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Dear Readers and Followers,

We are in the process of updating this site.  Please be patient as we make changes.  In the meantime, get the latest information about Latinos at "The Journal On Latino Americans" website.  Thank you for your following.

Sincerely,
Adrian Perez, CEO/Pulisher
POP-9 Communications
aperez@pop-9.com


POP-9 Communications is the publisher of The Journal On Latino Americans; Vida de Oro; The American Latina; The Perez Factor; and coming soon - SacLatino and Decepti-Kon.

National Latino AIDS awareness unveils campaign slogan

National Latino AIDS Awareness Day – Theme for 2011 Latinos stand Together! Let's stay healthy! Get Tested for HIV

NEW YORK, NY - The National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) is a national community mobilization and social marketing campaign focused on HIV awareness, testing, prevention and education. NLAAD takes place annually on October 15th, the last day of Hispanic Heritage month and was initiated as a response to the HIV/AIDS crisis within Hispanic/Latino communities in the U.S. and its territories. In the past eight years, organizations participating in NLAAD have provided HIV testing to over 75,000 individuals nationwide.

“Hispanics/Latinos face so many health challenges including discrimination, language barriers, social stigma, poverty and as of late, tremendous anti-immigrant sentiment. The outcome of CENSUS 2010, reminds us that Hispanic/Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic population and NLAAD’s vision is to reach and strengthen healthy communities”

This year’s theme “Latinos stand together! Let's stay healthy! Get Tested for HIV” speaks to the critical role of our communities engaging in not just HIV alone but also other health issues, such as Tuberculosis, Viral Hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections that impact all of our communities.

The most recent data from the Center’s for Disease Control (CDC) shows that over 200,000 Hispanics/Latinos have been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

“Hispanics/Latinos face so many health challenges including discrimination, language barriers, social stigma, poverty and as of late, tremendous anti-immigrant sentiment. The outcome of CENSUS 2010, reminds us that Hispanic/Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic population and NLAAD’s vision is to reach and strengthen healthy communities,” stated Guillermo Chacón, President of the Latino Commission on AIDS.

NLAAD recognizes the Office of Minority Health and Dr. Garth N. Graham, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health in the Office of Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, on their leadership and support for the mission and vision of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD).

About NLAAD: National Latino AIDS Awareness Day was developed by the Latino Commission on AIDS and the Hispanic Federation in partnership with community based organizations, people living with HIV/AIDS, state and regional health departments and others. Partnerships with the media, elected officials, civic and religious leaders, foundations, celebrities and the health care system are forged to raise awareness among Latinos in the United States and territories. To find out more about NLAAD visit www.nlaad.org.

Hispanic cancer awareness and education effort announced

Partnership with the National Cancer Institute Targets Hispanic Population

NEW YORK, NY -- Hispanic Information & Telecommunications Network, Inc. (HITN), President and CEO Jose Luis Rodriguez today announced a cancer awareness and education initiative in partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) specifically for the Spanish-speaking community. The video vignette series will premiere on April 26 as part of HITN'S public affairs show Dialogo de Costa a Costa; and will also air as part of HITN's larger health campaign Mi Salud Primero.

HITN Vice President of Development, Magaly Rivera said, "Arming our communities with information about risks, prevention, and treatment is our goal. This partnership will bring more awareness to our communities to prepare more families to be champions and advocates for their own health.  We are honored to add NCI's expertise to our health campaign Mi Salud Primero that offers family friendly tools for health awareness and improvement." 

The broadcast partnership will bring to national, Spanish-language television, two-minute video segments called "Lifelines" to inform and educate the Hispanic community about cancer related issues.  Among the topics for the coming months are:  What to Do After a Cancer Diagnosis, Cancer Risk and Nutrition, and Clinical Trials Awareness.  In May, Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the Lifelines feature will introduce a new brochure from NCI, Anyone Can Get Skin Cancer, designed specifically for minority populations and people with dark skin.

A new Lifelines segment will be launched each month in observance of a specific cancer awareness focus, including Prostate Cancer Awareness Month (September), Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), Lung Cancer Awareness Month (November), and Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (March).  One of NCI's most well-known Spanish-speaking doctors, Jorge Gomez, Ph.D., M.D., will serve as the expert host for all Lifelines videos. The information presented in the videos will be tailored to address how certain cancers specifically affect members of the Hispanic community.  

The NCI created Lifelines in 2008 initially for Hispanic and African American audiences. It began as a monthly newspaper series, and is still distributed to Hispanic and African American community newspapers nationwide. Select newspaper articles are now converted to two-minute videos given the immense popularity of web videos. The videos are produced by NCI and feature NCI researchers and affiliates as spokespersons to their respective ethnic communities.  Videos and other resources for Spanish speakers can be found at www.cancer.gov/espanol.

The Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc. (HITN) was established in 1983 as a non-profit organization. HITN's mission is to advance Hispanics by providing engaging, educational entertainment that empowers the community to serve as an ever-growing engine of intellectual power and progress. HITN-TV is the first U.S.-owned, non-commercial, Spanish-language media company delivering educational programming to more than 36 million homes nationwide on Satellite and Cable focusing on Health, Financial Literacy, and Education. HITN is also the largest holder of Educational Broadband Spectrum (EBS) in the US, supporting the next generation of wireless broadband networks and creating new opportunities to deliver educational content and connect communities. Visit us online at http://www.hitn.tv. 

SOURCE Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network, Inc.

Hispanic families encouraged to eat together, eat healthy

TUCOCINA partners with Chef Portillo to encourage Hispanic families to get back to the dinner table.

NEW YORK, NY. - - TUCOCINA, a New York-based Latin kitchenware maker, today announced that it has partnered with Los Angeles-based nutrition expert Chef Portillo, widely recognized as a healthy Latin food thought leader, for the launch of "La Salud en Tu Cocina," an initiative developed by TUCOCINA to encourage Hispanic families to eat healthier and help bring them back around the dinner table. 

 

Named Culinary Woman of 2010 by the National Latina Business Women Association, Los Angeles, 'Latin Lite' Chef Portillo will develop delicious, healthy and affordable recipes, write a column and conduct demonstrations for TUCOCINA's initiative. Focused on connecting Hispanic families back to Latin culinary traditions and health awareness, the Latin kitchenware company will also provide cooking utensils and pair Chef Portillo with many of the participating families to help them plan, shop, prepare and cook healthy meals at home.

Convinced that food prepared at home and served around the dinner table is an essential part of the Hispanic family tradition, TUCOCINA has built a brand that has a positive impact on the Latin food lovers it touches.

"The program is near and dear to our hearts at TUCOCINA because studies point out that Hispanic children are at higher risk of becoming overweight and suffering from obesity-related conditions due, in part, to a lack of healthy food alternatives" said TUCOCINA's president and founder, Rafael Rodas. "Chef Portillo is a perfect match for TUCOCINA and this program. Her fresh and simple approach to cooking, passion for authenticity, and close relationship with local farmers and purveyors is exactly what we were looking for in a chef partner. With Chef Portillo's help, we planon spreading the program coast-to-coast."

TUCOCINA offers products found in traditional cocinas, using innovative designs, enhanced functionality and superior kitchenware quality, which are available at over 600 hundred retailers. To find and purchase their calderos, comals, griddles, pots, pans and specialty kitchenware accessories, visit http://www.tucocina.net/category.

About TUCOCINA

TUCOCINA complements the home cook's experience by offering high quality, practical products for everyday use in today's Latin kitchen. For more information, visit: http://tucocina.net. For media and product distribution inquiries, contact Lucia Matthews at lucia@dialogo.us.

About Chef Portillo

Based in Los Angeles, Chef Portillo is a world-class chef, food consultant, spokesperson, nutritionist, owner and executive chef of Il Bella Café and Il Bella Events. With a degree in Culinary Arts from the famous Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Portillo has studied and practiced the intricacies of international organic and Latino cuisine. For more information, visit www.ilbellaevents.com. To book demonstrations or for spokesperson inquiries, contact Lucia Matthews at lucia@dialogo.us

VA narrows racial gaps in care, but not in outcomes

Big Differences Persist Between African American and White Veterans in Areas Like Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Control, For Unknown Reasons

Bethesda, MD -- In the past decade, the Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System has made great progress in providing screenings and treating high-risk conditions for all its patients, thus substantially closing the gaps in care provided white and African American enrollees. However, a new study shows that big differences still persist between black and white veterans when it comes to outcomes in heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. The research appears in the April 2011 edition of the monthly journal Health Affairs. The study examined a national sample of more than 1.2 million VA enrollees between 2000 and 2009 for 10 clinical performance measures related to cancer screening and cardiovascular and diabetes care. The authors of the study say that, while the VA greatly improved the quality of care for white and black veterans over that period, those efforts have not narrowed racial gaps in clinical outcomes. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation's largest philanthropy focused solely on health and health care, sponsored the issue. "The VA has narrowed care gaps that are directly under the control of the providers - ordering tests, referring to the appropriate specialist, and conducting screenings," says Amal Trivedi, research investigator at the Providence VA Medical Center and an assistant professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. However, among all VA medical centers, there was as much as a nine percentage point difference between black and white veterans in measures indicating whether cholesterol, diabetes, and blood pressure were under control. Thus, improvements in clinical performance were not accompanied by meaningful reductions in racial disparities for outcomes that not only affect how healthy people are and how long they live, but also significantly drive up health costs. The bottom line, says Trivedi, is that "Even in a system with all the quality improvement strengths of the VA, important gaps remain," he says. The reasons are unknown, he says, and more research is needed to understand the drivers of these differences in clinical outcomes. Trivedi and his colleagues also examined whether racial disparities in care were driven primarily by a concentration of black enrollees in lower performing VA facilities or differential quality for white and black veterans receiving care in the same VA facility. With the exception of mammography screening, performance rates improved for white and black veterans on each quality indicator for processes and outcomes of care, most particularly for eye exams for diabetes. Although the VA is a universal health system that has spent a decade working on quality improvement, Trivedi says the study has broad implications. The findings underscore the urgency of "focused efforts" to improve intermediate clinical outcomes among black Americans in both the VA and other health care settings. "We not only have to measure whether someone got a test but also whether anything happened as a result of that test," he says. "In other words, whether the test showed that treatment was indicated; whether the treatment was received; and whether the treatment translated into improvements in measurements like blood pressure or cholesterol control." The study's coauthors were Regina Grebla of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Steven Wright of the VA's Office of Quality and Performance, and Donna Washington of the Greater Los Angeles VA Medical Center and UCLA. The findings come at the heels of a growing number of studies, most recently from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)'s 2010 National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparity Report. The AHRQ and other studies show that racial and ethnic disparities continue at persistently high levels.

About Health Affairs

Health Affairs, published by Project HOPE, is the leading journal of health policy. The peer-reviewed journal appears each month in print, with additional Web First papers published weekly at www.healthaffairs.org. You can also find the journal on Facebook and Twitter and download Narrative Matters on iTunes. Address inquiries to Sue Ducat at (301) 841-9962 or sducat@projecthope.org. This email was sent to medicalquality@email.msn.com. You are receiving this e-mail because you registered on the Health Affairs Web site. Click here to unsubscribe http://www.healthaffairs.org/1260_opt_in.php.

Many Hispanics remain cool to organ donation

Hispanics are less likely to donate organs than by non-Hispanic Americans.

By Jim Forsyth, Reuters

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - When Norma Garcia's 13-year-old daughter was killed in a car wreck, she had no idea that in the midst of her grief she was about to plunge into a controversy that would test her cultural identity and Christian faith.

After Jasmine Garcia was declared brain dead following the 2001 accident, doctors at San Antonio's University Hospital asked her mother if she would be willing to donate her daughter's organs.

"The majority of my family had a belief that, 'How could you do that? How could you allow her to be mutilated? How could you let them take her heart out?'" recalled Garcia, a San Antonio real estate agent. "My parents are from Mexico, and they had the feeling that, 'She is your daughter. Why would you allow them to do this to her?"

Garcia ultimately made an organ donation of Jasmine's heart and liver, a decision that left her estranged from several relatives for some time, she recalled.

Her experience highlights a cultural divide that organ donation advocates say is threatening the ability of surgeons to save lives through organ transplants, especially as new census figures show the nation's Hispanic population surging.

Hispanics -- especially first- and second-generation Mexican-Americans -- are less likely to donate organs than Americans as a whole, according to organ donation experts.

"We find that the Hispanic community tells us, 'My religion says not to donate,' and 'I can't have an open casket because the body will be damaged,'" said Esmeralda Perez of the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance. "They feel that their loved one will be disfigured, or the person will not be able to get into heaven because their body will not be whole."

In South Texas along the Rio Grande from Brownsville to Laredo, where Latinos make up the vast majority of 1.4 million residents -- many of them first-generation Mexican-Americans -- organs from just 19 individuals were donated in 2010, according to the alliance. The overall U.S. average is about 26 organ donors per million, Perez said.

Thirty-one percent of organ donors across Texas in 2010 were Hispanic, while new census figures show that 42 percent of the state's population is Latino.

Latinos' reticence about organ donation centers on religion, said Nuvia Enriquez, Hispanic outreach coordinator for the Donor Network of Arizona.

"A lot of work that we do is to go out and try to dissolve some of these myths," she said. "We talk to them about the Catholic Church's position on donation, which is very positive. Pope John Paul II was actually the first pope to declare donation to be an act of love, and Pope Benedict, when he was Cardinal, was a card-carrying organ donor."

The Rev. John Leies, a prominent Catholic theologian and former president of St. Mary's University in San Antonio, said the church is working to convince the faithful that organ donation does not render the body unfit for the afterlife.

"The church is well aware that there are so may people waiting for organs, and there are not enough to be supplied and people die without receiving their organs," he said. "It is difficult to fight against these cultural ideas, and maybe the church hasn't made a good enough effort."

Perez said that 45 percent of patients on the national waiting list to receive organs are Hispanic.

Garcia said her relatives, who once so strongly criticized her decision to donate Jasmine's organs, have since become big supporters of organ donation.

"After we all got more educated, and the family started attending these events where donors' families meet organ recipients, and seeing how much of a difference this has made in the lives of others and the good they could do for all these people, and how this was keeping Jasmine's memory alive, I think they realized it was the right decision," she said.

(Edited by Corrie MacLaggan and Steve Gorman)

Arthritis Strikes 3 Million U.S. Hispanics

Report provides sub-group data among Hispanics nationwide.

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Arthritis affects 3.1 million Hispanics in the U.S. and causes severe joint pain and limitations for at least one in five of them, according to new CDC data released today at a congressional briefing hosted by the National Alliance for Hispanic Health and the Arthritis Foundation.     
 

The study, published in the Feb. 18 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, is the first of its kind to report on the prevalence of arthritis in a nationally representative sample of seven specific Hispanic sub-groups, including Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, South and Central Americans, Dominicans and Cubans.  Among the key findings:

• An estimated 3.1 million Hispanics have arthritis.
  • Puerto Ricans reported the highest prevalence (22 percent), which is similar to the prevalence for non-Hispanic whites (23 percent) and blacks (22 percent).
  • Cubans/Cuban Americans reported the lowest prevalence (12 percent).
• The study looked at the prevalence of three significant arthritis-attributable effects: severe joint pain, activity limitations, and work limitations. While the prevalence varied across Hispanic sub-groups, at least one in five people in each sub-group reported each of the three effects.  
  • Mexicans reported the highest work limitations.
  • Puerto Ricans reported the most joint pain and highest activity limitations.

"These findings suggest a critical need to expand the reach of effective strategies aimed at arthritis prevention and management, particularly among underserved populations," said Dr. John H. Klippel, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation.

According to Dr. Jane L. Delgado, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, "Seeing your health provider, engaging in movement, maintaining a healthy weight, and learning techniques to manage arthritis can dramatically improve lives.  However, it is only by tailoring services to the needs of individuals that we will achieve this goal.  Today's first-ever data from the CDC on arthritis and Hispanic sub-groups is an important step in that effort."

"Hispanics are the nation's largest group after non-Hispanic whites, and will account for nearly a third of our population by 2050. That is why it's important to understand how arthritis – the most common cause of disability – affects their lives and their work," said Dr. Wayne H. Giles, director of the Division of Adult and Community Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This study advances that understanding and will help us to target our limited resources in ways that maximize the impact public health measures can have on improving the lives of Hispanics with arthritis."

Resources for Managing Arthritis

To beat the pain and disability of arthritis and learn strategies for controlling arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health and the CDC offer the following resources:

• See a health provider.  Early diagnosis of arthritis is critical to its management and prevention of activity limitations.  The Alliance offers a toll-free bilingual (Spanish and English) Su Familia National Hispanic Family Health Helpline (1-866-783-2645 or 1-866-SU-FAMILIA) where individuals can receive trusted health information and referral to health providers, including community health centers, in their community.
• Engage in exercise.  Low impact exercise, such as walking, has been proven to reduce pain, improve function and quality of life, and delay arthritis-related disability.  For joint-safe exercise programs, try the Arthritis Foundation's Life Improvement Series land or water exercise programs offered at more than 1,700 locations nationwide.  
• Maintain a healthy weight.  Extra weight adds unnecessary weight on your joints.  For every pound you lose, that's four pounds of pressure off each knee.  The Alliance is supporting Hispanic families making movement a daily part of their lives and improving access to healthy food through their Vive tu vida! Get Up! Get Moving! ® free event series.  With over 50,000 attendees to date, it is the largest annual Hispanic family healthy lifestyle event series.  To learn more, visit www.getupgetmoving.org (English) or www.vivetuvida.org (Spanish).
• Discover techniques to manage your arthritis. Participate in self-management courses in English or Spanish to learn how to manage the pain and challenges that arthritis imposes.  Recent studies have proven that The Arthritis Foundation Self-Help Course teaches people how to have a stronger sense of control over their arthritis.    
• Learn more.  To learn more about programs offered in your area and to order free educational materials, visit http://www.arthritis.org, http://www.hispanichealth.org/ and http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/index.htm

About the Arthritis Foundation

Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation's leading cause of disability.  The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the impact of this serious disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest.  The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for access to quality health care for the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide transformative programs and information.

About the National Alliance for Hispanic Health

The Alliance is the nation's foremost science-based source of information and trusted advocate for the health of Hispanics in the United States. The Alliance represents thousands of Hispanic health providers across the nation providing services to more than 15 million each year, making a daily difference in the lives of Hispanic communities and families. For more information, visit www.hispanichealth.org or call the Alliance's Su Familia Hispanic Family Health Helpline at 1-866-783-2645.