Other cities include Indianapolis, Boston, Pittsburgh and Seattle. San Antonio was selected because of its large Hispanic population. Local efforts, led by the Health Science Center's Hispanic Center of Excellence, will include partnering with a number of organizations via a local advisory board to assist planning yearlong activities and dissemination of materials to women in the community. Research has shown that despite gains made in life expectancy in the United States over the past century, gaps in health outcomes persist among ethnic groups. For example, between African Americans and Caucasians, for which the most data is available, African American women are 25 percent more likely to die from heart disease and 86 percent more likely to die from a stroke.
Women are the heart of the Hispanic family.
The public education campaign coincided with the kick-off of the newly declared National Women's Health Week, from May 14 to May 20, and began on Mother's Day. Dr. Medrano and Dominga Silguero of San Antonio traveled to Washington, D.C., to read a San Antonio proclamation recognizing National Women's Health Week. Silguero is a volunteer at the University Health System's Barrio Comprehensive Family Health Clinic in San Antonio, and she also serves as a community representative to the local Pick Your Path to Health Advisory Board. The U.S. Office on Women's Health is working with local partners, such as the Health Science Center's Hispanic Center of Excellence, to provide assistance and develop educational events. Other communities can download the Community Action Kits from the Office of Women's Health Web site.