possibility of losing resources and stopping the progress of our work," said Martínez
The study was conducted by researchers at the Center for Health Equality at the Drexel University School of Public Health with support from The California Endowment and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health.
The researchers interviewed individuals representing a range of regions, sectors and areas of expertise within California.
Healthcare reform good for Hispanics
Medical association leaders: Reform will be good for Hispanics, El Paso, and the border
Elizabeth Ruiz, Newspaper Tree, September 3, 2009
Health care reform is needed for the whole country, but will pay specific dividends for such communities as El Paso, which have high percentages of minority residents with specific health needs and low percentages of people covered by insurance, heads of the nation's three largest medical associations said Wednesday.
Dr. James Rohack, president of the American Medical Association (AMA), Dr. Willarda Edwards, president of the National Medical Association (NMA), and Dr. Elena Rios, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), were at the University of Texas at El Paso Wednesday for the first portion of a three-day meeting of the American Medical Association’s Commission to End Health Care Disparities and to tour the university's new biomedical research facilities.
The health care reform topic dominated the conversation, with Rios saying: “We want everyone to call your congressman and say ‘Yes, we want health care reform,’ because Hispanics are the largest group in the country proportionally without insurance and we do need affordable universal health care coverage for our communities.”
All three presidents agreed that reform was crucial. Dr. Rohack, the president of the American Medical Association who earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from UTEP in 1976, spoke about his conversations with President Barack Obama, saying that he agreed on the eight principles of health care reform outlined by the president.
The perspective of the AMA has been watched closely by the national media throughout the course of the debate. In June, the New York Times quoted the AMA as saying: “The A.M.A. does not believe that creating a public health insurance option for non-disabled individuals under age 65 is the best way to expand health insurance coverage and lower costs. The introduction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers, which currently provide coverage for nearly 70 percent of Americans.” In late July after the group came out in support of the house bill, Rohack was quoted in the U.S. News and World report as calling the health care bill a “starting point.”
At Wednesday’s meeting at UTEP, Rohack reenforced that by saying: "What the AMA is supportive of is to say: 'We need to change the health system.' ”
Rohack described where the AMA disagrees with the president -- lawsuit reform.
"We also believe that we need to get rid of unnecessary costs, and that’s one area where we disagree with the president," Rohack said. "He doesn’t like caps on non-economic damages, we know in Texas, that is helped by having those caps to provide OB care, to provide neurosurgeons, to provide high-risk specialties to come back to Texas to provide care in needed areas. We still are working with the House and the Senate to come out with something that is going to come out with all Americans.”
At the meeting, the presidents described the health issues facing the Hispanic community and the unique challenges.
Rios said: "In the year 2042, one out of four Americans will be Hispanic. A third of Hispanics don’t have insurance. In another 20 years, half the country is going to be without insurance if we don’t have health care reform now. Health care reform is going to bring affordable insurance to our working communities, many of whom are Hispanic and African American. And the disparities in this country will decrease if we have access to doctors and clinics.”
Rohack said that unnecessary costs, including the paperwork burden and the defensive medicine costs, could add up to $1000 each per year. He said that making the system more efficient would make the health care more affordable, regardless of immigration status.
“If we can get rid of that extra costs and make it affordable, so regardless of what status you have, you’ll be able to have that affordable health care coverage that you individually own and won’t have to be job locked as a result of our current problem,” he said.
Rios also offered input on how the undocumented immigrants would be covered after health care reform.
“NHMA is supporting that we lift the 5-year ban for all immigrants that are here lawfully, the five year ban for Medicaid, and as well as the new low income subsidies that are part of health care reform," she said. "We also see the importance of cultural competence and language services that are going to be in this bill. Also, primary care so that we can have more clinics and more primary care physicians helping the uninsured and the new insured that will happen, so I think there’s a lot of spillover affects that will happen in the bill.”
Edwards, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from UTEP in 1972, spoke about what she believes is an inclusivity that the proposed reform would promote, including the need to overcome the language barrier.
“It does also address the issue of having more people included in the pipeline: having more people in primary care, being able to have more people provide for services for the community, as well as just the fact that we want to see some cultural competence for all physicians, all health care professionals, so that they can more appropriately address the community linguistically as well, so that they can provide better care and better services," she said. "We’re highly in support of health care reform, and I think it’s key that we talk about legislation being passed now, and then we can improve upon the services that will be provided, but we have to have health care reform passed."
Rios said El Paso and the border stand to benefit from the proposals.
“The health care reform bill is going to transform the border to have more services, more clinics, more doctors, more primary care providers that would go to places that do not have health care services,” she said.
Though Rios said that the public option would greatly benefit communities that have high numbers of uninsured by having insurance companies decrease their costs to match public costs, she said that the community would benefit even if a bill without the public option is passed.
“I think that the rest of the bill that’s there is going to transform the system. It may not transform it as fast, but it will transform the system for prevention and affordable health insurance and having more Hispanic doctors be recruited from our high schools and colleges,” she said.
Rohack said that populations with high numbers of uninsured residents would benefit from reform, regardless of whether or not it will include the public option, so long as it is more affordable.
“El Paso is a great example where the benefit of having affordable quality health insurance will allow people that are Hispanic, especially that are a higher risk of diabetes, to get the prevention so that they don’t end up getting gangrene and having an amputation or end-stage kidney disease and end up going on dialysis,” he said.
Edwards talked about the nature of El Paso as place with both high rates of uninsured and with a high percentage of minorities.
“I think that health care reform is essential for the El Paso community in particular," she said. "This will create the ability for people to access health care coverage that’s much more affordable, much more portable, and then also accessible because we won’t have the preexisting condition issue, which we know that’s very prominent in El Paso because we have a minority community, and we know that there’s health disparities in diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, infant mortality rate is higher. Health care reform is essential for El Paso.”
Elizabeth Ruiz, Newspaper Tree, September 3, 2009
Health care reform is needed for the whole country, but will pay specific dividends for such communities as El Paso, which have high percentages of minority residents with specific health needs and low percentages of people covered by insurance, heads of the nation's three largest medical associations said Wednesday.
Dr. James Rohack, president of the American Medical Association (AMA), Dr. Willarda Edwards, president of the National Medical Association (NMA), and Dr. Elena Rios, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), were at the University of Texas at El Paso Wednesday for the first portion of a three-day meeting of the American Medical Association’s Commission to End Health Care Disparities and to tour the university's new biomedical research facilities.
The health care reform topic dominated the conversation, with Rios saying: “We want everyone to call your congressman and say ‘Yes, we want health care reform,’ because Hispanics are the largest group in the country proportionally without insurance and we do need affordable universal health care coverage for our communities.”
All three presidents agreed that reform was crucial. Dr. Rohack, the president of the American Medical Association who earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from UTEP in 1976, spoke about his conversations with President Barack Obama, saying that he agreed on the eight principles of health care reform outlined by the president.
The perspective of the AMA has been watched closely by the national media throughout the course of the debate. In June, the New York Times quoted the AMA as saying: “The A.M.A. does not believe that creating a public health insurance option for non-disabled individuals under age 65 is the best way to expand health insurance coverage and lower costs. The introduction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice by driving out private insurers, which currently provide coverage for nearly 70 percent of Americans.” In late July after the group came out in support of the house bill, Rohack was quoted in the U.S. News and World report as calling the health care bill a “starting point.”
At Wednesday’s meeting at UTEP, Rohack reenforced that by saying: "What the AMA is supportive of is to say: 'We need to change the health system.' ”
Rohack described where the AMA disagrees with the president -- lawsuit reform.
"We also believe that we need to get rid of unnecessary costs, and that’s one area where we disagree with the president," Rohack said. "He doesn’t like caps on non-economic damages, we know in Texas, that is helped by having those caps to provide OB care, to provide neurosurgeons, to provide high-risk specialties to come back to Texas to provide care in needed areas. We still are working with the House and the Senate to come out with something that is going to come out with all Americans.”
At the meeting, the presidents described the health issues facing the Hispanic community and the unique challenges.
Rios said: "In the year 2042, one out of four Americans will be Hispanic. A third of Hispanics don’t have insurance. In another 20 years, half the country is going to be without insurance if we don’t have health care reform now. Health care reform is going to bring affordable insurance to our working communities, many of whom are Hispanic and African American. And the disparities in this country will decrease if we have access to doctors and clinics.”
Rohack said that unnecessary costs, including the paperwork burden and the defensive medicine costs, could add up to $1000 each per year. He said that making the system more efficient would make the health care more affordable, regardless of immigration status.
“If we can get rid of that extra costs and make it affordable, so regardless of what status you have, you’ll be able to have that affordable health care coverage that you individually own and won’t have to be job locked as a result of our current problem,” he said.
Rios also offered input on how the undocumented immigrants would be covered after health care reform.
“NHMA is supporting that we lift the 5-year ban for all immigrants that are here lawfully, the five year ban for Medicaid, and as well as the new low income subsidies that are part of health care reform," she said. "We also see the importance of cultural competence and language services that are going to be in this bill. Also, primary care so that we can have more clinics and more primary care physicians helping the uninsured and the new insured that will happen, so I think there’s a lot of spillover affects that will happen in the bill.”
Edwards, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from UTEP in 1972, spoke about what she believes is an inclusivity that the proposed reform would promote, including the need to overcome the language barrier.
“It does also address the issue of having more people included in the pipeline: having more people in primary care, being able to have more people provide for services for the community, as well as just the fact that we want to see some cultural competence for all physicians, all health care professionals, so that they can more appropriately address the community linguistically as well, so that they can provide better care and better services," she said. "We’re highly in support of health care reform, and I think it’s key that we talk about legislation being passed now, and then we can improve upon the services that will be provided, but we have to have health care reform passed."
Rios said El Paso and the border stand to benefit from the proposals.
“The health care reform bill is going to transform the border to have more services, more clinics, more doctors, more primary care providers that would go to places that do not have health care services,” she said.
Though Rios said that the public option would greatly benefit communities that have high numbers of uninsured by having insurance companies decrease their costs to match public costs, she said that the community would benefit even if a bill without the public option is passed.
“I think that the rest of the bill that’s there is going to transform the system. It may not transform it as fast, but it will transform the system for prevention and affordable health insurance and having more Hispanic doctors be recruited from our high schools and colleges,” she said.
Rohack said that populations with high numbers of uninsured residents would benefit from reform, regardless of whether or not it will include the public option, so long as it is more affordable.
“El Paso is a great example where the benefit of having affordable quality health insurance will allow people that are Hispanic, especially that are a higher risk of diabetes, to get the prevention so that they don’t end up getting gangrene and having an amputation or end-stage kidney disease and end up going on dialysis,” he said.
Edwards talked about the nature of El Paso as place with both high rates of uninsured and with a high percentage of minorities.
“I think that health care reform is essential for the El Paso community in particular," she said. "This will create the ability for people to access health care coverage that’s much more affordable, much more portable, and then also accessible because we won’t have the preexisting condition issue, which we know that’s very prominent in El Paso because we have a minority community, and we know that there’s health disparities in diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, infant mortality rate is higher. Health care reform is essential for El Paso.”
Florida medical school tops for Latinos
FSU LAW, MEDICAL SCHOOLS RANKED IN TOP 10 FOR HISPANIC STUDENTS
American Chronicle, September 04, 2009
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State University´s colleges of law and medicine are among the Top 10 best in the nation for Hispanics, according to Hispanic Business magazine, which has published its annual rankings of graduate schools in the magazine´s September issue.
The College of Law was ranked third among the nation´s law schools, while the College of Medicine was ranked seventh among medical schools. This is the sixth year in a row that Florida State Law has been named in the Top 10. The College of Medicine was ranked 11th in 2008.
"The Florida State University colleges of law and medicine are at the forefront of recruiting and retaining Hispanic students, and we are pleased that Hispanic Business magazine has recognized these efforts and the high quality of education that these colleges offer," said Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Lawrence G. Abele. "The success of these programs reflects the university´s commitment to excellence and dedication to encouraging a diverse community where all of our students can thrive."
The magazine based its ranking on a variety of factors, including the percentage of full-time Hispanic faculty, services for Hispanic students, Hispanic recruitment efforts and retention rates, the percentage of Hispanic students enrolled and the school´s reputation as reflected in U.S. News & World Report. Florida State also has a significant network of highly successful Hispanic alumni.
"Although we have fewer Hispanic students than some other schools, a significant presence of Hispanics in the faculty and administration has helped us continue to climb in the Hispanic Business rankings," said Law Dean Don Weidner. "We are thrilled that our superb academic reputation and dedication to the success of students from all backgrounds have earned us the No. 3 spot."
Hispanics made up 8 percent of the law school´s student enrollment and received 27 of the 314 law degrees (9 percent) awarded to the Class of 2008. Fourteen percent of the full-time faculty was Hispanic.
At the College of Medicine, Hispanics made up 11 percent of the college´s student body and earned eight of the 58 medical degrees (14 percent) awarded in 2008. Four percent of the college´s full-time faculty was Hispanic.
"Our mission is to train exemplary physicians who will provide patient-centered care and eventually serve in underrepresented, rural and minority areas,´´ said Dr. John P. Fogarty, dean of the College of Medicine. "The best way to achieve this is to identify students who come from these communities and provide excellent role models and training experiences in those communities while here. We are pleased that our students here embrace that mission and have chosen FSU as their medical school."
American Chronicle, September 04, 2009
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State University´s colleges of law and medicine are among the Top 10 best in the nation for Hispanics, according to Hispanic Business magazine, which has published its annual rankings of graduate schools in the magazine´s September issue.
The College of Law was ranked third among the nation´s law schools, while the College of Medicine was ranked seventh among medical schools. This is the sixth year in a row that Florida State Law has been named in the Top 10. The College of Medicine was ranked 11th in 2008.
"The Florida State University colleges of law and medicine are at the forefront of recruiting and retaining Hispanic students, and we are pleased that Hispanic Business magazine has recognized these efforts and the high quality of education that these colleges offer," said Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Lawrence G. Abele. "The success of these programs reflects the university´s commitment to excellence and dedication to encouraging a diverse community where all of our students can thrive."
The magazine based its ranking on a variety of factors, including the percentage of full-time Hispanic faculty, services for Hispanic students, Hispanic recruitment efforts and retention rates, the percentage of Hispanic students enrolled and the school´s reputation as reflected in U.S. News & World Report. Florida State also has a significant network of highly successful Hispanic alumni.
"Although we have fewer Hispanic students than some other schools, a significant presence of Hispanics in the faculty and administration has helped us continue to climb in the Hispanic Business rankings," said Law Dean Don Weidner. "We are thrilled that our superb academic reputation and dedication to the success of students from all backgrounds have earned us the No. 3 spot."
Hispanics made up 8 percent of the law school´s student enrollment and received 27 of the 314 law degrees (9 percent) awarded to the Class of 2008. Fourteen percent of the full-time faculty was Hispanic.
At the College of Medicine, Hispanics made up 11 percent of the college´s student body and earned eight of the 58 medical degrees (14 percent) awarded in 2008. Four percent of the college´s full-time faculty was Hispanic.
"Our mission is to train exemplary physicians who will provide patient-centered care and eventually serve in underrepresented, rural and minority areas,´´ said Dr. John P. Fogarty, dean of the College of Medicine. "The best way to achieve this is to identify students who come from these communities and provide excellent role models and training experiences in those communities while here. We are pleased that our students here embrace that mission and have chosen FSU as their medical school."
Lack of Latino physicians a bigger problem
Guest Opinion: Lack of physicians is a bigger problem
By Ralph M. Ochoa, Attorney, The Latino Journal E-News
I am compelled to write this out of frustration! I attended the hearing at the Capitol (Sacramento) regarding disparities in access to medical professionals by the minority communities. It was very interesting as far as some new statistics, but bottom line we all are aware that rural areas & urban underserved communities (of color) have poor access to medical professionals.
My peeve is that while decision makers & opinion makers are talking about health care reform & universal health care & covering millions more person in the USA; virtually no one is talking about the "shortage of doctors" in California & the whole USA!
In California alone, there is a doctor shortage of 17,000. It takes 7 - 10 years for an entering medical student to become a practicing physician; and, longer, if the doctor does a residency in any specialty.
Therefore, the obvious question is: do al the people talking about providing medical insurance coverage for millions more Americans 'know what they are talking about"? If we are successful to any extent in increasing coverage to more people, without increasing the number of doctors, we are exacerbating the current problem - not solving it!
I have been working on the medical school issue with UC Merced, UC Riverside and the UC Office of the President & the UC Regents. Yes, the problem is the lack of funds. However, I maintain that the Caucuses of minority legislators should make two new medical schools, one at UC Merced & the other at UC Riverside, the number one priority. This can be the real legacy for all those legislators & for the Governor. We must have an education facilities bond initiative to raise sufficient funds to begin the medical schools at once! Time is of the essence! Unfortunately, all the hard work by Obama, the Congress, labor unions, health organizations, state legislators, et al, is for nothing, without immediately addressing the issue of the shortage of doctors & asking ourselves, " Who is going to give medical care to these newly covered/insured persons?"
Statistics illustrate that in the next 7 - 9 years, a person possessing the financial wherewithal to pay for medical care, will be unable to obtain TIMELY medical attention for themselves or their loved ones.
We must get our priorities in order!
By Ralph M. Ochoa, Attorney, The Latino Journal E-News
I am compelled to write this out of frustration! I attended the hearing at the Capitol (Sacramento) regarding disparities in access to medical professionals by the minority communities. It was very interesting as far as some new statistics, but bottom line we all are aware that rural areas & urban underserved communities (of color) have poor access to medical professionals.
My peeve is that while decision makers & opinion makers are talking about health care reform & universal health care & covering millions more person in the USA; virtually no one is talking about the "shortage of doctors" in California & the whole USA!
In California alone, there is a doctor shortage of 17,000. It takes 7 - 10 years for an entering medical student to become a practicing physician; and, longer, if the doctor does a residency in any specialty.
Therefore, the obvious question is: do al the people talking about providing medical insurance coverage for millions more Americans 'know what they are talking about"? If we are successful to any extent in increasing coverage to more people, without increasing the number of doctors, we are exacerbating the current problem - not solving it!
I have been working on the medical school issue with UC Merced, UC Riverside and the UC Office of the President & the UC Regents. Yes, the problem is the lack of funds. However, I maintain that the Caucuses of minority legislators should make two new medical schools, one at UC Merced & the other at UC Riverside, the number one priority. This can be the real legacy for all those legislators & for the Governor. We must have an education facilities bond initiative to raise sufficient funds to begin the medical schools at once! Time is of the essence! Unfortunately, all the hard work by Obama, the Congress, labor unions, health organizations, state legislators, et al, is for nothing, without immediately addressing the issue of the shortage of doctors & asking ourselves, " Who is going to give medical care to these newly covered/insured persons?"
Statistics illustrate that in the next 7 - 9 years, a person possessing the financial wherewithal to pay for medical care, will be unable to obtain TIMELY medical attention for themselves or their loved ones.
We must get our priorities in order!
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