Posts tagged sandra san miguel

Video Series: The Mind-Boggling Burden of Latino Cancer

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6 months ago
by admin in

A unique new five-part video series explores the nuances of cancer in Latino populations.

The videos, produced by the Nurse Oncology Education Program (NOEP), feature several researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, including IHPR Director/Professor Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, Research Instructor Sanrda San Miguel, and Patient Navigation/Promotora Guadalupe Cornejo.

The trio also play large roles in the IHPR’s Latino cancer research network, Redes En Acción, funded by the National Cancer Institute.

Here are Parts 1-5:

IHPR Promotora Programs Take Center Stage at White House

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8 months ago
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Sandra San Miguel de Majors, a research instructor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the Health Science Center at San Antonio, touted the use of community health workers—called promotores—to improve people’s health at the Latina Health Policy Briefing for Promotores de Salud on Sept. 26, 2012, at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Sandra San Miguel at a White House policy briefing on Sept. 26, 2012.

The policy briefing, organized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review the affordable care act, united key Latino health care providers, researchers, stakeholders and promotores to discuss successful evidenced-based Latino research initiatives utilizing promotores.

The briefing featured Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and Kathleen Sebelius, HHS secretary.

San Miguel participated in a panel featuring promotora research and outreach successes. Representing IHPR director Dr. Amelie Ramirez and IHPR researcher Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina, San Miguel gave an overview on IHPR’s obesity research projects:

  • Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children is a national network of researchers, community leaders, policymakers, and others who are working together to seek environmental and policy solutions to address Latino childhood obesity.
  • Enlace is testing the effectiveness of a culturally appropriate, theory-based intervention to increase moderate to vigorous physical activity among impoverished Latinas in South Texas.
  • The SaludToday social media campaign is stimulating an ongoing discussion among Latino families, community leaders, health researchers and others interested in improving the health of U.S. Latinos.

The White House policy briefing on Sept. 26, 2012.

“We are discovering through our research efforts that promotores play a major role in effectively changing our Latino community perspective toward health and physical activity,” San Miguel said. “In addition to helping to navigate the community and connecting them with the appropriate social support resources, promotores are acting as behavioral change agents.”

Also represented on the promotora panel were the Health Disparities Department at the American Cancer Society, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

Julie Chavez Rodrigues, associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and granddaughter of the late Latino rights activist César Chavez, made closing remarks.

“It was an honor for me to represent the IHPR and our team of IHPR promotores, whose passion and dedication enables us to implement successful evidenced based and community based participatory research programs within our Latino communities at a local and national level,” San Miguel said. “It was a wonderful experience; I was humbled to be in such distinguished company.”

How a Professional ‘Abuela’ Spawned a Career in Health Promotion

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1 year ago
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Armida Flores

Armida Flores was a professional abuela—babysitting her granddaughters, volunteering at their schools, etc.—until they moved to California a few years ago.

Then Flores wasn’t sure what to do with her newfound spare time.

So the Mexico native, who was 30 years removed from school, didn’t know much English and had no career training, decided to enroll in bilingual nursing classes at Palo Alto College in San Antonio and simultaneously earned her GED in Spanish in 2008.

She also took beginner and advanced English to polish her language skills, and in May 2012 earned an associate’s degree in social work, psychology and Spanish.

“The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was to accept that I am not too old to start a new process in my life,” said Flores. “Now that I have overcome this obstacle, I continue working to improve my language and computer skills.”

She’s kick-started her career as a health educator at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

She serves as a patient navigator to help cancer survivors navigate the complex health care system, get emotional support, and access needed care services.

She also is a promotora—a community health worker for Latinos—on an IHPR-LIVESTRONG partnership to identify Latino cancer patients and refer them to LIVESTRONG’s cancer survivor services.

LIVESTRONG recently lauded Flores for having the highest number of referrals, and invited her to a national conference in July 2012.

Flores also coordinates workshops, member recruitment and record-keeping for the San Antonio Community Health Association, and she co-founded the Cuenta Conmigo cancer support group for Spanish speakers.

“Armida is the perfect bridge between our Latino community and our health care providers/system,” said IHPR researcher Sandra San Miguel de Majors. “Latino cancer survivors are able to relate to her because she’s from their own community, she speaks their same language and she understands their culture and barriers.

“I admire her positive attitude and willingness to help everyone. She’s got a quiet approach, but makes a very strong impact in our community.”

Flores hopes to eventually earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in counseling.

“My motivations to accomplish my goals are my family, myself, and my desire to learn how to be able to help people in my community,” she said.

Community Health Workers: Helping Latinos Navigate the Medical Maze

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1 year ago
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Community health worker Guadalupe Cornejo of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, helps Latino patients navigate the complex medical system.

Community health worker Guadalupe Cornejo of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, helps Latino patients navigate the complex medical system.

A community health worker (CHW) helps patients—in San Antonio, that typically means Latino patients—navigate the complex world of cancer care, according to a San Antonio Express-News article about CHWs.

The article focuses on Guadalupe Cornejo, a CHW at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. Cornejo is partialy supported through the IHPR’s Latino cancer research network, Redes En Acción, via a partnership with LIVESTRONG.

Cornejo’s job includes answering questions, helping patients make appointments and apply for services and, when necessary, acting as a liaison between patients and the medical system.

“Research has shown that this population is more likely to fall through the cracks when it comes to cancer care,” says Sandra San Miguel de Majors, a researcher-instructor at the University of Texas Health Science Center and program coordinator.

Preliminary figures show that, during the first eight months of the Redes en Acción/Livestrong partnership, the program’s CHWs served 920 patients.

Read about Guadalupe and the Latino patients she helps here.

IHPR Reaches into Community to Raise Cancer Awareness

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2 years ago
by admin in
Guadalupe Cornejo (left) and Sandra San Miguel of the IHPR

Guadalupe Cornejo (left) and Sandra San Miguel of the IHPR

Reaching into the community to raise cancer awareness is a big priority of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday.

That’s why IHPR researcher Sandra San Miguel and promotora Guadalupe Cornejo worked hard to bring vital health information to more than 350 Latinos on Oct. 1 at the Consulate General of Mexico in San Antonio during Binational Health Week, a series of free health events across the nation to improve Latino health.

The pair, representing the IHPR and the Lance Armstrong Foundation’s LIVESTRONG campaign, passed out 100 brochres for the LIVESTRONG Survivorcare program, several “What’s Next” booklets and hundreds of yellow LIVESTRONG wristbands.

Overall, San Miguel and Cornejo had success raising cancer awareness and interest in prevention efforts.

“[Community residents] were very interested in the Lance Armstrong Foundation and in cancer in general (risk factors, prevalence within the Latino community, topics about fear, religion, etc.),” San Miguel said. “It was incredibly interesting. We’re in the process of following up with a couple of individuals and groups.”

Read more about San Miguel’s and the IHPR’s work with LIVESTRONG.

Lance Armstrong Celebrates Progress Made by Redes En Acción, Others to Reduce Latino Cancer

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2 years ago
by admin in

Cyclist and cancer prevention activist Lance Armstrong visited patients and met with researchers to discuss the Latino cancer burden in San Francisco on Sept. 21 in a visit facilitated in part by Sandra San Miguel, a research instructor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday.

Armstrong met with the researchers of the northwest site of the IHPR’s Latino cancer research network, Redes En Acción, including researchers Drs. Eliseo Pérez-Stable and Anna Nápoles and promotora Marynieves Diaz-Mendez.

Armstrong called his meeting with Redes researchers “incredible,” and lauded the Redes/LIVESTRONG National Promotores Education and Outreach project.

The project has identified and trained bilingual and bicultural promotores to identify Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors, refer them to LIVESTRONG Survivorcare, and provide much needed cancer health education and outreach to targeted Latino communities in New Jersey, Miami, San Diego, San Antonio, South Texas and San Francisco. The project is led by the IHPR’s Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez with coordination by San Miguel.

Armstrong also toured San Francisco General Hospital’s Avon Comprehensive Breast Care Center, where patients were receiving treatment, alongside the city’s mayor, Gavin Newsom.

“There is a great need for resources that improve the quality of life for Hispanic and Latino cancer survivors and San Francisco’s community groups and medical professionals are working to fill that need,” said Armstrong in a news release. “LIVESTRONG is proud to be a part of the effort to provide Hispanic families affected by cancer with customized tools and support they need to live life on their own terms.”

The Latino population, which represents a mosaic of cultures, is projected to account for nearly one-third of the total U.S. population by 2050. Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Latinos and cancer rates for Latinos are projected to increase by 142% by 2030, compared to 45% for the overall U.S. cancer incidence. Latinos, who as a demographic tend to have lower incomes, less education and less insurance, have lower survival rates for most cancers, which may reflect less access to timely, high-quality treatment.

In response, earlier this year, LIVESTRONG expanded its outreach to the Hispanic/Latino community through promotion of its free Spanish-language resources, including LIVESTRONG.org/Espanol and LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare. LIVESTRONG aims to provide more support to a wider number of Hispanics and Latinos who are affected by cancer and those closest to them through increased visibility or access to the most common places people go for information: the internet, cellular devices and media outlets.

Meanwhile, Redes has a new grant to continue its efforts in Latino cancer research, training and awareness.

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