Study Exposes New Trends In Childhood Diabetes
ThePiedmontChannel.com Feb. 27, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The number of non-Hispanic white youth diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is one of the highest in the world, a national study coordinated by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center reported Friday.
The study was the largest one of its kind in U.S history conducted for youth with diabetes. Study centers across the country researched trends in patients of different races who were diagnosed with diabetes before age 20.
“One in about 4,200 non-Hispanic white youth develops type 1 diabetes annually,” said Dr. Ronny A. Bell, an associate professor of epidemiology and prevention at WFUBMC. “This rate is higher than all previously reported U.S. studies and many European studies. Type 2 diabetes is relatively rare in non-Hispanic white youth, but incidence rates are still several-fold higher than those reported by European countries.”
Diabetes Care magazine published the findings in a series of five articles that examined the results of the study in different ages and races.
Dr. Elizabeth Mayer-Davis, a professor of nutrition at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Public Health, concluded that 50 percent of black youth age 15 years or older have poorly controlled blood sugar, a major risk factor for long-term, serious complications including vision-threatening eye disease, kidney disease and heart disease.
Dr. Dana Dabeleaan, associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the University of Colorado Denver, said that of all racial and ethnic groups in the study, Navajo youth have the greatest risk of type 2 diabetes: one in 2,542 develop diabetes annually.
Dr. Ann Albright, the director of the Division of Diabetes Translation said that treatment for diabetes is urgently needed. “We must assure that every child with diabetes receives care to prevent the development kidney failure, sight-threatening retinopathy or premature cardiovascular diseases,” she said.
“These findings, which show unexpectedly high rates of childhood diabetes, paint a sobering picture of the heavy burden of diabetes on our young people,” said Dr. Barbara Linder, senior advisor for Childhood Diabetes Research.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Hispanic donors targeted by drive in Camden
Blood drive in Camden caters to Hispanic donors
By DEBORAH HIRSCH • Courier-Post Staff • February 27, 2009
Blood donors and their families crowded the lobby of a Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey building Thursday morning, waiting for their turn to be called to the Red Cross bus parked outside.
Twenty-one people turned out for the nonprofit's first community blood drive.
Ivette Cruz, manager of the group's Family Success Center in East Camden, said she organized the event three weeks ago after hearing that the Red Cross was trying to make up for drives that had been canceled due to winter snowstorms.
Cruz said it's especially important to encourage Hispanics to give blood because they are more likely to have the "universal" Type O blood which is commonly used for trauma and transfusions.
The Penn-Jersey Region American Red Cross, which covers southeast Pennsylvania and all of New Jersey, also is interested in "diversifying" the blood supply "so that no matter what the person's background is, we have a healthy supply," said spokesman Anthony Tornetta. Sometimes the chance of a reaction can be reduced if a blood donor and recipient share the same racial or ethnic background, he said.
Two Hispanic Family Center employees -- outreach worker Zoraida Matos, 52, and mental health clinic office manager Liz Maldonado, 27 -- were among the first to board the bus.
Matos said she came because she heard that donations were down, and she remembered when her daughter needed four pints of blood while delivering premature twins.
Maldonado said she came because she was passionate about helping others.
"Especially in this time now with this economic crisis where I can't really donate money, this is something that I can donate," Maldonado said.
Maple Shade resident Sean Duggan, 29, was one of the few non-Hispanics at the drive. He's a regular, donating blood about six times a year, the most he could fit in with mandatory waiting periods. "I try my best," he said, smiling.
In the lobby, Edwin Figueroa, 32, waited for his name to be called. He said he donated blood once before about eight years ago in Puerto Rico for his wife's mother, who was having an operation for lung cancer.
"I know that one day I'll need it or one of my kids," he said.
The blood collected Thursday will be sent to the Red Cross office in Philadelphia for testing before being distributed to about 100 hospitals in the region. Tornetta said the organization needs to collect about 1,500 units of blood every day just to meet the basic needs of those hospitals.
Tornetta said the turnout was great for a first-time event. The Red Cross has held 334 mobile blood drives throughout the county in the past year, he said.
"Events for us are great to get in to the community and show the younger people that it's a clean, safe experience."
Reach Deborah Hirsch at (856) 486-2476 or dhirsch@camden.gannett.com
By DEBORAH HIRSCH • Courier-Post Staff • February 27, 2009
Blood donors and their families crowded the lobby of a Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey building Thursday morning, waiting for their turn to be called to the Red Cross bus parked outside.
Twenty-one people turned out for the nonprofit's first community blood drive.
Ivette Cruz, manager of the group's Family Success Center in East Camden, said she organized the event three weeks ago after hearing that the Red Cross was trying to make up for drives that had been canceled due to winter snowstorms.
Cruz said it's especially important to encourage Hispanics to give blood because they are more likely to have the "universal" Type O blood which is commonly used for trauma and transfusions.
The Penn-Jersey Region American Red Cross, which covers southeast Pennsylvania and all of New Jersey, also is interested in "diversifying" the blood supply "so that no matter what the person's background is, we have a healthy supply," said spokesman Anthony Tornetta. Sometimes the chance of a reaction can be reduced if a blood donor and recipient share the same racial or ethnic background, he said.
Two Hispanic Family Center employees -- outreach worker Zoraida Matos, 52, and mental health clinic office manager Liz Maldonado, 27 -- were among the first to board the bus.
Matos said she came because she heard that donations were down, and she remembered when her daughter needed four pints of blood while delivering premature twins.
Maldonado said she came because she was passionate about helping others.
"Especially in this time now with this economic crisis where I can't really donate money, this is something that I can donate," Maldonado said.
Maple Shade resident Sean Duggan, 29, was one of the few non-Hispanics at the drive. He's a regular, donating blood about six times a year, the most he could fit in with mandatory waiting periods. "I try my best," he said, smiling.
In the lobby, Edwin Figueroa, 32, waited for his name to be called. He said he donated blood once before about eight years ago in Puerto Rico for his wife's mother, who was having an operation for lung cancer.
"I know that one day I'll need it or one of my kids," he said.
The blood collected Thursday will be sent to the Red Cross office in Philadelphia for testing before being distributed to about 100 hospitals in the region. Tornetta said the organization needs to collect about 1,500 units of blood every day just to meet the basic needs of those hospitals.
Tornetta said the turnout was great for a first-time event. The Red Cross has held 334 mobile blood drives throughout the county in the past year, he said.
"Events for us are great to get in to the community and show the younger people that it's a clean, safe experience."
Reach Deborah Hirsch at (856) 486-2476 or dhirsch@camden.gannett.com
Friday, February 27, 2009
Hispanics informed about diabetes, kidney disease
10 facts about diabetes and kidney disease in U.S.-Latinos
LA PRENSA TOLEDO
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the single leading cause of kidney failure in adults1. U.S. Latinos have a high rate of diabetes. This increases their chances of developing serious complications such as chronic kidney disease2, heart disease and strokes. However, when individuals with diabetes follow their treatment plan carefully and keep their blood sugar and blood pressure under control, they can greatly reduce their risk of having these complications.
1. Of 30 million Latinos, about 2.5 million (9.5 percent) have been diagnosed with diabetes. About one-third of the cases of diabetes in Latinos are undiagnosed.1
2. On average, Latinos are nearly twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Latino whites of similar age. 1
3. Diabetes is even more common among middle-aged and older Latinos. About 25 to 30 percent of those 50 or older have diabetes.
4. Diabetes is twice as common in Mexican-American and Puerto Rican adults as in non-Latino whites. The prevalence of diabetes in Cuban-Americans is lower, but still higher than that of non-Latino whites.
5. About 90 to 95 percent of Latinos with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes usually develops in adults over 45, but is becoming more common in younger people. It occurs because the body is unable to use insulin properly. It is treated with diet, exercise, diabetes pills and, sometimes, injected insulin.
6. About five percent of Latinos with diabetes have type 1 diabetes, which usually develops before age 20, and is always treated with insulin injections.
7. Diabetes can be diagnosed by: a fasting blood glucose test of 126 or greater; a nonfasting blood glucose test of 200 or greater in people who have symptoms of diabetes; or an abnormal oral glucose tolerance test with two-hour glucose of 200 or greater. A positive test should be confirmed on another day, using any of these tests.
8. The risk factors for diabetes include: a family history of diabetes; obesity; physical inactivity; or unbalanced diet.
9. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease in the U.S. Because Latinos have an increased risk for developing diabetes and kidney disease, they should have the following tests for early detection of kidney disease:
10. Studies have shown that early detection and treatment can halt or slow the progression of diabetic kidney disease. Treatment includes careful control of blood sugar and blood pressure. Special high blood pressure medications called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs) help to preserve kidney function. When someone loses 85 percent or more of his or her kidney function, dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant are required to sustain life.
For more information on diabetes and kidney disease, visit www.kidney.org.
LA PRENSA TOLEDO
Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the single leading cause of kidney failure in adults1. U.S. Latinos have a high rate of diabetes. This increases their chances of developing serious complications such as chronic kidney disease2, heart disease and strokes. However, when individuals with diabetes follow their treatment plan carefully and keep their blood sugar and blood pressure under control, they can greatly reduce their risk of having these complications.
1. Of 30 million Latinos, about 2.5 million (9.5 percent) have been diagnosed with diabetes. About one-third of the cases of diabetes in Latinos are undiagnosed.1
2. On average, Latinos are nearly twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Latino whites of similar age. 1
3. Diabetes is even more common among middle-aged and older Latinos. About 25 to 30 percent of those 50 or older have diabetes.
4. Diabetes is twice as common in Mexican-American and Puerto Rican adults as in non-Latino whites. The prevalence of diabetes in Cuban-Americans is lower, but still higher than that of non-Latino whites.
5. About 90 to 95 percent of Latinos with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes usually develops in adults over 45, but is becoming more common in younger people. It occurs because the body is unable to use insulin properly. It is treated with diet, exercise, diabetes pills and, sometimes, injected insulin.
6. About five percent of Latinos with diabetes have type 1 diabetes, which usually develops before age 20, and is always treated with insulin injections.
7. Diabetes can be diagnosed by: a fasting blood glucose test of 126 or greater; a nonfasting blood glucose test of 200 or greater in people who have symptoms of diabetes; or an abnormal oral glucose tolerance test with two-hour glucose of 200 or greater. A positive test should be confirmed on another day, using any of these tests.
8. The risk factors for diabetes include: a family history of diabetes; obesity; physical inactivity; or unbalanced diet.
9. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease in the U.S. Because Latinos have an increased risk for developing diabetes and kidney disease, they should have the following tests for early detection of kidney disease:
10. Studies have shown that early detection and treatment can halt or slow the progression of diabetic kidney disease. Treatment includes careful control of blood sugar and blood pressure. Special high blood pressure medications called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs) help to preserve kidney function. When someone loses 85 percent or more of his or her kidney function, dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant are required to sustain life.
For more information on diabetes and kidney disease, visit www.kidney.org.
Health resource guide for Hispanic community
Sanofi-aventis seeks to improve Hispanic access to health care
San Antonio Business Journal
Pharmaceutical company Sanofi-aventis has launched a community health program in San Antonio to help raise awareness and improve care to the city’s Hispanic population.
The program, called It’s In Our Hands, seeks to connect Hispanic residents with local health care professionals and health resources in their neighborhoods. The company has identified language, cultural barriers and lack of access to preventative care as factors for poor health outcomes among Hispanics.
In Bexar County alone, Hispanics are 2.1 times more likely to die of diabetes than whites, 2.6 times more likely to die of cerebrovascular disease than whites, 1.6 times more likely to die of hypertensive heart disease than whites. In addition, two out of five Hispanic adults in San Antonio suffer from insomnia.
The company will hire a community health liaison who will be based in San Antonio. This person will facilitate the flow of information between community-based health groups and the Hispanic community. The company will also develop a health resource guide that will be distributed to patients that will contain information on existing health programs in the San Antonio area.
“Our goal with this partnership is not to create a new program within the San Antonio community, but to support and enhance access to the resources already available,” says Dennis Urbaniak, vice president of innovation and new customer channels for sanofi-aventis. “By establishing meaningful, long-term connections among patients, healthcare providers and resources, we hope to encourage the community to take advantage of its available resources to achieve better health. The necessary components are already in place, we are simply helping to strengthen links within the community and extend their reach to more people.”
The company is also launching this program in New York; Miami; Newark, N.J.; Memphis and Baltimore.
The U.S. headquarters of Sanofi-aventis (NYSE: SNY) are based in Bridgewater, N.J.
San Antonio Business Journal
Pharmaceutical company Sanofi-aventis has launched a community health program in San Antonio to help raise awareness and improve care to the city’s Hispanic population.
The program, called It’s In Our Hands, seeks to connect Hispanic residents with local health care professionals and health resources in their neighborhoods. The company has identified language, cultural barriers and lack of access to preventative care as factors for poor health outcomes among Hispanics.
In Bexar County alone, Hispanics are 2.1 times more likely to die of diabetes than whites, 2.6 times more likely to die of cerebrovascular disease than whites, 1.6 times more likely to die of hypertensive heart disease than whites. In addition, two out of five Hispanic adults in San Antonio suffer from insomnia.
The company will hire a community health liaison who will be based in San Antonio. This person will facilitate the flow of information between community-based health groups and the Hispanic community. The company will also develop a health resource guide that will be distributed to patients that will contain information on existing health programs in the San Antonio area.
“Our goal with this partnership is not to create a new program within the San Antonio community, but to support and enhance access to the resources already available,” says Dennis Urbaniak, vice president of innovation and new customer channels for sanofi-aventis. “By establishing meaningful, long-term connections among patients, healthcare providers and resources, we hope to encourage the community to take advantage of its available resources to achieve better health. The necessary components are already in place, we are simply helping to strengthen links within the community and extend their reach to more people.”
The company is also launching this program in New York; Miami; Newark, N.J.; Memphis and Baltimore.
The U.S. headquarters of Sanofi-aventis (NYSE: SNY) are based in Bridgewater, N.J.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Difference found in Hispanics for liver disease and insulin resistance
Ethnic Differences Found For Fatty Liver Disease And Insulin Resistance
ScienceDaily (Feb. 25, 2009)
A new study suggests that the metabolic response to obesity and insulin resistance, particularly as it pertains to the liver, differs among ethnic groups in the U.S. African-Americans are more resistant to the buildup of fat in the abdominal adipose tissue and liver, and to high triglyceride levels associated with insulin resistance.
The abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver is related to obesity and is widely prevalent in the U.S. It is related to 20 percent of all newly diagnosed cases of chronic liver disease, which can progress and become life-threatening.
Previous studies have reported significant differences by ethnicity in the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). They have also suggested that African-Americans with NAFLD tend not to develop more serious liver disease. The reasons are unknown, but may help determine which individuals are at risk for NAFLD development and progression.
Researchers led by Jeffrey Browning of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas sought to examine the issue in a large population-based study. They included 2170 African-American, Hispanic and Caucasian participants and examined metabolic factors for each, including total/regional adiposity, insulin resistance, and hypertriglyceridemia. They also measured each patient’s levels of liver fat. They sought to understand how ethnic differences affect the interplay of all of these factors.
The researchers took blood samples from each patient to establish their level of insulin resistance. They then used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and multi-slice abdominal MR imaging to determine each patient’s hepatic triglyceride contant (HTGC) and fat distribution throughout the body.
They found that there was a close association between intraperitoneal fat and liver fat regardless of ethnicity. “Controlling for intraperitoneal fat content almost entirely eliminated ethnic differences in levels of HTGC and prevalence of hepatic steatosis,” they report. “This was not the case with insulin resistance, total adiposity or other fat depots.”
Interestingly, they found that the metabolic response to obesity and insulin resistance differed in African-Americans when compared to Hispanics and Caucasions. African-Americans appeared to be more resistant to the buildup of triglycerides in the abdominal visceral compartment and also to high triglyceride levels associated with insulin resistance.
They suggest that there is an insulin resistance phenotype. It could be a function of the organ that primarily contributes to lower insulin sensitivity. Or, it could be a function of the body’s ability to expand subcutaneous fat in response to overnutrition. “Further study is needed to establish the basis for this insulin resistance paradox,” they write.
ScienceDaily (Feb. 25, 2009)
A new study suggests that the metabolic response to obesity and insulin resistance, particularly as it pertains to the liver, differs among ethnic groups in the U.S. African-Americans are more resistant to the buildup of fat in the abdominal adipose tissue and liver, and to high triglyceride levels associated with insulin resistance.
The abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver is related to obesity and is widely prevalent in the U.S. It is related to 20 percent of all newly diagnosed cases of chronic liver disease, which can progress and become life-threatening.
Previous studies have reported significant differences by ethnicity in the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). They have also suggested that African-Americans with NAFLD tend not to develop more serious liver disease. The reasons are unknown, but may help determine which individuals are at risk for NAFLD development and progression.
Researchers led by Jeffrey Browning of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas sought to examine the issue in a large population-based study. They included 2170 African-American, Hispanic and Caucasian participants and examined metabolic factors for each, including total/regional adiposity, insulin resistance, and hypertriglyceridemia. They also measured each patient’s levels of liver fat. They sought to understand how ethnic differences affect the interplay of all of these factors.
The researchers took blood samples from each patient to establish their level of insulin resistance. They then used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and multi-slice abdominal MR imaging to determine each patient’s hepatic triglyceride contant (HTGC) and fat distribution throughout the body.
They found that there was a close association between intraperitoneal fat and liver fat regardless of ethnicity. “Controlling for intraperitoneal fat content almost entirely eliminated ethnic differences in levels of HTGC and prevalence of hepatic steatosis,” they report. “This was not the case with insulin resistance, total adiposity or other fat depots.”
Interestingly, they found that the metabolic response to obesity and insulin resistance differed in African-Americans when compared to Hispanics and Caucasions. African-Americans appeared to be more resistant to the buildup of triglycerides in the abdominal visceral compartment and also to high triglyceride levels associated with insulin resistance.
They suggest that there is an insulin resistance phenotype. It could be a function of the organ that primarily contributes to lower insulin sensitivity. Or, it could be a function of the body’s ability to expand subcutaneous fat in response to overnutrition. “Further study is needed to establish the basis for this insulin resistance paradox,” they write.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Hispanics in Memphis raise funds for St. Jude
Hispanic radio listeners raise $6M for St. Jude
Memphis Business Journal
Univision Radio raised $6 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in its annual Promesa Y Esperanza (Promise and Hope) radiothon earlier this month.
Mostly Hispanic listeners from cities like New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Texas, and cities in Puerto Rico pledged monthly $20 donations during the two-day event.
Stars from the Latin music world joined in the event, including singers Luis Fonsi, Fanny Lu, Chenoa and Monte Rosa. Univision television personalities also participated, including Neida Sandoval, Ana Maria Canseco, Karla Martinez, Fernando Arau and Raul Gonzalez.
Based in Memphis, St. Jude is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children’s catastrophic diseases. It employs more than 3,000 in Memphis.
Memphis Business Journal
Univision Radio raised $6 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in its annual Promesa Y Esperanza (Promise and Hope) radiothon earlier this month.
Mostly Hispanic listeners from cities like New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Texas, and cities in Puerto Rico pledged monthly $20 donations during the two-day event.
Stars from the Latin music world joined in the event, including singers Luis Fonsi, Fanny Lu, Chenoa and Monte Rosa. Univision television personalities also participated, including Neida Sandoval, Ana Maria Canseco, Karla Martinez, Fernando Arau and Raul Gonzalez.
Based in Memphis, St. Jude is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children’s catastrophic diseases. It employs more than 3,000 in Memphis.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Technology at the service of Latinos and their health
Technology at the Service of Latinos and their Health
By Dr. Hector Rangel Barba
We live in times of wonder. Every day we are surprised by new advances in technology, which can easily surpass our own awareness and comprehension of new discoveries. At times, these new advances in technologies are presented to us at such a fast rate and with so many far reaching implications that we had never even dreamed of in the past.
These new discoveries in the world of science are being applied to every one of our daily life activities, such as communications, transportation, agriculture, health, construction, homes, research, and others, it becomes impossible to define every area of activities or human endeavor that has benefited from the new wave of technological advances and the overall body of knowledge that we are experiencing in this new age of discoveries.
It is an advantage to have the knowledge and the tools that are needed by our society to support our fellow man in today’s world. At the same time, it presents a challenge to every one of us. This challenge becomes a compromise and a moral obligation to us all to use this newly founded body of knowledge for the benefit of the individual as well as society in general.
As we encounter new economic challenges and social conditions in these times, we have no other choice than to look for new ways to meet our daily needs as individuals and societies.
We observe with delight all the new options that are offered to us by these new technologies. The possibilities of reducing time and distance and increasing human contact with one other by using communications systems like the internet and computer, are endless. In addition, they allow us access to information that makes our daily lives more productive to us and to the society we live in.
As we move forward into this new world of communication systems and human interrelations it is our intention to provide a service that will support the healthcare needs of individuals as well as those of our growing societies.
With years of experience in the field of medicine and supported by proven technologies, we have created a methodology that provides the consumers the ability to contact licensed physicians who care and listen to their healthcare issues worldwide.
It is not our intention to practice medicine; however, with years of experience as physicians and with the knowledge of cultural backgrounds and the emotional needs of the consumers, we can provide guidance and understanding of the consumers’ healthcare issues and empower them to reach informed decisions.
There should never be a limitation as to the services that will be provided; geographic, socially, religious or ethnically.
We as physicians that had dedicated our lives to the caring of our fellow man, we wish that this endeavor that we have created will allow every person that is in the need of our services to have access to us from every location of the planet.
By providing the needed medical information and guidance we can help them make educated decisions that will support there will been and remove the doubts and fears that are associated with illnesses, it is also our purpose to provide them with a emotional sense of peace and tranquility knowing that they have been heard and understood.
At these present time our services will be offered to the Hispanic and American population in the USA, on there native languages. At a later time our services will be also be expanded to the Americas as well as to Europe and other locations world wide.
We believe that all the actions that better the human conditions should be welcome and we should explore any avenue that will allow us to reach any person in need where ever they are and whom ever they may be.
Dr. Héctor Rangel Barba. Medico Familiar. Director General Centro De Tecnología y Salud Aguascalientes México.
Latino Health Fair Planned for Baltimore
Hospital plans Latino Health Fair
Baltimore Sun February 22, 2009
Howard County General Hospital will present its fifth Latino Health Fair from noon to 4 p.m. March 14 at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road. The event is co-sponsored by Priority Partners, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the Howard County Health Department and Alianza de la Comunidad.
Blood pressure, colorectal cancer and glucose and cholesterol screenings will be available. Cardiac risk information will be distributed. Dental screenings for children, HIV testing and clinical breast exams will be offered. Information on diabetes, nutrition, physical activity and mental health will be available. Some health education materials will be available in Spanish.
Refreshments and giveaways are planned. Admission is free.
Information: 410-740-7696.
Baltimore Sun February 22, 2009
Howard County General Hospital will present its fifth Latino Health Fair from noon to 4 p.m. March 14 at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road. The event is co-sponsored by Priority Partners, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the Howard County Health Department and Alianza de la Comunidad.
Blood pressure, colorectal cancer and glucose and cholesterol screenings will be available. Cardiac risk information will be distributed. Dental screenings for children, HIV testing and clinical breast exams will be offered. Information on diabetes, nutrition, physical activity and mental health will be available. Some health education materials will be available in Spanish.
Refreshments and giveaways are planned. Admission is free.
Information: 410-740-7696.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Colorado Latino project focuses on the Flu
Latino Flu Project Fights "El Gripe" According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
PRESS RELEASE
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Christmas lights have come down. The New Year’s Champaign has been consumed. The Super Bowl has been played. It must be time for the flu season. As the flu virus makes its entrance into our state collaborators on a new Latino flu initiative are hoping that Coloradans, especially Latinos, have protected themselves with flu vaccinations.
The initiative is co-sponsored by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Health Foundation. The effort was initiated after research indicated that as a group Latinos tend to underestimate how devastating getting the flu can be.
A 2007 study found that 58 percent of Latinos, the highest number for any group measured, reported not being concerned about influenza. The study noted this lack of concern mirrored a lack of vaccination.
Conservative estimates are that 30,000 people die from flu in the United States each year. The very young, very old, and persons with medical conditions are most at risk.
Job and school absences are the frequent result of flu. Job absences are hardest on lower paid workers. These workers are often Latinos since over half of Latinos live in families with incomes below 200 percent of the poverty level.
To increase Latino flu vaccinations, project organizers have worked closely with Spanish-language media and Aurora Public Schools to both get out the message about the importance of flu vaccinations, and to immunize students in two Aurora pilot schools whose student populations are largely Latino.
In addition to news releases on the project, organizers have purchased a heavy rotation of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) in Spanish. The PSA currently running features a man sneezing in an elevator while he complains of chills, a classic flu symptom. His fellow elevator riders note they’re happy they got their flu vaccination so they don’t have to share his fate (as they turn away in an attempt not to share his germs).
The PSA stresses that it is not too late to get an influenza vaccination. While it would have been ideal to get one earlier, if you haven’t gotten the flu yet it is a smart move to get a flu vaccination as quickly as possible. Flu often peaks in Colorado in March, so the worst of the flu season is almost surely ahead of us.
PRESS RELEASE
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Christmas lights have come down. The New Year’s Champaign has been consumed. The Super Bowl has been played. It must be time for the flu season. As the flu virus makes its entrance into our state collaborators on a new Latino flu initiative are hoping that Coloradans, especially Latinos, have protected themselves with flu vaccinations.
The initiative is co-sponsored by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Health Foundation. The effort was initiated after research indicated that as a group Latinos tend to underestimate how devastating getting the flu can be.
A 2007 study found that 58 percent of Latinos, the highest number for any group measured, reported not being concerned about influenza. The study noted this lack of concern mirrored a lack of vaccination.
Conservative estimates are that 30,000 people die from flu in the United States each year. The very young, very old, and persons with medical conditions are most at risk.
Job and school absences are the frequent result of flu. Job absences are hardest on lower paid workers. These workers are often Latinos since over half of Latinos live in families with incomes below 200 percent of the poverty level.
To increase Latino flu vaccinations, project organizers have worked closely with Spanish-language media and Aurora Public Schools to both get out the message about the importance of flu vaccinations, and to immunize students in two Aurora pilot schools whose student populations are largely Latino.
In addition to news releases on the project, organizers have purchased a heavy rotation of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) in Spanish. The PSA currently running features a man sneezing in an elevator while he complains of chills, a classic flu symptom. His fellow elevator riders note they’re happy they got their flu vaccination so they don’t have to share his fate (as they turn away in an attempt not to share his germs).
The PSA stresses that it is not too late to get an influenza vaccination. While it would have been ideal to get one earlier, if you haven’t gotten the flu yet it is a smart move to get a flu vaccination as quickly as possible. Flu often peaks in Colorado in March, so the worst of the flu season is almost surely ahead of us.
Hispanic women targeted with Health event
Promoting health among
Hispanic women
The event is called "Celebrating
Latina Women"
WWLP 21 Feb 2009
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A local organization is helping promote a healthier lifestyle among Hispanic women in our area. More than 25 women gathered at the Gandara Center in Springfield for an event called "Celebrating Latina Women".
Through discussions and activities, the goal is to educate women on the importance of good health practices. They're focusing on breast cancer prevention.
“It's an event to share stories with other women...information. It's a celebration,” said Maria Rodriguez of Springfield.
For some of the breast cancer survivors it is also an opportunity to inspire others. “I think this is very helpful for them and I wish there were more of these programs,” said Wilda Davila a breast cancer survivor.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women. Government statistics show that they have a breast cancer incidence rate of 95 per 100,000.
Health advocates say raising awareness is the key to prevention. We need early detection of breast cancer. Not because the Latina woman develop breast cancer more, but the late detection of breast cancer,” said event organizer Jeanette Rodriguez.
This is the first of a series of free monthly workshops sponsored by the Gandara Center, the Spanish American Union and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Hispanic women
The event is called "Celebrating
Latina Women"
WWLP 21 Feb 2009
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A local organization is helping promote a healthier lifestyle among Hispanic women in our area. More than 25 women gathered at the Gandara Center in Springfield for an event called "Celebrating Latina Women".
Through discussions and activities, the goal is to educate women on the importance of good health practices. They're focusing on breast cancer prevention.
“It's an event to share stories with other women...information. It's a celebration,” said Maria Rodriguez of Springfield.
For some of the breast cancer survivors it is also an opportunity to inspire others. “I think this is very helpful for them and I wish there were more of these programs,” said Wilda Davila a breast cancer survivor.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women. Government statistics show that they have a breast cancer incidence rate of 95 per 100,000.
Health advocates say raising awareness is the key to prevention. We need early detection of breast cancer. Not because the Latina woman develop breast cancer more, but the late detection of breast cancer,” said event organizer Jeanette Rodriguez.
This is the first of a series of free monthly workshops sponsored by the Gandara Center, the Spanish American Union and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Latino children could benefit from new web site
CHIP Launches New Web Site Serving Pennsylvania's Fast-Growing Latino Population
PRESS RELEASE
HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program -- also known as CHIP -- has launched a new Spanish-language Web site, www.chipysusalud.com, to better serve Latinos, who are the state's fastest growing ethnic group.
"According to our most recent study of the uninsured, there are more than 85,000 uninsured Latinos in our state," said Deputy Insurance Commissioner Peter Adams. "The goal of our new site is to better serve the growing Latino population in Pennsylvania and provide resources for parents to learn about CHIP and to apply."
The CHIP program is promoting the new Web site through a partnership with the Philadelphia Dominican Bodega Owners Association. Under it, Latino convenience stores -- also known as bodegas -- located in the lower North Philadelphia area will distribute information featuring the new Spanish Web site.
"We are pleased to have a new partner to help us deliver CHIP's health-care message to families in need," Adams said. "The next time a mother goes to a bodega to purchase aspirin or cold medicine for a sick child, they will see that CHIP's health-care services can also help their child, so they should consider applying. One of the easiest ways to become familiar with CHIP and to apply is to use the Web site."
Statewide CHIP enrollment grew to 186,608 in February, marking a 10.8 percent increase from one year ago and a 1.5 percent increase from January.
The CHIP program provides free or low cost health care coverage for most children up to the age of 19. Because there is no income limit, families cannot make too much money to receive coverage from CHIP. Other services covered by CHIP include dental, vision and prescriptions.
For more information about CHIP, visit www.chipcoverspakids.com or www.chipysusalud.com, or call 1-800-986-KIDS.
PRESS RELEASE
HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program -- also known as CHIP -- has launched a new Spanish-language Web site, www.chipysusalud.com, to better serve Latinos, who are the state's fastest growing ethnic group.
"According to our most recent study of the uninsured, there are more than 85,000 uninsured Latinos in our state," said Deputy Insurance Commissioner Peter Adams. "The goal of our new site is to better serve the growing Latino population in Pennsylvania and provide resources for parents to learn about CHIP and to apply."
The CHIP program is promoting the new Web site through a partnership with the Philadelphia Dominican Bodega Owners Association. Under it, Latino convenience stores -- also known as bodegas -- located in the lower North Philadelphia area will distribute information featuring the new Spanish Web site.
"We are pleased to have a new partner to help us deliver CHIP's health-care message to families in need," Adams said. "The next time a mother goes to a bodega to purchase aspirin or cold medicine for a sick child, they will see that CHIP's health-care services can also help their child, so they should consider applying. One of the easiest ways to become familiar with CHIP and to apply is to use the Web site."
Statewide CHIP enrollment grew to 186,608 in February, marking a 10.8 percent increase from one year ago and a 1.5 percent increase from January.
The CHIP program provides free or low cost health care coverage for most children up to the age of 19. Because there is no income limit, families cannot make too much money to receive coverage from CHIP. Other services covered by CHIP include dental, vision and prescriptions.
For more information about CHIP, visit www.chipcoverspakids.com or www.chipysusalud.com, or call 1-800-986-KIDS.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Program hopes to offer insurance to Hispanics
Program hopes to boost health insurance among small businesses
Santiago Esparza / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- Wayne County's Four Star Health program opened an office Tuesday on the city's southwest side, where small business owners can get information on setting up a health care program for their employees.
The office, inside of the Latino Press Building at Michigan and Livernois, offers bilingual staff and data. Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano said southwest Detroit is heavily Latino and experienced tremendous growth over the past 30 years. Moreover, he said the area has many small businesses that could benefit from the program, which was founded in 1996.
"Health care is a critical issue, especially with this region," Ficano told The News. "This is one way to make it possible for (employees of small businesses) to get some health insurance."
St. John Health, Henry Ford Health System and Oakwood Health System are in partnership with the county in the program by charging lower fees.
Richard Nowakowski, Four Star Health's administrator, said there are 300 businesses in southwest Detroit that would benefit. Currently, there are 250 businesses countywide in the program.
"It is really hard for someone making $7 or $8 an hour to pay $400 a month for health care," he said, citing the premiums of some larger health care companies. "We want to help them."
About 1,600 employees of businesses in the county currently receive health care through the program, Nowakowski said. He would like to see that number grow to 2,000 people by the end of the summer, he said.
To reach that goal, program staffers have mailed out 4,000 letters and are following up with phone calls, Nowakowski said.
"It is something for their peace of mind," Ficano said. "It is something that makes the county attractive to business owners to come here."
Latino Press publishes a newspaper and five themed inserts. It was founded in 1993. The company also publishes a Hispanic Directory in Wayne and Oakland counties.
You can reach Santiago Esparza at (313) 222-2127 or sesparza@detnews.com.
Santiago Esparza / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- Wayne County's Four Star Health program opened an office Tuesday on the city's southwest side, where small business owners can get information on setting up a health care program for their employees.
The office, inside of the Latino Press Building at Michigan and Livernois, offers bilingual staff and data. Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano said southwest Detroit is heavily Latino and experienced tremendous growth over the past 30 years. Moreover, he said the area has many small businesses that could benefit from the program, which was founded in 1996.
"Health care is a critical issue, especially with this region," Ficano told The News. "This is one way to make it possible for (employees of small businesses) to get some health insurance."
St. John Health, Henry Ford Health System and Oakwood Health System are in partnership with the county in the program by charging lower fees.
Richard Nowakowski, Four Star Health's administrator, said there are 300 businesses in southwest Detroit that would benefit. Currently, there are 250 businesses countywide in the program.
"It is really hard for someone making $7 or $8 an hour to pay $400 a month for health care," he said, citing the premiums of some larger health care companies. "We want to help them."
About 1,600 employees of businesses in the county currently receive health care through the program, Nowakowski said. He would like to see that number grow to 2,000 people by the end of the summer, he said.
To reach that goal, program staffers have mailed out 4,000 letters and are following up with phone calls, Nowakowski said.
"It is something for their peace of mind," Ficano said. "It is something that makes the county attractive to business owners to come here."
Latino Press publishes a newspaper and five themed inserts. It was founded in 1993. The company also publishes a Hispanic Directory in Wayne and Oakland counties.
You can reach Santiago Esparza at (313) 222-2127 or sesparza@detnews.com.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Multivitamins no help to Hispanics, others
Multivitamins show little benefit in reducing disease risk
Los Angeles Times February 16, 2009
The news about vitamins keeps getting worse.
A spate of high-profile studies published in the last few years shows that a variety of popular supplements -- including calcium, selenium and vitamins A, C and E -- don't do anything to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, stroke or a variety of cancers.
But what about multivitamins? These combination pills, which contain 10 to 30 vitamins and minerals, are the most popular dietary supplements sold in America. A report published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests they shouldn't be.
The study tracked 161,808 participants in the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term effort to identify risk factors for cancer, heart disease and bone health in postmenopausal women. Subjects in the nationwide study included white, black, Hispanic, Asian and American Indian women. They were followed for an average of nearly eight years.
Overall, 41.5 percent of study participants took some version of a multivitamin. Those women were more likely to be white and college-educated, live in the West, exercise and have a lower body mass index.
Women who took multivitamins, however, weren't any more likely to ward off a diagnosis of breast, ovarian, lung, stomach, bladder, kidney, colorectal or endometrial cancer than were women who didn't take multivitamins. Nor were multivitamins in general helpful in preventing heart attacks, strokes, blood clots or reducing the risk of death from any cause during the study period.
The research team, led by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, did find one modest benefit: The 3,741 women who took stress multivitamins -- formulations with higher doses of several B vitamins along with an extra jolt of vitamin C -- were 25 percent less likely to have a heart attack. No other correlations between vitamins and health outcomes were statistically significant.
The study provides convincing evidence that multivitamin use has little or no influence on the risk of common cancers, cardiovascular disease or total mortality in postmenopausal women, the authors wrote.
So, they wondered, "Why do millions of Americans use a daily multivitamin for chronic disease prevention when the supporting scientific data are weak?"
Some physicians continue to recommend them as a backstop for patients whose diets may contain nutritional gaps. And because they don't require a prescription, many people simply assume they are safe.
But those assumptions may not be warranted, especially if people wind up overdosing on vitamins and minerals, the researchers wrote.
Los Angeles Times February 16, 2009
The news about vitamins keeps getting worse.
A spate of high-profile studies published in the last few years shows that a variety of popular supplements -- including calcium, selenium and vitamins A, C and E -- don't do anything to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, stroke or a variety of cancers.
But what about multivitamins? These combination pills, which contain 10 to 30 vitamins and minerals, are the most popular dietary supplements sold in America. A report published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests they shouldn't be.
The study tracked 161,808 participants in the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term effort to identify risk factors for cancer, heart disease and bone health in postmenopausal women. Subjects in the nationwide study included white, black, Hispanic, Asian and American Indian women. They were followed for an average of nearly eight years.
Overall, 41.5 percent of study participants took some version of a multivitamin. Those women were more likely to be white and college-educated, live in the West, exercise and have a lower body mass index.
Women who took multivitamins, however, weren't any more likely to ward off a diagnosis of breast, ovarian, lung, stomach, bladder, kidney, colorectal or endometrial cancer than were women who didn't take multivitamins. Nor were multivitamins in general helpful in preventing heart attacks, strokes, blood clots or reducing the risk of death from any cause during the study period.
The research team, led by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, did find one modest benefit: The 3,741 women who took stress multivitamins -- formulations with higher doses of several B vitamins along with an extra jolt of vitamin C -- were 25 percent less likely to have a heart attack. No other correlations between vitamins and health outcomes were statistically significant.
The study provides convincing evidence that multivitamin use has little or no influence on the risk of common cancers, cardiovascular disease or total mortality in postmenopausal women, the authors wrote.
So, they wondered, "Why do millions of Americans use a daily multivitamin for chronic disease prevention when the supporting scientific data are weak?"
Some physicians continue to recommend them as a backstop for patients whose diets may contain nutritional gaps. And because they don't require a prescription, many people simply assume they are safe.
But those assumptions may not be warranted, especially if people wind up overdosing on vitamins and minerals, the researchers wrote.
Hispanics suffer at hands of criminals
Economic Bad Times Put Minorities at Higher Crime Risk
Blacks, Latinos more often victimized as recessions occur, study shows
Health-US News February 16, 2009
MONDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- When the economy goes sour, certain minority groups suffer at the hands of criminals more than others, a new study finds.
National crime statistics from 1973 to 2005 show an increase in violent, non-lethal crime against blacks and Latinos during and after periods of recession, according to research that was scheduled for presentation Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Chicago.
"Minorities experience substantially higher rates of violent victimization than non-Latino whites in the United States," researcher Karen Heimer, a University of Iowa sociology professor, said in a news release issued by her school. "Our study shows that the higher rates of poverty, urban residence and differential age distributions of non-Latino blacks and Latinos help to explain these groups' higher victimization rates."
By knowing this trend, law enforcement officials, criminal justice policy-makers and those who offer help and services to victims can better prepare against fluctuations in crime during the current recession, said Heimer, who worked on the study with Janet Lauritsen, a professor in the criminology and criminal justice department of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
More information
The National Center for Victims of Crime has more about support for those crime victims
Blacks, Latinos more often victimized as recessions occur, study shows
Health-US News February 16, 2009
MONDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- When the economy goes sour, certain minority groups suffer at the hands of criminals more than others, a new study finds.
National crime statistics from 1973 to 2005 show an increase in violent, non-lethal crime against blacks and Latinos during and after periods of recession, according to research that was scheduled for presentation Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Chicago.
"Minorities experience substantially higher rates of violent victimization than non-Latino whites in the United States," researcher Karen Heimer, a University of Iowa sociology professor, said in a news release issued by her school. "Our study shows that the higher rates of poverty, urban residence and differential age distributions of non-Latino blacks and Latinos help to explain these groups' higher victimization rates."
By knowing this trend, law enforcement officials, criminal justice policy-makers and those who offer help and services to victims can better prepare against fluctuations in crime during the current recession, said Heimer, who worked on the study with Janet Lauritsen, a professor in the criminology and criminal justice department of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
More information
The National Center for Victims of Crime has more about support for those crime victims
Monday, February 16, 2009
Hispanics don't benefit from online cancer info
Hispanics Don't Benefit from Online Cancer Info
New America Media, News Report, Viji Sundaram, Feb 16, 2009
The majority of Hispanics in the United States tend not to seek cancer information from any source, and those who do, don’t understand what they find, according to a study released Monday by the National Cancer Institute.
“What is concerning is we know that they experience health disparities, but this study suggests that they will continue to experience it,” said Julie Kornfeld, program director of the NCI Cancer Information Service, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Kornfeld led a team that analyzed NCI’s first Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of 2005. HINTS was created to monitor changes in the rapidly evolving field of health communication.
For the study, NCI surveyed, in both English and Spanish, 5,586 people, including Hispanics and non-Hispanics.
The survey data revealed that information-seeking among Hispanics was low. Just how low depended on their English fluency. For instance, 37 percent of English-speaking Hispanics and 17 percent of Spanish-speaking Hispanics say they have looked for information about cancer, compared with 52 percent of non-Hispanics.
Among Spanish-speaking Hispanics, 67 percent said their last search for cancer information took a lot of effort, 55 percent said the information was hard to understand, and 58 percent had concerns about the quality of the information they found.
Non-Hispanics were more pleased with their information-seeking experience, with only 35 percent of them saying their last search took a lot of effort, and 22 percent saying that the nformation was hard to understand.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 44 million individuals in the United Sates identify themselves as being Hispanic, and 28.1 million people speak Spanish as their primary language.
Researchers point out that using the Internet to put out information may not be the best method of outreaching to immigrant communities. The survey found that only 21 percent of the Spanish-speaking population said they were Internet savvy, compared with 66 percent of non-Hispanics and 58 percent of English-speaking Hispanics.
“The study shows we need to give information in a more linguistically and culturally appropriate way,” Kornfeld said.
In 2006, there were 82,000 new cases of cancer among Hispanics. Of them, 23,000 died from the disease.
On a related note, research by the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, shows that most breast cancers in Hispanic women are detected by self-exam, despite high rates of screening mammography in this population.
The study shows that two-thirds of breast cancers in Hispanic women are detected by self-exam; only 23 percent are diagnosed by mammography and another 6 percent through a clinical exam.
But what’s worrisome, researchers say, is that half of all women who noticed an abnormality during a self-exam waited at least a month before seeing a doctor.
Spanish speakers can get information on the disease from the Internet at http://www.cancer.gov/espanol, or they can speak with an NCI cancer information specialist in Spanish by calling 1-800-4-CANCER.
New America Media, News Report, Viji Sundaram, Feb 16, 2009
The majority of Hispanics in the United States tend not to seek cancer information from any source, and those who do, don’t understand what they find, according to a study released Monday by the National Cancer Institute.
“What is concerning is we know that they experience health disparities, but this study suggests that they will continue to experience it,” said Julie Kornfeld, program director of the NCI Cancer Information Service, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Kornfeld led a team that analyzed NCI’s first Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of 2005. HINTS was created to monitor changes in the rapidly evolving field of health communication.
For the study, NCI surveyed, in both English and Spanish, 5,586 people, including Hispanics and non-Hispanics.
The survey data revealed that information-seeking among Hispanics was low. Just how low depended on their English fluency. For instance, 37 percent of English-speaking Hispanics and 17 percent of Spanish-speaking Hispanics say they have looked for information about cancer, compared with 52 percent of non-Hispanics.
Among Spanish-speaking Hispanics, 67 percent said their last search for cancer information took a lot of effort, 55 percent said the information was hard to understand, and 58 percent had concerns about the quality of the information they found.
Non-Hispanics were more pleased with their information-seeking experience, with only 35 percent of them saying their last search took a lot of effort, and 22 percent saying that the nformation was hard to understand.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 44 million individuals in the United Sates identify themselves as being Hispanic, and 28.1 million people speak Spanish as their primary language.
Researchers point out that using the Internet to put out information may not be the best method of outreaching to immigrant communities. The survey found that only 21 percent of the Spanish-speaking population said they were Internet savvy, compared with 66 percent of non-Hispanics and 58 percent of English-speaking Hispanics.
“The study shows we need to give information in a more linguistically and culturally appropriate way,” Kornfeld said.
In 2006, there were 82,000 new cases of cancer among Hispanics. Of them, 23,000 died from the disease.
On a related note, research by the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, shows that most breast cancers in Hispanic women are detected by self-exam, despite high rates of screening mammography in this population.
The study shows that two-thirds of breast cancers in Hispanic women are detected by self-exam; only 23 percent are diagnosed by mammography and another 6 percent through a clinical exam.
But what’s worrisome, researchers say, is that half of all women who noticed an abnormality during a self-exam waited at least a month before seeing a doctor.
Spanish speakers can get information on the disease from the Internet at http://www.cancer.gov/espanol, or they can speak with an NCI cancer information specialist in Spanish by calling 1-800-4-CANCER.
Centro Latino launches health literacy program
New health literacy program begins at Centro Latino
BY Christine Martinez February 15, 2009
COLUMBIA — Health literacy means knowing where to find medical help and how to get it: problems for many in the growing Spanish speaking population in mid-Missouri.
Now, thanks to a two-year grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health and a collaboration with the MU campus-based Cambio Center, Centro Latino will be providing a new health literacy program, "Promotores de Salud" (Health Promoters) for the Latino community in mid-Missouri.
If you go
What: A meet-and-greet with health promoters, Sandra Zapata and Karina Campos.
When: 5:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Centro Latino, 206 Austin Ave., Suite G.
Refreshments and child care will be provided.
The aims of Promotores is to address health issues important to the Latino population through prevention education and community outreach and to serve as a bridge between the public and health care resources.
"We see the Promotores as being, kind of serving as guides in this (health care) process," said Stephen Jeanetta, part of the executive committee at the Cambio Center. Jeanetta added that he hopes the program will "help develop the capacity of the community to understand and access health care."
Eduardo Crespi, director of Centro Latino, hopes that Promotores will lead visitors to take advantage of the variety of health resources that exist in the community, such as the Family Health Center.
The program is intended to serve a "growing, low-income, rural and low health literate population," said Thomas Adams, lead program officer on the health literacy initiative for the Missouri Foundation of Health. The foundation considered Promotores an opportunity to branch out to other groups in the state, namely Latinos in non-urban areas.
"We already have several programs with Latino components, but Promotores is all about that," he said.
The foundation became especially interested in the program for its potential to meet community needs by tailoring services and materials to specific local needs.
Sandra Zapata, one of the new "promotoras" (health promoters), said one of the greatest issues confronting the Latino population in mid-Missouri is the unawareness of what the community has to offer.
"There are quite a few health care needs," Jeannetta said. "They don't understand as newcomers how the health care system works."
Two part-time staff, a health coordinator, and several volunteers have been recruited for the program and will be available during the week to assist Center visitors.
Community outreach will also be a large part of their work. There is a monthly event planned at the Centro to address specific health issues such as diabetes, HIV and obesity.
Public health and social service have always been a large part of the Centro's service to the community. Over the past decade, it has helped visitors with the many procedures that can make health care complicated for those who struggle with English or are new to the area: the filling out of medical forms, the translation of documents, the procuring of care for those without insurance or documentation.
"I just want the people to feel comfortable and supported and not alone. Many times when one arrives here they feel very alone," said Zapata, who has already begun her work with Promotores.
With the new program, Crespi expects its public health and social service efforts to be even more organized than before. He also hopes that the program will encourage more people to take advantage of the number of resources provided by the Centro (ESL classes, Spanish courses and an after-school youth program).
The program evaluation will be led by the Cambio Center, Centro's partner in the project that wrote the grant and collaborated in the planning of the program.
Evaluation will attempt to address several questions: whether the community members feel they can better access resources, what quality of relationships are established between the Promotoras and local health care entities, the success of educational initiatives, and whether broader integration of the community has been improved.
"We are very much looking forward to seeing the results that they (Promotores) have," Adams said. He hopes it will be a "shining example of health literacy development" and may provide "great lessons learned in how we move forward in health literacy programming."
BY Christine Martinez February 15, 2009
COLUMBIA — Health literacy means knowing where to find medical help and how to get it: problems for many in the growing Spanish speaking population in mid-Missouri.
Now, thanks to a two-year grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health and a collaboration with the MU campus-based Cambio Center, Centro Latino will be providing a new health literacy program, "Promotores de Salud" (Health Promoters) for the Latino community in mid-Missouri.
If you go
What: A meet-and-greet with health promoters, Sandra Zapata and Karina Campos.
When: 5:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Centro Latino, 206 Austin Ave., Suite G.
Refreshments and child care will be provided.
The aims of Promotores is to address health issues important to the Latino population through prevention education and community outreach and to serve as a bridge between the public and health care resources.
"We see the Promotores as being, kind of serving as guides in this (health care) process," said Stephen Jeanetta, part of the executive committee at the Cambio Center. Jeanetta added that he hopes the program will "help develop the capacity of the community to understand and access health care."
Eduardo Crespi, director of Centro Latino, hopes that Promotores will lead visitors to take advantage of the variety of health resources that exist in the community, such as the Family Health Center.
The program is intended to serve a "growing, low-income, rural and low health literate population," said Thomas Adams, lead program officer on the health literacy initiative for the Missouri Foundation of Health. The foundation considered Promotores an opportunity to branch out to other groups in the state, namely Latinos in non-urban areas.
"We already have several programs with Latino components, but Promotores is all about that," he said.
The foundation became especially interested in the program for its potential to meet community needs by tailoring services and materials to specific local needs.
Sandra Zapata, one of the new "promotoras" (health promoters), said one of the greatest issues confronting the Latino population in mid-Missouri is the unawareness of what the community has to offer.
"There are quite a few health care needs," Jeannetta said. "They don't understand as newcomers how the health care system works."
Two part-time staff, a health coordinator, and several volunteers have been recruited for the program and will be available during the week to assist Center visitors.
Community outreach will also be a large part of their work. There is a monthly event planned at the Centro to address specific health issues such as diabetes, HIV and obesity.
Public health and social service have always been a large part of the Centro's service to the community. Over the past decade, it has helped visitors with the many procedures that can make health care complicated for those who struggle with English or are new to the area: the filling out of medical forms, the translation of documents, the procuring of care for those without insurance or documentation.
"I just want the people to feel comfortable and supported and not alone. Many times when one arrives here they feel very alone," said Zapata, who has already begun her work with Promotores.
With the new program, Crespi expects its public health and social service efforts to be even more organized than before. He also hopes that the program will encourage more people to take advantage of the number of resources provided by the Centro (ESL classes, Spanish courses and an after-school youth program).
The program evaluation will be led by the Cambio Center, Centro's partner in the project that wrote the grant and collaborated in the planning of the program.
Evaluation will attempt to address several questions: whether the community members feel they can better access resources, what quality of relationships are established between the Promotoras and local health care entities, the success of educational initiatives, and whether broader integration of the community has been improved.
"We are very much looking forward to seeing the results that they (Promotores) have," Adams said. He hopes it will be a "shining example of health literacy development" and may provide "great lessons learned in how we move forward in health literacy programming."
Friday, February 13, 2009
Hispanics targeted Red Cross study
Researchers survey area Latinos
by John Robinson, C-VILLE.COM February 12th
City and county officials sat down with members of the Red Cross and a group called Creciendo Juntos this morning to discuss a recent survey of area Latinos. The survey was a part of The Red Cross’ initiative to increase emergency preparedness among Virginia Latinos.
The survey consisted of members of Creciendo Juntos, and faculty and students from the UVA Spanish department going to mostly Latino communities and events. The study found that concerns about personal health care were comparable to other demographics of the region. Of those surveyed, 54 percent said they plan to return to their home country, for whom 60 percent is Mexico.
Researchers also found that economic woes are hitting the local Latino population pretty hard.
“Each time we would go out and survey, there would be more and more people who just lost their jobs,” said Amy Frazier-Yoder, a UVA grad student who helped lead the survey. “There are even people who are going back to their home countries because the economy has gotten so bad.”
by John Robinson, C-VILLE.COM February 12th
City and county officials sat down with members of the Red Cross and a group called Creciendo Juntos this morning to discuss a recent survey of area Latinos. The survey was a part of The Red Cross’ initiative to increase emergency preparedness among Virginia Latinos.
The survey consisted of members of Creciendo Juntos, and faculty and students from the UVA Spanish department going to mostly Latino communities and events. The study found that concerns about personal health care were comparable to other demographics of the region. Of those surveyed, 54 percent said they plan to return to their home country, for whom 60 percent is Mexico.
Researchers also found that economic woes are hitting the local Latino population pretty hard.
“Each time we would go out and survey, there would be more and more people who just lost their jobs,” said Amy Frazier-Yoder, a UVA grad student who helped lead the survey. “There are even people who are going back to their home countries because the economy has gotten so bad.”
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Hispanic children taught nutrition through puppets
Puppet Shows Help Hispanic Health Council Promote Proper Nutrition
KATHLEEN MEGAN | The Hartford Courant February 11, 2009
The 4-year-olds' eyes are glued on a spiky-haired puppet in a jeans jumpsuit whose name is Tommy.
Tommy, who watches too much television, is cajoled into going to a basketball practice. When he gets thirsty at practice, he asks, "Is there a soda machine around here?"
"Ahhh, nooo" comes a voice out of nowhere. Turns out it's a talking water bottle puppet — Ms. Water — who has come to warn Tommy about soda.
"Soda makes you thirstier, and it has a lot of sugar that's not good for you," Ms. Water tells Tommy.
Minutes later, Maria Arroyo, the puppeteer, appears from behind the mini-puppet theater and quizzes her rapt audience in Marilyn Viera's pre-kindergarten class at Burr Elementary School in Hartford.
"How many glasses of water should you drink a day?" Arroyo asks.
"Six to eight," comes the answer.
"This boy wants to lie around. ... What's he need to do?" she asks.
"Exercise."
"Should he eat candy a lot?"
"No, fruits and vegetables."
For more than a decade, the Hispanic Health Council, in partnership with the University of Connecticut, has been educating Hartford's young students with an entertaining series of six puppet shows that carry serious messages about nutrition, obesity, exercise, food safety, diabetes and heart disease. Grace Damio, director of the Center for Community Nutrition at the Hispanic Health Council, said it does about 400 puppet shows every year.
And while you might wonder how much a 4-year-old or even an 8-year-old might retain, it's clear at this recent performance that these puppets reach kids.
"I see it every year," said Ginnene Branch, a kindergarten teacher at Kennelly School in Hartford. Before the first couple of puppet shows, many of the children are not interested in the healthful snacks — fruits and vegetables — that she often brings to school for them.
"I don't care how much we tell kids, 'Vegetables are good for you; eat something from each of the food groups.' Kids will say, 'I don't like vegetables.' Some of the kids wouldn't even eat fruit," said Branch.
But after a couple of puppet-show discussions on nutrition and health, she said, "It's like night and day." She'll ask, "Who wants fruit? Everyone wants fruit. Who wants vegetables? Everyone does."
The show is part of a multifaceted effort — with additional programs and materials that reach parents and teenagers as well as small children — designed to address the nutritional and health needs for the Latino community.
A recent study found that 41 percent of a sample of children ages 6 to 11 in the Hartford school system are either obese or at risk of obesity, compared with a national average for that age group of 33.3 percent, according to Dr. Lee Pachter, a pediatric researcher at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
In Connecticut, 64.6 percent of Latino adults are obese or overweight, compared with 64.5 percent of blacks, and 58.9 percent of whites, according to statistics provided by the Hispanic Health Council.
With the extra weight comes greater risks for diabetes and other diseases. In Connecticut in 2007, 6.7 percent of white adults were told by their doctors that they have diabetes, compared with 15.8 percent of blacks and 8.1 percent of Hispanics.
Why the disparity?
Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, who is director of the Connecticut Hispanic Family Nutrition Program and a professor of nutrition and public health at the University of Connecticut, said the main explanation is lack of access to healthful foods and lack of exercise. "Healthy foods are much more expensive," he said.
In addition, he said, there is a lack of green space in urban low-income areas and a lack of opportunity and money for sports activities. "Latinos and low-income groups are very vulnerable to the marketing of unhealthy foods by the food industry," said Pérez-Escamilla.
Taking Message Home
Pérez-Escamilla said children are "the best ambassadors" when "they go home and share the healthy nutrition messages we give to them. … They are a part of the movement … convincing parents of the need to make a change."
Children play a very crucial role, he said, particularly in families where the parents don't speak English very well. These kids often play a more central role in terms of the decision-making about diet and food purchases than do most kids, he said.
Pachter concurred that it is very important to reach children when they are young. "I really feel the future of obesity prevention is going to start younger and younger and younger. I think that the habits that lead to obesity are formulated very early in life."
Back in the classroom at Burr, the kids are telling Arroyo all about their healthy habits. Uriana Ortega says, "I have a cousin who doesn't eat fruit, but I eat a lot of fruit at my grandma's house."
Makayla Esquinlin says she likes broccoli.
Later, Jennifer Fagalar, Uriana's mother, said the 4-year-old definitely carries the healthy-habits messages home. When her mother offers her a treat, she goes for fruit and vegetables, not candy.
Said Fagalar: "She said junk food won't let her grow like she's supposed to."
KATHLEEN MEGAN | The Hartford Courant February 11, 2009
The 4-year-olds' eyes are glued on a spiky-haired puppet in a jeans jumpsuit whose name is Tommy.
Tommy, who watches too much television, is cajoled into going to a basketball practice. When he gets thirsty at practice, he asks, "Is there a soda machine around here?"
"Ahhh, nooo" comes a voice out of nowhere. Turns out it's a talking water bottle puppet — Ms. Water — who has come to warn Tommy about soda.
"Soda makes you thirstier, and it has a lot of sugar that's not good for you," Ms. Water tells Tommy.
Minutes later, Maria Arroyo, the puppeteer, appears from behind the mini-puppet theater and quizzes her rapt audience in Marilyn Viera's pre-kindergarten class at Burr Elementary School in Hartford.
"How many glasses of water should you drink a day?" Arroyo asks.
"Six to eight," comes the answer.
"This boy wants to lie around. ... What's he need to do?" she asks.
"Exercise."
"Should he eat candy a lot?"
"No, fruits and vegetables."
For more than a decade, the Hispanic Health Council, in partnership with the University of Connecticut, has been educating Hartford's young students with an entertaining series of six puppet shows that carry serious messages about nutrition, obesity, exercise, food safety, diabetes and heart disease. Grace Damio, director of the Center for Community Nutrition at the Hispanic Health Council, said it does about 400 puppet shows every year.
And while you might wonder how much a 4-year-old or even an 8-year-old might retain, it's clear at this recent performance that these puppets reach kids.
"I see it every year," said Ginnene Branch, a kindergarten teacher at Kennelly School in Hartford. Before the first couple of puppet shows, many of the children are not interested in the healthful snacks — fruits and vegetables — that she often brings to school for them.
"I don't care how much we tell kids, 'Vegetables are good for you; eat something from each of the food groups.' Kids will say, 'I don't like vegetables.' Some of the kids wouldn't even eat fruit," said Branch.
But after a couple of puppet-show discussions on nutrition and health, she said, "It's like night and day." She'll ask, "Who wants fruit? Everyone wants fruit. Who wants vegetables? Everyone does."
The show is part of a multifaceted effort — with additional programs and materials that reach parents and teenagers as well as small children — designed to address the nutritional and health needs for the Latino community.
A recent study found that 41 percent of a sample of children ages 6 to 11 in the Hartford school system are either obese or at risk of obesity, compared with a national average for that age group of 33.3 percent, according to Dr. Lee Pachter, a pediatric researcher at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
In Connecticut, 64.6 percent of Latino adults are obese or overweight, compared with 64.5 percent of blacks, and 58.9 percent of whites, according to statistics provided by the Hispanic Health Council.
With the extra weight comes greater risks for diabetes and other diseases. In Connecticut in 2007, 6.7 percent of white adults were told by their doctors that they have diabetes, compared with 15.8 percent of blacks and 8.1 percent of Hispanics.
Why the disparity?
Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, who is director of the Connecticut Hispanic Family Nutrition Program and a professor of nutrition and public health at the University of Connecticut, said the main explanation is lack of access to healthful foods and lack of exercise. "Healthy foods are much more expensive," he said.
In addition, he said, there is a lack of green space in urban low-income areas and a lack of opportunity and money for sports activities. "Latinos and low-income groups are very vulnerable to the marketing of unhealthy foods by the food industry," said Pérez-Escamilla.
Taking Message Home
Pérez-Escamilla said children are "the best ambassadors" when "they go home and share the healthy nutrition messages we give to them. … They are a part of the movement … convincing parents of the need to make a change."
Children play a very crucial role, he said, particularly in families where the parents don't speak English very well. These kids often play a more central role in terms of the decision-making about diet and food purchases than do most kids, he said.
Pachter concurred that it is very important to reach children when they are young. "I really feel the future of obesity prevention is going to start younger and younger and younger. I think that the habits that lead to obesity are formulated very early in life."
Back in the classroom at Burr, the kids are telling Arroyo all about their healthy habits. Uriana Ortega says, "I have a cousin who doesn't eat fruit, but I eat a lot of fruit at my grandma's house."
Makayla Esquinlin says she likes broccoli.
Later, Jennifer Fagalar, Uriana's mother, said the 4-year-old definitely carries the healthy-habits messages home. When her mother offers her a treat, she goes for fruit and vegetables, not candy.
Said Fagalar: "She said junk food won't let her grow like she's supposed to."
Hispanics become targets from midwife births
Midwife births raise questions about citizenship
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN
ALAMO, Texas (AP) — The citizenship of hundreds, possibly thousands, of people who insist they are Americans is being called into question because they were delivered by midwives near the U.S.-Mexico border. The federal government's doubts have arisen as many people in the border region try to meet a June 1 deadline to obtain U.S. passports so they can freely cross from one country to the other.
The people delivered by midwives have documents such as birth certificates and medical records. But the agency that grants passports is challenging the credibility of those papers, citing a history of some midwives fraudulently registering Mexican-born babies as American.
The passport applications being questioned include those of children of Mexican women who crossed the border to give birth in the United States, and even employees of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency who were born on the border and now work to protect it.
The government has "effectively reduced to second-class citizenship status an entire swath of passport applicants based solely on their being of Mexican or Latino descent and having been delivered by midwives in nonhospital settings in Southwestern border states," according to a federal lawsuit against the State Department filed last year in the border town of McAllen, about 120 miles south of Corpus Christi.
Immigration attorneys and the American Civil Liberties Union hope to have the case certified as a class action because they believe thousands of people could be affected, with most still living near the border.
Since 1960, 75 Texas midwives have been convicted of fraudulently registering Mexican-born babies as American. At one point, the government assembled a list of nearly 250 "suspicious" midwives but never explained what made them suspicious.
State Department spokesman Andy Laine declined to comment because of the litigation. The agency also declined to release statistics on passport application refusals.
After June 1, anyone re-entering the United States from Mexico or Canada will have to show a passport, not just a driver's license and birth certificate, which are the only current requirements.
For families who have lived in the area for generations, the border is just a river in the middle of one community. Many people live on one side of the border and work on the other.
"Going back and forth is as natural for them ... as going across town is for the rest of us," said Lisa Graybill, legal director for the ACLU in Texas.
If the lawsuit is not resolved before June 1, families "will have to choose if you're going to live in Mexico or you're going to live in the U.S. You won't be able to cross," said Lisa Brodyaga, the immigration attorney who filed the lawsuit against the State Department.
Anna Karen Ramirez had to sue the State Department to get her passport, even though she had a birth certificate, medical records and receipts from her 1989 birth at a clinic in Hidalgo, just south of McAllen. She also had signatures of two police officers who witnessed the event.
Ramirez's parents lived in Mexico and raised their daughter there. But they decided to have their child in the United States.
With the deadline looming, and the State Department suspicious of her citizenship, the family met several times with U.S. consular officials to obtain a passport, but their request was refused.
Ramirez's father, Narciso, drives a taxi back and forth across the border every day. He said he was warned that the family's dogged pursuit of the matter could threaten the visa that allowed him to operate his cab.
Anna Ramirez sued, and while waiting, voted unchallenged in the U.S. presidential election. A month later, she received her passport but never got a clear statement of citizenship.
"Every 10 years she's going to have to prove she's a U.S. citizen" to renew her passport, said her attorney, Naomi Jiyoung Bang.
The State Department practices are "a holdover from an older, less-regulated world," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for more restrictive immigration laws. "It's what happens when modern standards collide with old country practices."
Krikorian said the government cannot just believe everyone, nor can it turn down everyone delivered by a midwife.
Because Ramirez is young, her parents were able to find documents the government requested. The midwife who delivered her was still alive and able to testify. They could also afford to hire an attorney to help.
David Hernandez had a harder time locating evidence.
He was born in San Benito, Texas, in 1964, to a Mexican mother who was visiting friends when she went into labor. Hernandez was delivered by a midwife who appeared on the suspicious midwife list, though without a conviction. He returned to Mexico with his mother.
The two moved back to the U.S. a few years later. He attended schools in Texas and served in the Army.
In response to government requests, he collected mounds of documentation including papers from his military service, immunization and baptismal records, and witness affidavits. When he requested his school records, he was told that his elementary school papers no longer existed.
In April 2008, the government refused his passport application.
"I was born here," he said last fall when the ACLU took on the case. "I've lived and worked here and served in the Army. I feel betrayed, like my country is stabbing me in the back just because my mother didn't have the luxury of having me in a hospital."
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN
ALAMO, Texas (AP) — The citizenship of hundreds, possibly thousands, of people who insist they are Americans is being called into question because they were delivered by midwives near the U.S.-Mexico border. The federal government's doubts have arisen as many people in the border region try to meet a June 1 deadline to obtain U.S. passports so they can freely cross from one country to the other.
The people delivered by midwives have documents such as birth certificates and medical records. But the agency that grants passports is challenging the credibility of those papers, citing a history of some midwives fraudulently registering Mexican-born babies as American.
The passport applications being questioned include those of children of Mexican women who crossed the border to give birth in the United States, and even employees of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency who were born on the border and now work to protect it.
The government has "effectively reduced to second-class citizenship status an entire swath of passport applicants based solely on their being of Mexican or Latino descent and having been delivered by midwives in nonhospital settings in Southwestern border states," according to a federal lawsuit against the State Department filed last year in the border town of McAllen, about 120 miles south of Corpus Christi.
Immigration attorneys and the American Civil Liberties Union hope to have the case certified as a class action because they believe thousands of people could be affected, with most still living near the border.
Since 1960, 75 Texas midwives have been convicted of fraudulently registering Mexican-born babies as American. At one point, the government assembled a list of nearly 250 "suspicious" midwives but never explained what made them suspicious.
State Department spokesman Andy Laine declined to comment because of the litigation. The agency also declined to release statistics on passport application refusals.
After June 1, anyone re-entering the United States from Mexico or Canada will have to show a passport, not just a driver's license and birth certificate, which are the only current requirements.
For families who have lived in the area for generations, the border is just a river in the middle of one community. Many people live on one side of the border and work on the other.
"Going back and forth is as natural for them ... as going across town is for the rest of us," said Lisa Graybill, legal director for the ACLU in Texas.
If the lawsuit is not resolved before June 1, families "will have to choose if you're going to live in Mexico or you're going to live in the U.S. You won't be able to cross," said Lisa Brodyaga, the immigration attorney who filed the lawsuit against the State Department.
Anna Karen Ramirez had to sue the State Department to get her passport, even though she had a birth certificate, medical records and receipts from her 1989 birth at a clinic in Hidalgo, just south of McAllen. She also had signatures of two police officers who witnessed the event.
Ramirez's parents lived in Mexico and raised their daughter there. But they decided to have their child in the United States.
With the deadline looming, and the State Department suspicious of her citizenship, the family met several times with U.S. consular officials to obtain a passport, but their request was refused.
Ramirez's father, Narciso, drives a taxi back and forth across the border every day. He said he was warned that the family's dogged pursuit of the matter could threaten the visa that allowed him to operate his cab.
Anna Ramirez sued, and while waiting, voted unchallenged in the U.S. presidential election. A month later, she received her passport but never got a clear statement of citizenship.
"Every 10 years she's going to have to prove she's a U.S. citizen" to renew her passport, said her attorney, Naomi Jiyoung Bang.
The State Department practices are "a holdover from an older, less-regulated world," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for more restrictive immigration laws. "It's what happens when modern standards collide with old country practices."
Krikorian said the government cannot just believe everyone, nor can it turn down everyone delivered by a midwife.
Because Ramirez is young, her parents were able to find documents the government requested. The midwife who delivered her was still alive and able to testify. They could also afford to hire an attorney to help.
David Hernandez had a harder time locating evidence.
He was born in San Benito, Texas, in 1964, to a Mexican mother who was visiting friends when she went into labor. Hernandez was delivered by a midwife who appeared on the suspicious midwife list, though without a conviction. He returned to Mexico with his mother.
The two moved back to the U.S. a few years later. He attended schools in Texas and served in the Army.
In response to government requests, he collected mounds of documentation including papers from his military service, immunization and baptismal records, and witness affidavits. When he requested his school records, he was told that his elementary school papers no longer existed.
In April 2008, the government refused his passport application.
"I was born here," he said last fall when the ACLU took on the case. "I've lived and worked here and served in the Army. I feel betrayed, like my country is stabbing me in the back just because my mother didn't have the luxury of having me in a hospital."
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Latino Health program launched in Fort Collins
Project to Focus on Latinos' Health
Fort Collins Now
A new project from the Larimer County Health Department is Vida Sana, a program that will gather information and use it to identify solutions related to chronic disease disparities among Latinos in the county.
Latinos make up 9 percent of Larimer’s population.
Vida Sana is gathering information through interviews, town hall meetings and community forums.
The first town hall session is from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12 at the Northside Aztlan Community Center, 112 Willow St. There will be child care and food.
“Current information about the biologic and genetic characteristics of minority populations does not explain the health disparities experienced by these groups compared with the white, non-Hispanic population in the United States,” reports the Centers for Disease Control. “These disparities are believed to be the result of the complex interaction among genetic variations, environmental factors and specific health behaviors.”
An example of a chronic disease disparity is that the death rate of diabetes is twice as high among Latinos in Colorado at 37.5 per 100,000 compared to the state average of 18.3 per 100,000, according to a press release. Nationally, the CDC finds that Latinos have higher rates of high blood pressure and obesity than non-Latino whites.
For more information on Vida Sana, call Summer Laws at 498-6853 or email slaws@larimer.org.
Fort Collins Now
A new project from the Larimer County Health Department is Vida Sana, a program that will gather information and use it to identify solutions related to chronic disease disparities among Latinos in the county.
Latinos make up 9 percent of Larimer’s population.
Vida Sana is gathering information through interviews, town hall meetings and community forums.
The first town hall session is from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12 at the Northside Aztlan Community Center, 112 Willow St. There will be child care and food.
“Current information about the biologic and genetic characteristics of minority populations does not explain the health disparities experienced by these groups compared with the white, non-Hispanic population in the United States,” reports the Centers for Disease Control. “These disparities are believed to be the result of the complex interaction among genetic variations, environmental factors and specific health behaviors.”
An example of a chronic disease disparity is that the death rate of diabetes is twice as high among Latinos in Colorado at 37.5 per 100,000 compared to the state average of 18.3 per 100,000, according to a press release. Nationally, the CDC finds that Latinos have higher rates of high blood pressure and obesity than non-Latino whites.
For more information on Vida Sana, call Summer Laws at 498-6853 or email slaws@larimer.org.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Hispanic nutritional information gone with closing of center
Latino-Immigrant Community Is Feeling the Loss of El Centro
By Angela Lu alu@kitsapsun.com February 7, 2009
BREMERTON — Of all the services the shuttered nonprofit provided, the most basic help is the assistance that's missed most.
Elodia Juarez walked into the Seaside Church with her baby in tow recently, hoping to get assistance in finding an eye doctor.
What she didn't realize was that El Centro de la Familia had closed, and that now the Immigrant Assistance Center had taken its place at the church.
Juarez, who does not speak English, needed help making an appointment. But Martitha May, a former El Centro volunteer who is now the chairwoman of the Immigrant Assistance Center, felt bad telling Juarez that the center does not provide the same level of services to Latino immigrants. Those services were as simple as providing help filling out forms.
"I wish I was able to help you, but I can't," May told Juarez in Spanish.
El Centro closed in December because of a lack of funding. The Immigrant Assistance Center, which helps immigrants from around the world, aimed to help fill the gap. But because of the limited amount of grant money it operates with, it can't provide the same level of services El Centro did. There are three volunteers and as many as 45 people coming in a day.
The center is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from noon to 4 p.m. and holds English classes, nutrition classes, immigration services, and swimming classes provided by a heart health grant. A bilingual representative from the state's Department of Social and Health Services comes in once a week to explain the requirements for applying for a medical ID card.
But assistance filling out forms is the help many need. Immigrants who don't speak English often can't complete medical forms and legal papers, respond to tickets or other legal infractions, or apply for driver's licenses.
"We will advocate for people, but we can't do all the paperwork. We try to point people back to services," April Borbon, director of the Immigrant Assistance Center, said, referring to agencies that may have bilingual employees.
When asked about the services at center that help 27-year-old Sano Guadalupe Carrera, she replied that there was "nothing."
"They told me to bring in the application, then they only gave advice but didn't fill it out (for me)," Carrera said.
The YWCA has helped pick up the slack from El Centro on larger issues, and it has seen an increase in demand for its services from all races, said Linda Joyce, executive director. It offers support groups for family, temporary emergency shelters, advocacy-based counsel and health services. But it, too, is limited in funding and in the amount of assistance it can provide in tasks such as making doctor's appointments or filling out forms, Joyce said.
At Harrison Medical Center, where El Centro can no longer be called upon to provide translating services, Spanish-speaking patients are having a harder time filling out the paperwork and getting the services. The hospital's Social Work Department sees the gaping hole that is left after El Centro's closure.
"We do use the language line here in the hospital for our translation, but I think that many times people won't come in because they don't feel confident speaking," said Gail Tedford, resource coordinator of the department. "If they have question, they'll just put it off."
For now, the Immigrant Assistance Center is doing all it can to disseminate information about where immigrants can find the services they need.
Every month, the center holds a "mesa redonda," or roundtable where representatives from school districts, Social Security agents, and other agencies that deal with Latinos come together to talk about services available and upcoming events. This discussion is open to everyone, and Borbon hopes it will help get out the word about what is going on.
Carrera said that while she missed El Centro, she was grateful there was something to fill the void.
"Now there is the Immigrant Assistance Center, and we know all the faces so we feel comfortable coming here to ask for some help even if we don't get it."
By Angela Lu alu@kitsapsun.com February 7, 2009
BREMERTON — Of all the services the shuttered nonprofit provided, the most basic help is the assistance that's missed most.
Elodia Juarez walked into the Seaside Church with her baby in tow recently, hoping to get assistance in finding an eye doctor.
What she didn't realize was that El Centro de la Familia had closed, and that now the Immigrant Assistance Center had taken its place at the church.
Juarez, who does not speak English, needed help making an appointment. But Martitha May, a former El Centro volunteer who is now the chairwoman of the Immigrant Assistance Center, felt bad telling Juarez that the center does not provide the same level of services to Latino immigrants. Those services were as simple as providing help filling out forms.
"I wish I was able to help you, but I can't," May told Juarez in Spanish.
El Centro closed in December because of a lack of funding. The Immigrant Assistance Center, which helps immigrants from around the world, aimed to help fill the gap. But because of the limited amount of grant money it operates with, it can't provide the same level of services El Centro did. There are three volunteers and as many as 45 people coming in a day.
The center is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from noon to 4 p.m. and holds English classes, nutrition classes, immigration services, and swimming classes provided by a heart health grant. A bilingual representative from the state's Department of Social and Health Services comes in once a week to explain the requirements for applying for a medical ID card.
But assistance filling out forms is the help many need. Immigrants who don't speak English often can't complete medical forms and legal papers, respond to tickets or other legal infractions, or apply for driver's licenses.
"We will advocate for people, but we can't do all the paperwork. We try to point people back to services," April Borbon, director of the Immigrant Assistance Center, said, referring to agencies that may have bilingual employees.
When asked about the services at center that help 27-year-old Sano Guadalupe Carrera, she replied that there was "nothing."
"They told me to bring in the application, then they only gave advice but didn't fill it out (for me)," Carrera said.
The YWCA has helped pick up the slack from El Centro on larger issues, and it has seen an increase in demand for its services from all races, said Linda Joyce, executive director. It offers support groups for family, temporary emergency shelters, advocacy-based counsel and health services. But it, too, is limited in funding and in the amount of assistance it can provide in tasks such as making doctor's appointments or filling out forms, Joyce said.
At Harrison Medical Center, where El Centro can no longer be called upon to provide translating services, Spanish-speaking patients are having a harder time filling out the paperwork and getting the services. The hospital's Social Work Department sees the gaping hole that is left after El Centro's closure.
"We do use the language line here in the hospital for our translation, but I think that many times people won't come in because they don't feel confident speaking," said Gail Tedford, resource coordinator of the department. "If they have question, they'll just put it off."
For now, the Immigrant Assistance Center is doing all it can to disseminate information about where immigrants can find the services they need.
Every month, the center holds a "mesa redonda," or roundtable where representatives from school districts, Social Security agents, and other agencies that deal with Latinos come together to talk about services available and upcoming events. This discussion is open to everyone, and Borbon hopes it will help get out the word about what is going on.
Carrera said that while she missed El Centro, she was grateful there was something to fill the void.
"Now there is the Immigrant Assistance Center, and we know all the faces so we feel comfortable coming here to ask for some help even if we don't get it."
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Hispanic seniors get help from community
Fort Worth Hispanic leaders want to meet needs of senior citizens at new center
By DIANE SMITH dianesmith@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH — Maria Juarez has an ailing lung.
The 60-year-old immigrant is uninsured and doesn’t know where to get medical help. But assistance is on the way through Voces Olvidadas Tercera Edad (Forgotten Voices of the Elderly), a senior center being launched on Fort Worth’s north side to better meet the needs of Hispanic senior citizens.
Organizers of the new nonprofit want to link Hispanic seniors to health and social services in the community. They also want to offer seniors a place to network and forge friendships.
"I didn’t have any schooling," said Suarez, who lives in Mansfield. "For me it’s good that they help me."
The Fort Worth center is a national prototype for Hispanic advocates who want to help the senior community tap into resources. The effort will also help immigrants — legal and undocumented — find social service groups that can assist them when they don’t qualify for government programs.
The group is also helping American-born Hispanics better understand what services are available.
Plans for other centers are being discussed for Dallas, Chicago and in states such as Ohio, Idaho and Utah, which have emerging Hispanic communities.
The effort is supported by the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, which describes the center as an important part of helping the immigrant community.
"There is a lack of information right now," said German Trejo-Caballero, LULAC’s national chairman for the group’s National Commission on Immigrant Affairs. "Voces Olvidadas will fit the need."
A ribbon-cutting was held Friday for the center, at 301 W. Central Ave. Use of the building was donated by Dr. Oscar Martinez. Guest speakers included Rosa Rosales, national president for LULAC. Center organizers will also launch a magazine, also called Voces Olvidadas Tercera Edad. The magazine will keep Hispanic seniors informed about aging issues in the United States.
Hispanic role models such as journalist Jorge Ramos and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be featured in upcoming publications.
Amada Arteaga, president and founder of the organization, said the group is relying on donations and volunteers to get the center operational. Fifty-one seniors are signed up for activities that are scheduled to start Feb 16, including English and Spanish computer classes.
Sister Gloria Cabrera plans to bring seniors from Mansfield to the Fort Worth center once it opens officially next week. "It’s hope for them," Cabrera said. "It’s a resource where they can get help."
t
By DIANE SMITH dianesmith@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH — Maria Juarez has an ailing lung.
The 60-year-old immigrant is uninsured and doesn’t know where to get medical help. But assistance is on the way through Voces Olvidadas Tercera Edad (Forgotten Voices of the Elderly), a senior center being launched on Fort Worth’s north side to better meet the needs of Hispanic senior citizens.
Organizers of the new nonprofit want to link Hispanic seniors to health and social services in the community. They also want to offer seniors a place to network and forge friendships.
"I didn’t have any schooling," said Suarez, who lives in Mansfield. "For me it’s good that they help me."
The Fort Worth center is a national prototype for Hispanic advocates who want to help the senior community tap into resources. The effort will also help immigrants — legal and undocumented — find social service groups that can assist them when they don’t qualify for government programs.
The group is also helping American-born Hispanics better understand what services are available.
Plans for other centers are being discussed for Dallas, Chicago and in states such as Ohio, Idaho and Utah, which have emerging Hispanic communities.
The effort is supported by the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, which describes the center as an important part of helping the immigrant community.
"There is a lack of information right now," said German Trejo-Caballero, LULAC’s national chairman for the group’s National Commission on Immigrant Affairs. "Voces Olvidadas will fit the need."
A ribbon-cutting was held Friday for the center, at 301 W. Central Ave. Use of the building was donated by Dr. Oscar Martinez. Guest speakers included Rosa Rosales, national president for LULAC. Center organizers will also launch a magazine, also called Voces Olvidadas Tercera Edad. The magazine will keep Hispanic seniors informed about aging issues in the United States.
Hispanic role models such as journalist Jorge Ramos and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will be featured in upcoming publications.
Amada Arteaga, president and founder of the organization, said the group is relying on donations and volunteers to get the center operational. Fifty-one seniors are signed up for activities that are scheduled to start Feb 16, including English and Spanish computer classes.
Sister Gloria Cabrera plans to bring seniors from Mansfield to the Fort Worth center once it opens officially next week. "It’s hope for them," Cabrera said. "It’s a resource where they can get help."
t
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Hispanics more likely to suffer strokes
Latinos Face Greater Stroke Risk
NEWS 10 Nicole Chavez
SACRAMENTO, CA - The American Heart Association says Latinos are more likely to suffer a stroke at a younger age.
While Friday designated "Go Red For Women," a national event promoting heart disease awareness in women, the American Heart Association also launched a stroke outreach program targeting Latinos.
"Juntos Contra El Derrame Cerebral/Together Against Stroke" focuses on educating the Latino community about what a stroke is, in addition to lifestyle changes and stroke prevention.
Joe Debbs, a member of the association's board of directors, said Latinos are particularly vulnerable to stroke because of a healthcare accessibility gap.
"It has a lot to do with our social economic background," said Debbs. "As we know, Latinos have been put on the short end of our healthcare system."
As a result, the average age of a non-Latino who suffers a stroke is 80. In contrast, the average age for Latinos in this country is 67, according to the association.
The "Juntos" outreach program will eventually offer free stroke screenings, as well as workshops addressing healthy lifestyle changes.
"We eat a lot of fried foods, we season our food, and although our foods are tasteful, some of them are not so healthy," said Debbs.
Elsa Santos had a stroke at just 41 years old. While she is lucky to have survived, she struggles each day to regain strength in her left arm and leg, which the stroke had initially left completely paralyzed.
"I'm really advocating that people learn about the impact of stroke," said Santos.
She wonders if knowing more about strokes could have prevented hers altogether. "I had been complaining of headaches and I was finishing a bottle of Advil a month," she said. "But I didn't think anything of it. I was just really ignorant to it."
The American Heart Association will host one its first "Juntos" stroke outreach events Thursday, Feb. 12 at the Mexican Consolate from 9 a.m. - noon. The consulate is located at 1010 8th Street, between 8th and J streets, in Sacramento.
NEWS 10 Nicole Chavez
SACRAMENTO, CA - The American Heart Association says Latinos are more likely to suffer a stroke at a younger age.
While Friday designated "Go Red For Women," a national event promoting heart disease awareness in women, the American Heart Association also launched a stroke outreach program targeting Latinos.
"Juntos Contra El Derrame Cerebral/Together Against Stroke" focuses on educating the Latino community about what a stroke is, in addition to lifestyle changes and stroke prevention.
Joe Debbs, a member of the association's board of directors, said Latinos are particularly vulnerable to stroke because of a healthcare accessibility gap.
"It has a lot to do with our social economic background," said Debbs. "As we know, Latinos have been put on the short end of our healthcare system."
As a result, the average age of a non-Latino who suffers a stroke is 80. In contrast, the average age for Latinos in this country is 67, according to the association.
The "Juntos" outreach program will eventually offer free stroke screenings, as well as workshops addressing healthy lifestyle changes.
"We eat a lot of fried foods, we season our food, and although our foods are tasteful, some of them are not so healthy," said Debbs.
Elsa Santos had a stroke at just 41 years old. While she is lucky to have survived, she struggles each day to regain strength in her left arm and leg, which the stroke had initially left completely paralyzed.
"I'm really advocating that people learn about the impact of stroke," said Santos.
She wonders if knowing more about strokes could have prevented hers altogether. "I had been complaining of headaches and I was finishing a bottle of Advil a month," she said. "But I didn't think anything of it. I was just really ignorant to it."
The American Heart Association will host one its first "Juntos" stroke outreach events Thursday, Feb. 12 at the Mexican Consolate from 9 a.m. - noon. The consulate is located at 1010 8th Street, between 8th and J streets, in Sacramento.
Hispanic health efforts receive grants from Aetna
Aetna announces $790K in 2008 grants, 75% in Southern California
San Francisco Business Times - by Chris Rauber
Aetna, the huge national health insurance company, and its Aetna Foundation last year made grants to California nonprofits totaling $790,000, nearly 75 percent of them in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, officials at its Walnut Creek-based regional office said Thursday.
Community grants and sponsorships in Northern California totaled $150,000, and focused on education and “improving the lives of the underserved,” Aetna said.
They went to six recipients:
* The California Medical Association Foundation for its Diabetes Self Management initiative, $37,500.
* The University of California, San Francisco Foundation for its Underrepresented Minority Nursing program, $37,500.
* Oakland’s Street Level Health Project, to help fund its Project Lideres de Salud/Leaders in Health mental health program for low-income Hispanic immigrants in the Bay Area, $25,000.
* Oakland’s Children’s Hospital and Research Foundation for its Healthy Eating Active Living program, $22,500.
* The American Cancer Society, two grants totaling $22,500, including $22,000 for the Relay for Life fund raiser in San Ramon.
* The American Heart Association, East Bay Division, $5,000 to co-sponsor the East Bay Walk to fight heart disease and stroke.
Aetna also contributed $50,000 to three Fresno nonprofits -- the West Fresno Health Care Center, Comprehensive Youth Services of Fresno and The Ronald McDonald House -- and $590,000 to a host of Los Angeles area recipients, including the National Black MBA Association, the Alzheimer’s Association, Los Angeles Christian Health Centers, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Students Run America, and 18 other organizations.
The company, which distributed more than $25 million in grants nationwide last year, told the San Francisco Business Times that it focuses on “health initiatives” as a key funding strategy, along with company-targeted “growth markets” and regions where its employees live and work. That helps explain why it gave the bulk of its 2008 California grants to organizations in Southern California, where it has eight offices, as opposed to just three in Northern California, officials said in Feb. 6 comments to the San Francisco Business Times.
Last year’s “targeted growth markets” in California included the Hispanic market in Los Angeles and the Asian and Hispanic markets in San Francisco, the company said, adding: “While funding amounts differ, Aetna is just as committed to supporting nonprofits in Northern California as we are in Southern California.”
An Aetna spokeswoman also noted that the company and foundation gave $500,000 to UC Davis "a little over a year ago," an indication that its overall giving isn't tilted towards Southern California.
crauber@bizjournals.com / (415) 288-4946
San Francisco Business Times - by Chris Rauber
Aetna, the huge national health insurance company, and its Aetna Foundation last year made grants to California nonprofits totaling $790,000, nearly 75 percent of them in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, officials at its Walnut Creek-based regional office said Thursday.
Community grants and sponsorships in Northern California totaled $150,000, and focused on education and “improving the lives of the underserved,” Aetna said.
They went to six recipients:
* The California Medical Association Foundation for its Diabetes Self Management initiative, $37,500.
* The University of California, San Francisco Foundation for its Underrepresented Minority Nursing program, $37,500.
* Oakland’s Street Level Health Project, to help fund its Project Lideres de Salud/Leaders in Health mental health program for low-income Hispanic immigrants in the Bay Area, $25,000.
* Oakland’s Children’s Hospital and Research Foundation for its Healthy Eating Active Living program, $22,500.
* The American Cancer Society, two grants totaling $22,500, including $22,000 for the Relay for Life fund raiser in San Ramon.
* The American Heart Association, East Bay Division, $5,000 to co-sponsor the East Bay Walk to fight heart disease and stroke.
Aetna also contributed $50,000 to three Fresno nonprofits -- the West Fresno Health Care Center, Comprehensive Youth Services of Fresno and The Ronald McDonald House -- and $590,000 to a host of Los Angeles area recipients, including the National Black MBA Association, the Alzheimer’s Association, Los Angeles Christian Health Centers, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Students Run America, and 18 other organizations.
The company, which distributed more than $25 million in grants nationwide last year, told the San Francisco Business Times that it focuses on “health initiatives” as a key funding strategy, along with company-targeted “growth markets” and regions where its employees live and work. That helps explain why it gave the bulk of its 2008 California grants to organizations in Southern California, where it has eight offices, as opposed to just three in Northern California, officials said in Feb. 6 comments to the San Francisco Business Times.
Last year’s “targeted growth markets” in California included the Hispanic market in Los Angeles and the Asian and Hispanic markets in San Francisco, the company said, adding: “While funding amounts differ, Aetna is just as committed to supporting nonprofits in Northern California as we are in Southern California.”
An Aetna spokeswoman also noted that the company and foundation gave $500,000 to UC Davis "a little over a year ago," an indication that its overall giving isn't tilted towards Southern California.
crauber@bizjournals.com / (415) 288-4946
Friday, February 6, 2009
Latino families helped through Kraft Foods program
KRAFT Foods Help Improve Nutritional Well-Being of Latino Families with Salsa, Sabor y Salud
Latino families benefit from national health education program
EXTRA NEWS
Kraft Foods is helping Latino families improve their well-being through Salsa, Sabor y Salud (Food, Fun and Fitness), a first-of-its-kind national bilingual healthy lifestyles program developed by the National Latino Children's Institute (NLCI) in conjunction with Kraft Foods. Kraft has donated $6.5 million in grants since 2004 to the program, which was designed as a response to the growing obesity rates and inactivity levels among Latino children in America.
Salsa, Sabor y Saludfocuses on providing creative, culturally relevant tools designed to encourage healthy lifestyles among Latino families. The eight-session bilingual (Spanish/English) program is offered at no cost through participating local organizations to teach families how to choose nutritious foods and eat sensible portions. The program further encourages development of lifelong healthy eating habits in young children and emphasizes the importance of daily physical activity.
"Salsa, Sabor y Saludengages Latino families by integrating culturally relevant songs, games and traditions to promote hands-on learning about making nutritious food choices and increasing physical activity to build cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and flexibility," said Josephine Garza, executive director, NLCI.
Bilingual program facilitators utilize a Salsa, Sabor y Saludcurriculum kit, complete with fun games
Latino families benefit from national health education program
EXTRA NEWS
Kraft Foods is helping Latino families improve their well-being through Salsa, Sabor y Salud (Food, Fun and Fitness), a first-of-its-kind national bilingual healthy lifestyles program developed by the National Latino Children's Institute (NLCI) in conjunction with Kraft Foods. Kraft has donated $6.5 million in grants since 2004 to the program, which was designed as a response to the growing obesity rates and inactivity levels among Latino children in America.
Salsa, Sabor y Saludfocuses on providing creative, culturally relevant tools designed to encourage healthy lifestyles among Latino families. The eight-session bilingual (Spanish/English) program is offered at no cost through participating local organizations to teach families how to choose nutritious foods and eat sensible portions. The program further encourages development of lifelong healthy eating habits in young children and emphasizes the importance of daily physical activity.
"Salsa, Sabor y Saludengages Latino families by integrating culturally relevant songs, games and traditions to promote hands-on learning about making nutritious food choices and increasing physical activity to build cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and flexibility," said Josephine Garza, executive director, NLCI.
Bilingual program facilitators utilize a Salsa, Sabor y Saludcurriculum kit, complete with fun games
Latinos targeted to address HIV/AIDS
Groups teaming up to tackle HIV/AIDS in Latinos
By Amy Kibler WNCT Producer February 5, 2009
Community groups in the east are teaming up to tackle HIV and AIDS rates in Latinos.
The State Department of Health and Human Services says Latinos are one of the most disproportionately affected groups when it comes to HIV and AIDS.
So, several organizations are holding enlaces, a Spanish training seminar to focus on getting more advocates to support prevention strategies.
Compared to whites, Latino men are twice as likely and Latino women are four times as likely to have AIDS.
It’s happening this weekend at the Bernstein Community Health Center in Greenville.
By Amy Kibler WNCT Producer February 5, 2009
Community groups in the east are teaming up to tackle HIV and AIDS rates in Latinos.
The State Department of Health and Human Services says Latinos are one of the most disproportionately affected groups when it comes to HIV and AIDS.
So, several organizations are holding enlaces, a Spanish training seminar to focus on getting more advocates to support prevention strategies.
Compared to whites, Latino men are twice as likely and Latino women are four times as likely to have AIDS.
It’s happening this weekend at the Bernstein Community Health Center in Greenville.
Business, Hispanic community partner for health awareness
Sanofi-aventis Partners with the Hispanic Community in Bronx to Increase Health Awareness, Access to Resources and Help Improve Patient Care
PRESS RELEASE
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sanofi-aventis announced the initiation of its Community Health Partnership (CHP), It's In Our Hands, in the Bronx area, seeking to link Hispanic residents with local healthcare professionals and health resources in their neighborhoods. Language, cultural barriers and lack of access to preventive care are key contributing factors to poor health outcomes among Hispanics and by providing patients with in-language and culturally relevant health information, the program aims to decrease healthcare disparities and encourages individuals to take action toward better health.
To address the need for improved health education and ongoing medical care, the CHP will work to build healthy communities by strengthening the connections among patients, healthcare providers and the community-based health resources already available.
"Our goal with this partnership is not to create a new program within the Bronx community, but to support and enhance access to the resources already available," stated Dennis Urbaniak, Vice President of Innovation and New Customer Channels, sanofi-aventis. "By establishing meaningful, long-term connections among patients, healthcare providers and resources, we hope to encourage the community to take advantage of its available resources to achieve better health. The necessary components are already in place, we are simply helping to strengthen links within the community and extend their reach to more people."
One of the key elements in maintaining and strengthening local links is the community health liaison (CHL), who will be based in Bronx to facilitate continued community resource collaboration. The liaison will help bridge the information gap between local health resources and patients by facilitating the flow of information between community groups and the Hispanic community.
"There is a large unmet need in the national Hispanic community for better access to care and improved health outcomes," stated Dr. Joel Zonszein M.D., Director of the Diabetes Center, University Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "To address this, we engaged in dialogue with both national and local community organizations to build our understanding of the Hispanic community's needs and to identify how the CHP can help bridge health disparities and help patients take their personal healthcare to the next level."
Sanofi-aventis will work with local community outreach organizations to develop a Health Resource Guide and other supporting materials containing detailed information on existing health programs to help community members locate and utilize the health resources in the Bronx area. The Health Resource Guide will be distributed to patients in Bronx through the local physicians and community-based programs associated with the partnership.
"Although a range of health resources are often available to patients in major cities and urban environments, there often is not enough awareness or dialog about available programs, treatments or access to proper care. Consequently, these resources often go underutilized and the patients that need them most remain underserved," continued Henry Cruz, Community Health Liaison. "By directly linking the many facets of the Hispanic community, the CHP seeks to change this, by empowering patients to improve their health through increased awareness and access to the resources in their communities."
In addition to Bronx, the CHP will be initiated in 5 other cities, including: San Antonio, Miami, Newark, Memphis and Baltimore and will provide members of these communities with actionable steps to combat a variety of medical conditions including diabetes, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, insomnia and deep vein thrombosis.
For more information about the Community Health Partnership, please call 866-614-2637.
PRESS RELEASE
BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sanofi-aventis announced the initiation of its Community Health Partnership (CHP), It's In Our Hands, in the Bronx area, seeking to link Hispanic residents with local healthcare professionals and health resources in their neighborhoods. Language, cultural barriers and lack of access to preventive care are key contributing factors to poor health outcomes among Hispanics and by providing patients with in-language and culturally relevant health information, the program aims to decrease healthcare disparities and encourages individuals to take action toward better health.
To address the need for improved health education and ongoing medical care, the CHP will work to build healthy communities by strengthening the connections among patients, healthcare providers and the community-based health resources already available.
"Our goal with this partnership is not to create a new program within the Bronx community, but to support and enhance access to the resources already available," stated Dennis Urbaniak, Vice President of Innovation and New Customer Channels, sanofi-aventis. "By establishing meaningful, long-term connections among patients, healthcare providers and resources, we hope to encourage the community to take advantage of its available resources to achieve better health. The necessary components are already in place, we are simply helping to strengthen links within the community and extend their reach to more people."
One of the key elements in maintaining and strengthening local links is the community health liaison (CHL), who will be based in Bronx to facilitate continued community resource collaboration. The liaison will help bridge the information gap between local health resources and patients by facilitating the flow of information between community groups and the Hispanic community.
"There is a large unmet need in the national Hispanic community for better access to care and improved health outcomes," stated Dr. Joel Zonszein M.D., Director of the Diabetes Center, University Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "To address this, we engaged in dialogue with both national and local community organizations to build our understanding of the Hispanic community's needs and to identify how the CHP can help bridge health disparities and help patients take their personal healthcare to the next level."
Sanofi-aventis will work with local community outreach organizations to develop a Health Resource Guide and other supporting materials containing detailed information on existing health programs to help community members locate and utilize the health resources in the Bronx area. The Health Resource Guide will be distributed to patients in Bronx through the local physicians and community-based programs associated with the partnership.
"Although a range of health resources are often available to patients in major cities and urban environments, there often is not enough awareness or dialog about available programs, treatments or access to proper care. Consequently, these resources often go underutilized and the patients that need them most remain underserved," continued Henry Cruz, Community Health Liaison. "By directly linking the many facets of the Hispanic community, the CHP seeks to change this, by empowering patients to improve their health through increased awareness and access to the resources in their communities."
In addition to Bronx, the CHP will be initiated in 5 other cities, including: San Antonio, Miami, Newark, Memphis and Baltimore and will provide members of these communities with actionable steps to combat a variety of medical conditions including diabetes, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, insomnia and deep vein thrombosis.
For more information about the Community Health Partnership, please call 866-614-2637.
Most Hispanic women discover breast cancer themselves
Two-Thirds of Hispanic Women Discover Breast Cancer Themselves
But half wait at least a month before seeking help, research shows
By Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter February 5, 2009
Most breast cancers in Hispanic women are detected by self-exam, despite high rates of screening mammography in this population, a new study shows.
What's troubling, however, is that about half of all women who noticed an abnormality waited at least a month before seeking medical help, according to new research being presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, in Carefree, Ariz.
Two-thirds of breast cancers in Hispanic women are discovered by accident, while only 23 percent come to light through a mammography and another 6 percent through a clinical exam. Yet screening mammography rates were 83 percent among U.S.-born Hispanic women and 62 percent among non-U.S.-born Hispanic women, said researchers from The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.
Why did women wait so long before seeking help? Largely because of lack of health insurance or other ways to afford medical care, study author Rachel Zenuk said during a Wednesday teleconference on the findings.
The study is one of several being presented at the conference that look at breast cancer issues among Hispanic women.
According to Elena Martinez, a professor of epidemiology at The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson, "the problem [of breast cancer] is very poorly understood in this population, and it's an issue that affects the U.S. because of the large and growing population of Hispanics in this country."
Two of these studies, including the one noted above, rely on data from the ELLA Binational Breast Cancer Study which, so far, has recruited 652 women, about half Mexican-American women in the United States and half in Mexico. The study has so far determined that women in Mexico tend to be diagnosed at an older age than women in the United States, although many risk factors were similar.
The second study to use ELLA data found that Hispanic women with a family history of breast cancer were more likely to have triple-negative breast cancer, although the same did not hold true of black women with a family history of the disease. This means the tumor is estrogen-receptor-negative, progesterone-receptor-negative, and HER2neu-receptor-negative and would call for different treatment options than other breast cancer types.
But the increased risk among Hispanic women was only seen in those born in Mexico, not among those born in the United States.
A third group of researchers found that Hispanic women born in the United States were more likely to have a number of risk factors for breast cancer, including obesity and a family history of the disease.
Lifestyle factors could explain much of this difference, though not all of it, said researchers from the Northern California Cancer Center.
More information: The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on breast cancer in Hispanic women.
But half wait at least a month before seeking help, research shows
By Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter February 5, 2009
Most breast cancers in Hispanic women are detected by self-exam, despite high rates of screening mammography in this population, a new study shows.
What's troubling, however, is that about half of all women who noticed an abnormality waited at least a month before seeking medical help, according to new research being presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, in Carefree, Ariz.
Two-thirds of breast cancers in Hispanic women are discovered by accident, while only 23 percent come to light through a mammography and another 6 percent through a clinical exam. Yet screening mammography rates were 83 percent among U.S.-born Hispanic women and 62 percent among non-U.S.-born Hispanic women, said researchers from The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.
Why did women wait so long before seeking help? Largely because of lack of health insurance or other ways to afford medical care, study author Rachel Zenuk said during a Wednesday teleconference on the findings.
The study is one of several being presented at the conference that look at breast cancer issues among Hispanic women.
According to Elena Martinez, a professor of epidemiology at The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson, "the problem [of breast cancer] is very poorly understood in this population, and it's an issue that affects the U.S. because of the large and growing population of Hispanics in this country."
Two of these studies, including the one noted above, rely on data from the ELLA Binational Breast Cancer Study which, so far, has recruited 652 women, about half Mexican-American women in the United States and half in Mexico. The study has so far determined that women in Mexico tend to be diagnosed at an older age than women in the United States, although many risk factors were similar.
The second study to use ELLA data found that Hispanic women with a family history of breast cancer were more likely to have triple-negative breast cancer, although the same did not hold true of black women with a family history of the disease. This means the tumor is estrogen-receptor-negative, progesterone-receptor-negative, and HER2neu-receptor-negative and would call for different treatment options than other breast cancer types.
But the increased risk among Hispanic women was only seen in those born in Mexico, not among those born in the United States.
A third group of researchers found that Hispanic women born in the United States were more likely to have a number of risk factors for breast cancer, including obesity and a family history of the disease.
Lifestyle factors could explain much of this difference, though not all of it, said researchers from the Northern California Cancer Center.
More information: The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on breast cancer in Hispanic women.
Hispanic donors best if they have family ties
Hispanic Donors: Family Ties Can Help
NP TIMES
Teletón, a Mexico-based charity that helps disabled children, puts on a radio and television telethon to raise money each year. But last year, Teletón wanted to expand to Hispanics living in America, the country with the second largest Hispanic population, and acquired more than 67,000 new donors in just 30 hours.
The United States demographics are changing dramatically -- minorities will be the majority by 2042, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And the Hispanic population will jump from 46.7 million to 132.8 million by 2050 -- 30 percent of the United States projected population. The purchasing power for Hispanics will also increase significantly -- from $860 billion in 2007 to a projected $1.2 trillion just by 2012, according to “The Multicultural Economy Report” study released by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College School of Business.
Fundraisers who want to reach Hispanic donors will have to speak the language -- both literally and figuratively, according to Michael Saray, president of Michael Saray Hispanic Marketing in New York City, a Direct Marketing Association conference.
Spanish use decreases with the increase in generations, but family and community values stay relatively the same, according to Saray. This shows that the generations “might lose the language, but not the culture,” according to Saray, which is important when fundraisers think about messages. Saray characterized Hispanics generally as right-brain thinkers – relying more on emotions, intuition and creativity to make decisions.
First, fundraisers need to know where to get Hispanic lists. Spanish language generated and ZIP code lists for high-Spanish speaking segments can help build your list, according to Joan H. Smyth Dengler, vice president of direct response from Covenant House in New York City. And if you know the list was generated using Spanish speaking as a prerequisite, strictly Spanish communications, instead of bilingual, might test better, according to Dengler. She explained segmenting the list based on gender might not help in the test since decisions are generally made as a family.
Hispanic communication might also be fundamentally different. Saray said that Hispanics want to know the supporting argument before the main point, so fundraisers may need to build up a strong basis for need before asking for a donation. Hispanics might also react better to emotional images and a touching story more than a cascade of statistics and charts, according to Saray.
Teletón used children’s stories to illustrate the need for donations in 60 and 120 second spots in national and local markets in America, according to Lisa Scott Benson, senior vice president of strategy development in the Washington, D.C., office of Pasadena, Calif.-based Russ Reid Company. Mexicans living in America were the primary donor target, but Benson said that the message “deliberately approached all Latinos.” The spots targeted local markets with a high percentage of Hispanic residents and states like California and Texas, which combined account for 48 percent of the Hispanic population living in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Some 80 percent of the Teletón donations came in from the telephone, according to Benson. Saray said that Hispanics might prefer that communication outlet better, but recommended installing a telemarketing service that can accommodate for language preferences. The call might be a chance to connect with the donor emotionally and build trust -- but don’t blow the call with impersonal service and unenthused call center assistants.
Saray said Hispanic donors might like to be courted for their donation, and will appreciate an ask that singles them out -- like “We want your donations.”
But donors always need to be reminded of the cause. Teletón cultivated donors by sending welcome packets and monthly statements with more stories about children to “reinforce the need,” according to Benson.
Fundraisers should also test communications in certain segments on specific holidays or cultural religious events – such as All Souls Day or the Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day, according to Dengler.
This year’s Teletón in the Untied States aims to convert 85 to 95 percent of donors into padrinos, which translates to “godfather,” the monthly giving plan. The padrino designation plays up the family affiliation and bond to the organization. For different levels of support, padrinos can pay for a child’s therapy, doctor visits and more. Teletón also lets donors visit 11 different rehabilitation centers to see what their contributions do for children.
Saray knows one trend for sure -- “The market is going toward Hispanic.”
NP TIMES
Teletón, a Mexico-based charity that helps disabled children, puts on a radio and television telethon to raise money each year. But last year, Teletón wanted to expand to Hispanics living in America, the country with the second largest Hispanic population, and acquired more than 67,000 new donors in just 30 hours.
The United States demographics are changing dramatically -- minorities will be the majority by 2042, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And the Hispanic population will jump from 46.7 million to 132.8 million by 2050 -- 30 percent of the United States projected population. The purchasing power for Hispanics will also increase significantly -- from $860 billion in 2007 to a projected $1.2 trillion just by 2012, according to “The Multicultural Economy Report” study released by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College School of Business.
Fundraisers who want to reach Hispanic donors will have to speak the language -- both literally and figuratively, according to Michael Saray, president of Michael Saray Hispanic Marketing in New York City, a Direct Marketing Association conference.
Spanish use decreases with the increase in generations, but family and community values stay relatively the same, according to Saray. This shows that the generations “might lose the language, but not the culture,” according to Saray, which is important when fundraisers think about messages. Saray characterized Hispanics generally as right-brain thinkers – relying more on emotions, intuition and creativity to make decisions.
First, fundraisers need to know where to get Hispanic lists. Spanish language generated and ZIP code lists for high-Spanish speaking segments can help build your list, according to Joan H. Smyth Dengler, vice president of direct response from Covenant House in New York City. And if you know the list was generated using Spanish speaking as a prerequisite, strictly Spanish communications, instead of bilingual, might test better, according to Dengler. She explained segmenting the list based on gender might not help in the test since decisions are generally made as a family.
Hispanic communication might also be fundamentally different. Saray said that Hispanics want to know the supporting argument before the main point, so fundraisers may need to build up a strong basis for need before asking for a donation. Hispanics might also react better to emotional images and a touching story more than a cascade of statistics and charts, according to Saray.
Teletón used children’s stories to illustrate the need for donations in 60 and 120 second spots in national and local markets in America, according to Lisa Scott Benson, senior vice president of strategy development in the Washington, D.C., office of Pasadena, Calif.-based Russ Reid Company. Mexicans living in America were the primary donor target, but Benson said that the message “deliberately approached all Latinos.” The spots targeted local markets with a high percentage of Hispanic residents and states like California and Texas, which combined account for 48 percent of the Hispanic population living in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Some 80 percent of the Teletón donations came in from the telephone, according to Benson. Saray said that Hispanics might prefer that communication outlet better, but recommended installing a telemarketing service that can accommodate for language preferences. The call might be a chance to connect with the donor emotionally and build trust -- but don’t blow the call with impersonal service and unenthused call center assistants.
Saray said Hispanic donors might like to be courted for their donation, and will appreciate an ask that singles them out -- like “We want your donations.”
But donors always need to be reminded of the cause. Teletón cultivated donors by sending welcome packets and monthly statements with more stories about children to “reinforce the need,” according to Benson.
Fundraisers should also test communications in certain segments on specific holidays or cultural religious events – such as All Souls Day or the Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day, according to Dengler.
This year’s Teletón in the Untied States aims to convert 85 to 95 percent of donors into padrinos, which translates to “godfather,” the monthly giving plan. The padrino designation plays up the family affiliation and bond to the organization. For different levels of support, padrinos can pay for a child’s therapy, doctor visits and more. Teletón also lets donors visit 11 different rehabilitation centers to see what their contributions do for children.
Saray knows one trend for sure -- “The market is going toward Hispanic.”
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Latinos face increase in HIV/AIDS
Latino populations face increase in HIV/AIDS
Three-day training will promote advocacy
Sarah Campbell Staff Writer February 4, 2009
When it comes to HIV/AIDs, Latinos are the second most disproportionately affected population in North Carolina and the nation, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Data from the department also reports that Latino men are twice as likely as white men to contract AIDS, while Latino women are four times as likely to have the virus.
In order to cultivate advocacy through leadership, The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina and the U.S-Mexico Board Health Association have joined forces to bring "ENLACES: Fostering Effective Latino Participation in HIV Prevention Community Planning" to eastern North Carolina.
Prevention strategies and awareness will be the primary focus of the three-day training session, which will be conducted in Spanish Friday through Sunday in Greenville.
"The ENLACES training comes to North Carolina at a very strategic time," Juvencio Rocha Peralta, AMEXCAN president, said. "At this time, there is little or no involvement of Latinos in North Carolina's Statewide Prevention Planning group, the place where HIV priorities and resource allocations are determined.
About 35 people will gather in Greenville at the Bernstein Community Health Center beginning Friday to take part in the training, the first of its kind to be held in eastern N.C.
"A lot of these people are already in leadership roles or work for local health departments and centers," Rocha Peralta said. "One of the overall goals is to train these individuals so that they can take this information back to their local communities."
The training is funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as part of its HIV Prevention Community Planning, a process set up to increase community involvement.
"It is crucial that we educate the Latino community of its role and responsibility in the state's community process so that effective HIV prevention activities for Latinos can be funded so that we can start to see a decrease in new cases," Rocha Peralta said.
According to the CDC, the most common methods of transmission among Latina women and men living with HIV/AIDS were high-risk heterosexual contact and injection drug use.
For Latino men living with HIV/AIDs, the CDC also reports sexual contact with other men as a widespread form of transmission.
"There is stigma within the Latino community, they don't want to talk about HIV and AIDS, and I think it's something that as a community we need to be responsible about," Rocha Peralta said. "This (training) is a way that we can help facilitate that."
The training session will provide leaders the opportunity to develop networks and improve community planning groups. The sessions are open to the public; anyone interested in participating should call Rocha Peralta at (252) 258-9967 to register.
"It doesn't take one person, it doesn't take one agency, it takes the entire community," Rocha Peralta said.
Sarah Campbell can be reached at (252) 559-1076 or scampbell@freedomenc.com.
ENLACES training goals
-Strengthen and support Latino leadership to enable participation
-Increase participants' group process skills
-Increase knowledge and advocacy for effective prevention planning
-Develop and support Latino resource networks
-Enhance the community planning group
Three-day training will promote advocacy
Sarah Campbell Staff Writer February 4, 2009
When it comes to HIV/AIDs, Latinos are the second most disproportionately affected population in North Carolina and the nation, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Data from the department also reports that Latino men are twice as likely as white men to contract AIDS, while Latino women are four times as likely to have the virus.
In order to cultivate advocacy through leadership, The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina and the U.S-Mexico Board Health Association have joined forces to bring "ENLACES: Fostering Effective Latino Participation in HIV Prevention Community Planning" to eastern North Carolina.
Prevention strategies and awareness will be the primary focus of the three-day training session, which will be conducted in Spanish Friday through Sunday in Greenville.
"The ENLACES training comes to North Carolina at a very strategic time," Juvencio Rocha Peralta, AMEXCAN president, said. "At this time, there is little or no involvement of Latinos in North Carolina's Statewide Prevention Planning group, the place where HIV priorities and resource allocations are determined.
About 35 people will gather in Greenville at the Bernstein Community Health Center beginning Friday to take part in the training, the first of its kind to be held in eastern N.C.
"A lot of these people are already in leadership roles or work for local health departments and centers," Rocha Peralta said. "One of the overall goals is to train these individuals so that they can take this information back to their local communities."
The training is funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as part of its HIV Prevention Community Planning, a process set up to increase community involvement.
"It is crucial that we educate the Latino community of its role and responsibility in the state's community process so that effective HIV prevention activities for Latinos can be funded so that we can start to see a decrease in new cases," Rocha Peralta said.
According to the CDC, the most common methods of transmission among Latina women and men living with HIV/AIDS were high-risk heterosexual contact and injection drug use.
For Latino men living with HIV/AIDs, the CDC also reports sexual contact with other men as a widespread form of transmission.
"There is stigma within the Latino community, they don't want to talk about HIV and AIDS, and I think it's something that as a community we need to be responsible about," Rocha Peralta said. "This (training) is a way that we can help facilitate that."
The training session will provide leaders the opportunity to develop networks and improve community planning groups. The sessions are open to the public; anyone interested in participating should call Rocha Peralta at (252) 258-9967 to register.
"It doesn't take one person, it doesn't take one agency, it takes the entire community," Rocha Peralta said.
Sarah Campbell can be reached at (252) 559-1076 or scampbell@freedomenc.com.
ENLACES training goals
-Strengthen and support Latino leadership to enable participation
-Increase participants' group process skills
-Increase knowledge and advocacy for effective prevention planning
-Develop and support Latino resource networks
-Enhance the community planning group
Research shows Hispanic women treated late for breast cancer
Research shows Hispanic women get breast cancer treatment late
CNN
Although Hispanic women have a lower incidence rate for breast cancer, they often get the diagnosis at later stages.
Although Hispanic women have a lower incidence rate for breast cancer, they often get the diagnosis at later stages.
Her doctor said the lump in her breast was nothing, so Rubeo, who didn't have health insurance, didn't seek a second opinion. With two jobs and two kids, she was busy and didn't go to the doctor's office for another year.
During her next visit, with a different doctor, Rubeo learned she had breast cancer -- and the tumor had been there for a while.
Her story may not be particularly rare. Research suggests that breast cancer may be harder to treat in Hispanic women because they wait longer to receive care.
Women in the fastest-growing minority group in the United States face issues such as language and cultural barriers, lifestyle choices and lack of insurance that could affect their health and medical care, according to research released Wednesday at the Science of Cancer Health Disparities Conference.
Like Rubeo, about half of women in a study of 230 Mexican-American breast cancer patients in Arizona and Texas noticed changes in their breasts, but waited more than a month to seek medical attention, according to research presented at the conference hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research.
"We asked what the reasons were," said Rachel Zenuk, a graduate student at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, who spoke about the study. "A third cited they didn't have insurance or were unable to afford medical care. Or they thought it was not important to report the medical finding to a professional."
Other factors included fear of the results and difficulty scheduling an appointment, she said.
More than a decade after her mastectomy, Rubeo urges Hispanic women in the San Francisco, California, Bay area not to wait after seeing changes in their breasts.
"I explain: Take time for you to see the doctor," she said. "[Some women] don't have insurance, don't speak English, it's very difficult."
Hispanics are the largest U.S. minority group, constituting 14 percent of the nation's total population. While Hispanic women have a lower incidence rate for breast cancer than whites, blacks and Asians, they have a less favorable prognosis because of delayed treatment.
"They're not getting more breast cancer than other women, but they're less likely to survive as long," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, a member of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's National Health Advisory Council and chairwoman of the Komen Foundation National Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council. "The reason is they're diagnosed at a later stage of the cancer."
"We're seeing them at later stages, so the cancer is more advanced. Their five-year survival rates are lower than non-Hispanic whites," Ramirez said.
Data also showed that about two-thirds of breast cancer cases in the 230 Mexican-American women were found through self-detection, which suggests that the women were not receiving routine mammogram or exams.
Rubeo said that when she first noticed the lump, she "had no time for me to take care of myself. Only work, work, running, no time to eat. Sometimes you forget yourself, so there's time for everybody and not enough for yourself."
At the Latina Breast Cancer Agency in San Francisco, she tells other women how she didn't take care of herself while working two jobs, 16 hours a day.
"I explain to the ladies my experience. Sometimes they cry and say it's true," Rubeo said.
She now runs support groups for breast cancer patients, talking about health screenings, accompanying women to the hospital and helping them with paperwork. Aside from the pressures of being a busy, working mother, there are language and cultural barriers for Latina women.
"For women we work with, our focus is breast health," said Olivia Fé, founder and executive director of the Latina Breast Cancer Agency. "Within Latino culture, within family, the husband doesn't want the wife to see a male doctor. ... That is a big deal."
The group partnered with public hospitals in San Francisco and San Mateo counties and made sure the medical staff who work with Hispanic breast cancer patients are female and speak Spanish.
Hispanic women don't take advantage of the free breast health screenings, because there's a lack of awareness, Fé said. Many women speak only Spanish, so prevention messages in English don't get through.
Research showed that the women with more education and exposure to English-language media, such as television and radio, were more likely to have had a mammogram.
Ramirez said there are now public service announcements in Spanish that target Hispanic women of all ages, so the younger ones will know the importance of family history and the older ones will become informed about the importance of mammograms.
The Komen Foundation funds local efforts to increase enrollment of Hispanic women in clinical trials, provide medical interpretive and transportation services, and have Spanish peer support for 24-hour breast cancer hotlines.
Lifestyle choices have an important role in breast cancer development, said Esther John, a research scientist and epidemiologist at the Northern California Cancer Center. One study that examined 2,533 Hispanic women found that the women born in foreign countries had 50 percent less risk of developing breast cancer than women born in the United States.
This San Francisco Bay Area Breast Cancer Study compared the known breast cancer risks such as obesity, use of hormones, alcohol consumption, fat intake and lack of physical activity between the two groups and found women born in the United States had greater risk.
"The pattern suggests that when Hispanic women move to the U.S., there are important changes from the traditional lifestyle to the Americanized lifestyle," John said. "There are lifestyle factors that increase risks of breast cancer."
CNN
Although Hispanic women have a lower incidence rate for breast cancer, they often get the diagnosis at later stages.
Although Hispanic women have a lower incidence rate for breast cancer, they often get the diagnosis at later stages.
Her doctor said the lump in her breast was nothing, so Rubeo, who didn't have health insurance, didn't seek a second opinion. With two jobs and two kids, she was busy and didn't go to the doctor's office for another year.
During her next visit, with a different doctor, Rubeo learned she had breast cancer -- and the tumor had been there for a while.
Her story may not be particularly rare. Research suggests that breast cancer may be harder to treat in Hispanic women because they wait longer to receive care.
Women in the fastest-growing minority group in the United States face issues such as language and cultural barriers, lifestyle choices and lack of insurance that could affect their health and medical care, according to research released Wednesday at the Science of Cancer Health Disparities Conference.
Like Rubeo, about half of women in a study of 230 Mexican-American breast cancer patients in Arizona and Texas noticed changes in their breasts, but waited more than a month to seek medical attention, according to research presented at the conference hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research.
"We asked what the reasons were," said Rachel Zenuk, a graduate student at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, who spoke about the study. "A third cited they didn't have insurance or were unable to afford medical care. Or they thought it was not important to report the medical finding to a professional."
Other factors included fear of the results and difficulty scheduling an appointment, she said.
More than a decade after her mastectomy, Rubeo urges Hispanic women in the San Francisco, California, Bay area not to wait after seeing changes in their breasts.
"I explain: Take time for you to see the doctor," she said. "[Some women] don't have insurance, don't speak English, it's very difficult."
Hispanics are the largest U.S. minority group, constituting 14 percent of the nation's total population. While Hispanic women have a lower incidence rate for breast cancer than whites, blacks and Asians, they have a less favorable prognosis because of delayed treatment.
"They're not getting more breast cancer than other women, but they're less likely to survive as long," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, a member of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's National Health Advisory Council and chairwoman of the Komen Foundation National Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council. "The reason is they're diagnosed at a later stage of the cancer."
"We're seeing them at later stages, so the cancer is more advanced. Their five-year survival rates are lower than non-Hispanic whites," Ramirez said.
Data also showed that about two-thirds of breast cancer cases in the 230 Mexican-American women were found through self-detection, which suggests that the women were not receiving routine mammogram or exams.
Rubeo said that when she first noticed the lump, she "had no time for me to take care of myself. Only work, work, running, no time to eat. Sometimes you forget yourself, so there's time for everybody and not enough for yourself."
At the Latina Breast Cancer Agency in San Francisco, she tells other women how she didn't take care of herself while working two jobs, 16 hours a day.
"I explain to the ladies my experience. Sometimes they cry and say it's true," Rubeo said.
She now runs support groups for breast cancer patients, talking about health screenings, accompanying women to the hospital and helping them with paperwork. Aside from the pressures of being a busy, working mother, there are language and cultural barriers for Latina women.
"For women we work with, our focus is breast health," said Olivia Fé, founder and executive director of the Latina Breast Cancer Agency. "Within Latino culture, within family, the husband doesn't want the wife to see a male doctor. ... That is a big deal."
The group partnered with public hospitals in San Francisco and San Mateo counties and made sure the medical staff who work with Hispanic breast cancer patients are female and speak Spanish.
Hispanic women don't take advantage of the free breast health screenings, because there's a lack of awareness, Fé said. Many women speak only Spanish, so prevention messages in English don't get through.
Research showed that the women with more education and exposure to English-language media, such as television and radio, were more likely to have had a mammogram.
Ramirez said there are now public service announcements in Spanish that target Hispanic women of all ages, so the younger ones will know the importance of family history and the older ones will become informed about the importance of mammograms.
The Komen Foundation funds local efforts to increase enrollment of Hispanic women in clinical trials, provide medical interpretive and transportation services, and have Spanish peer support for 24-hour breast cancer hotlines.
Lifestyle choices have an important role in breast cancer development, said Esther John, a research scientist and epidemiologist at the Northern California Cancer Center. One study that examined 2,533 Hispanic women found that the women born in foreign countries had 50 percent less risk of developing breast cancer than women born in the United States.
This San Francisco Bay Area Breast Cancer Study compared the known breast cancer risks such as obesity, use of hormones, alcohol consumption, fat intake and lack of physical activity between the two groups and found women born in the United States had greater risk.
"The pattern suggests that when Hispanic women move to the U.S., there are important changes from the traditional lifestyle to the Americanized lifestyle," John said. "There are lifestyle factors that increase risks of breast cancer."
Hispanic women studied for breast cancer impacts
Revealing Breast Cancer in Hispanic Women
(Ivanhoe Newswire)
Little is known about breast cancer in Hispanics, but new research is attempting to rectify the situation.
The American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, taking place this week in Carefree, AZ, includes four studies aimed at learning more about how breast cancer impacts Hispanic women.
The first study was conducted among women in the U.S. and Mexico to identify differences in breast cancer among the two groups. Results showed Mexican women were older at diagnosis and had more live births than women in the U.S. Women in the U.S., however, were significantly more likely to have a family history of the disease. Age at menarche, menopause, and first pregnancy, however, were similar, as was body mass index, which was high in both populations.
The second study looked at how breast cancer is identified in Hispanic women, finding 67 percent of cancers were found through self examination and only 23 percent through mammography. Six percent were detected by clinical examination. Mammography use was 83 percent in the U.S., versus 62 percent outside of the U.S. About half of the women who found a change in their breasts waited a month or longer to seek medical attention, citing cost concerns or lack of insurance.
The third study looked at the effect of family history on triple-negative breast cancer rates in American-born and Mexican-born Hispanic women and African-American women. Hispanic women born in Mexico had about a two fold increased risk if they had a family history of the condition, and a six fold increased risk of being diagnosed at a younger age. No increased risk was found for African-American women or Hispanic women born in the U.S., suggesting a combination of geography and genetics may be at play.
The fourth study compared breast cancer risk factors between American-born and foreign-born Hispanics. Results showed American-born women were more likely to have a family history of the disease, reach menarche before age 12, use hormone replacement therapy, drink alcohol, and be obese -- all factors that increase the risk for the disease. Foreign-born Hispanics were more likely to have more children, breastfeed longer, engage in more physical activity, and have a higher intake of fiber -- all factors that decrease the risk.
SOURCE: Presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, February 4, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire)
Little is known about breast cancer in Hispanics, but new research is attempting to rectify the situation.
The American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, taking place this week in Carefree, AZ, includes four studies aimed at learning more about how breast cancer impacts Hispanic women.
The first study was conducted among women in the U.S. and Mexico to identify differences in breast cancer among the two groups. Results showed Mexican women were older at diagnosis and had more live births than women in the U.S. Women in the U.S., however, were significantly more likely to have a family history of the disease. Age at menarche, menopause, and first pregnancy, however, were similar, as was body mass index, which was high in both populations.
The second study looked at how breast cancer is identified in Hispanic women, finding 67 percent of cancers were found through self examination and only 23 percent through mammography. Six percent were detected by clinical examination. Mammography use was 83 percent in the U.S., versus 62 percent outside of the U.S. About half of the women who found a change in their breasts waited a month or longer to seek medical attention, citing cost concerns or lack of insurance.
The third study looked at the effect of family history on triple-negative breast cancer rates in American-born and Mexican-born Hispanic women and African-American women. Hispanic women born in Mexico had about a two fold increased risk if they had a family history of the condition, and a six fold increased risk of being diagnosed at a younger age. No increased risk was found for African-American women or Hispanic women born in the U.S., suggesting a combination of geography and genetics may be at play.
The fourth study compared breast cancer risk factors between American-born and foreign-born Hispanics. Results showed American-born women were more likely to have a family history of the disease, reach menarche before age 12, use hormone replacement therapy, drink alcohol, and be obese -- all factors that increase the risk for the disease. Foreign-born Hispanics were more likely to have more children, breastfeed longer, engage in more physical activity, and have a higher intake of fiber -- all factors that decrease the risk.
SOURCE: Presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities, February 4, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Latino health issues is topic of talks
County plans talks on Latino health issues
Loveland Reporter-Herald
FORT COLLINS — The Larimer County Health Department is hosting a series of community discussion about chronic disease and health disparities among Latinos.
The discussions are part of Vida Sana, a program that will use information gathered from participants to identify issues and solutions related to chronic disease disparities among Larimer County Latinos, which represent more than 9 percent of the county's population.
The first discussion will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 12 at Northside Aztlan Community Center, 112 Willow St., Fort Collins.
For more information or to RSVP for the town hall, contact Summer Laws at 498-6853 or slaws@larimer.org. All information will be available in both English and Spanish.
Loveland Reporter-Herald
FORT COLLINS — The Larimer County Health Department is hosting a series of community discussion about chronic disease and health disparities among Latinos.
The discussions are part of Vida Sana, a program that will use information gathered from participants to identify issues and solutions related to chronic disease disparities among Larimer County Latinos, which represent more than 9 percent of the county's population.
The first discussion will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 12 at Northside Aztlan Community Center, 112 Willow St., Fort Collins.
For more information or to RSVP for the town hall, contact Summer Laws at 498-6853 or slaws@larimer.org. All information will be available in both English and Spanish.
Hispanic health study will be one of the most extensive
Initiatives | $61M, Multicenter Study To Examine Health, Acculturation of Hispanics
KAISER NETWORK [Feb 03, 2009]
A six-year, $61 million multicenter study is seeking to gather data on the health of Hispanics to expand current research on the group, the Miami Herald reports. The Hispanic Community Health Study -- funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute -- will take place at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine and three other field centers in San Diego, the Bronx in New York City and Chicago. The University of North Carolina will serve as the data coordinating center.
Researchers are hoping to gather baseline health data on 16,000 Hispanics. Currently available data on Hispanics is mostly based on Mexican-Americans. For the new research, each study site will focus on collecting data from a particular subgroup, according to the Herald. The UM site, for example, will include 4,000 participants from Cuba and Central and South America. Participants will range in age from 18 to 74 and will be preselected from communities that are more than 80% Hispanic, the Herald reports.
The first three years of the study will focus on gathering data. Participants will undergo standard blood tests, psychosocial assessments, dental exams, neuro-cognitive testing, and hearing and lung function exams. Participants' sleep and physical activity also will be monitored with devices they take home.
Researchers will follow up with participants after the initial clinic visit and then annually for three years. Marc Gellman, research director at UM's Behavioral Medicine Research Center, said patients will not receive treatment through the study, adding, "We're an observational study, but people can go back to their own doctors with this information." He added, "The assessments are quite thorough. They get tests here they wouldn't get in a doctor's office in a typical physical."
The study also will examine the role of acculturation in immigrant health. Neil Schneiderman, the study's lead researcher, said, "We're looking at acculturation and how immigrants' habits change over time. Since arriving here, are they smoking more or less? Are they eating more or less? What are they eating? How does assimilation affect health?" Schneiderman said, "As Hispanics continue to become a larger percentage of the population, we need to prepare health care for the future," adding, "We will be able to identify needs and what has to be done to improve the health of our community" (Veciana-Suarez, Miami Herald, 2/3).
KAISER NETWORK [Feb 03, 2009]
A six-year, $61 million multicenter study is seeking to gather data on the health of Hispanics to expand current research on the group, the Miami Herald reports. The Hispanic Community Health Study -- funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute -- will take place at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine and three other field centers in San Diego, the Bronx in New York City and Chicago. The University of North Carolina will serve as the data coordinating center.
Researchers are hoping to gather baseline health data on 16,000 Hispanics. Currently available data on Hispanics is mostly based on Mexican-Americans. For the new research, each study site will focus on collecting data from a particular subgroup, according to the Herald. The UM site, for example, will include 4,000 participants from Cuba and Central and South America. Participants will range in age from 18 to 74 and will be preselected from communities that are more than 80% Hispanic, the Herald reports.
The first three years of the study will focus on gathering data. Participants will undergo standard blood tests, psychosocial assessments, dental exams, neuro-cognitive testing, and hearing and lung function exams. Participants' sleep and physical activity also will be monitored with devices they take home.
Researchers will follow up with participants after the initial clinic visit and then annually for three years. Marc Gellman, research director at UM's Behavioral Medicine Research Center, said patients will not receive treatment through the study, adding, "We're an observational study, but people can go back to their own doctors with this information." He added, "The assessments are quite thorough. They get tests here they wouldn't get in a doctor's office in a typical physical."
The study also will examine the role of acculturation in immigrant health. Neil Schneiderman, the study's lead researcher, said, "We're looking at acculturation and how immigrants' habits change over time. Since arriving here, are they smoking more or less? Are they eating more or less? What are they eating? How does assimilation affect health?" Schneiderman said, "As Hispanics continue to become a larger percentage of the population, we need to prepare health care for the future," adding, "We will be able to identify needs and what has to be done to improve the health of our community" (Veciana-Suarez, Miami Herald, 2/3).
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