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Adelita Cantu

Contact

210-567-5834

cantua2@uthscsa.edu

Adelita G. Cantu, PhD, RN, FAAN

Associate Professor

I am a nationally recognized doctoral prepared expert, specializing in public/community health nursing and clinical nursing research. My program of science in teaching, service and research has been focused on building healthy communities through the enhancement of public and community health grounded in the Socio-Ecological Model as a framework to prevent disease and promote health and wellbeing at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention. Through my teaching, research, and service, I have impacted health in communities, neighborhoods, and families. 

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 2016 - Internship - Population Health (None) - The Climate Reality Project
    • 2008 - Postdoctoral Fellowship - Multidisciplinary Clinical Research - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
    • 2006 - Clinical Fellowship - Cultural Competency (Attended a year-long fellowship program designed to develop leaders in cultural competency in health care.) - Health, Research and Educational Trust
    • 2006 - Doctor in Philosophy - Clinical Nursing Research - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
    • 1985 - Master of Science - Community Nursing Administration - Texas Women's University
    • 1977 - Bachelor of Science in Nursing - Nursing - Incarnate Word College

    Highlights

    Licensure and Certifications 

    • Registered Nurse

    Honors and Certifications

    Appointments

    • 2016 - Present - Associate Professor - UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019 - 2021 - Medical Dental Staff - University Health System, Rehab Medicine, San Antonio
    • 2015 - 2016 - Associate Professor - UT Health San Antonio, Department of Family and Community Health Systems

  • Instruction & Training

    • 2021, NURS 4217: Pop-Focused Health: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2021, NURS 4227: Pop-Focused Health: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2021, NURS 4327: Pop-Focused Health: Theory, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2012 - present, NURS 4317: Pop-Focused Health: Theory, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 7111 Advanced Nursing” Seminar, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 7511 Advanced Nursing: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 4217 Pop-Focused Health: Clinical, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 4317 Pop-Focused Health: Theory, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 4227 Pop-Focused Health: Clinical, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 4327 Pop-Focused Health: Theory, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 7312 DNP Practice Inquiry Seminar, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 7313 DNP Practice Inquiry: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 4217 Pop-Focused Health: Clinical, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2020, NURS 4317 Pop-Focused Health: Theory, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019 , OCCT 7020 Teaching and Leadership in OT, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019, NURS 6250 Advanced Health Promotion, Health Protection, & Disease Prevention, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019, NURE 7115 Application of Research in Nursing (Practicum), UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019, NURS 3275 Psyc & Mntl Hlth Nurs: Clinical, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019, NURS 7511 Advanced Nursing: Clinical Application, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019, NURS 4217 Pop-Focused Health: Clinical, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019 , NURS 4317 Pop-Focused Health: Theory, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019 , NURS 7312 DNP Practice Inquiry Seminar, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019, NURS 4217 Pop-Focused Health: Clinical, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
    • 2019, NURS 4317 Pop-Focused Health: Theory, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing

  • Research & Grants

    Grants

    Currently Funded: 

    • 2023-2028, Funder: 1 T29HP46747-00 Health Resource and Services Administration Title: South Texas Community Health Worker Workforce Preparedness Collaborative/$3,000,000 Role: Co Investigator
    • 2022-2025, Funder: RFA-AG-23-025 National Institutes of Health/P30 Core Research Education Title: Rio Grande Valley Alzheimer's Resource Center for Minority Aging Research: Partnerships for Progress/ $41,725 Role: PI/Research Education
    • 2023-2024, Funder: Institute for the Integration of Medicine and Science/$5000 Title: Barriers and Facilitators to Diabetes Management Among Adults with Blindness or Vision Impairment: An Intersectional Study Role: Co-Investigator
    • 2023-2024, Funder: Institute for the Integration of Medicine and Science/$5000 Title: Caring Arts! An Academic-Community Partnership Using Structured Expressive Arts to Support Well-Being in Informal Caregivers Role: Principal Investigator
    • 2023-2024, Funder: National Council on Aging/$150,000 Title: Health Literacy Strategies to Increase Vaccine Uptake Among Vulnerable Populations Role: Principal Investigator
    • 2022-2025, Funder: CPRIT/$775,000 Title: GRASSROOTS HEALTH: Liver cancer prevention among those with experiences of homelessness: An expansion to low-income housing in South Texas Role: Co-Investigator
    • 2021-2022, Funder: LINC/$5000 Title: Health, Equity and the Environment Role: Principal Investigator
    • 2018 - 2022, Funder: Health Resources and Services Administration/163694, $2,583,704.00. Title: ACORN: Advancing Community-Oriented Registered Nurses. Role: Co-Investigator 
    • 2017 - 2022, Funder: Colgate. Title: Global Alliance for a Cavity-Free Future/Colgate-Palmolive. Role: Co-Investigator 
    • 2016 - 2021, Funder: National Institute of Nursing Research/ GRANT11925781, $2,389,447.00. Title: Healthy Frio. Role: Co-Investigator 

    Submitted and Not Funded or Unfunded Research/Projects: 

    • 2020 - 2021, Funder: Institute of Integration of Medical Sciences, $47,580.00. Title: Virtual GO! Arts: Remote Community-Based Professionally Taught Art Classes Delivered to Low Income Minority Older Adults. Role: Principal Investigator
    • 2018 - 2018, Funder: Methodist Healthcare Ministries, $50,000.00. Title: External Evaluator for a Community-Based Nursing Program. Role: Principal Investigator 
    • 2014 - 2017, Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Title: PU2B2S: Preparing Undeclared Undergraduates in Bio-Behavioral Sciences. Role: Principal Investigator 

    Completed Research/Projects: 

    • 2019 - 2020, Funder: UT Health San Antonio, $4,000.00. Title: Trifecta: When Social Determinants of Health, Interprofessional Education and School Based Prevention Program Meet. Role: Co-Investigator 
    • 2018 - 2019, Funder: Private Trust, $30,000.00.Title: Program Evaluation of Ignite Solutions. Role: Principal Investigator 
    • 2016 - 2018, Funder: Aetna Foundation, $99,999.12. Title: Cultivating Citizen Scientists to Co-Create Healthy Communities. Role: Principal Investigator 
    • 2016 - 2018, Funder: Aetna. Title: Youth Air Quality Leadership Academy.

  • Service

    School

    Student Mentees/Trainees

    • 2019 - 2019 SUNRISE Mentor, Undergraduate Student Supervision, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing. Mentoring Jacob Carmichael, an undergraduate nursing student who is a SUNRISE Research Scholar. This summer he is working with the ADA Project Power Camp, doing the data entry and analysis. This program is a week long camp for Hispanic youth that are at risk for type 2 diabetes. 
    • 2018 - 2018 Masters of Public Health Supervisor, The George Washington University. School of Public Health. I supervised the MPH internship for Ernest Ybarra from GWU. He worked on my program evaluation project for Ignite. 
    • 2017 - 2017 Ronald E. McNair Research Mentor, Undergraduate Student Supervision, UT Health San Antonio. I will mentor a pre nursing student from Trinity University enrolled int he McNair Research Scholar Program. 

    Institutional

    • 2021-2022, SON PTAC Chair 
    • 2020-2021, SON PTAC Vice Chair 
    • 2019-2020, SON PTAC Member 
    • 2022, STX-MSTP 12th Annual Retreat SOM Judge 
    • 2019 - Present, UT Health SA, School of Nursing Holistic Admissions Reviewer 
    • 2016 - Present, UT Health SA IIMS Pilot Project Study Section (P2S2), Member  
    • 2015 - Present, UT Health SA Grant Reviewer for the IIMS Community Pilot Project Reviewer  
    • 2013 - Present, UT Health SA, School of Nursing Frontera de Salud, Faculty Representative  
    • 2012 - Present, UT Health SA, School of Nursing Juntos Podemos Leadership Advisory Committee, Advisory Committee Member  
    • 2011 - Present, UT Health SA Scholarship Advisory Group and Reviewer, Advisory Committee Member
    • 2011 - Present, UT Health SA, School of Nursing Hispanic Latin Faculty Association, Board of Directors 
    • 2009 - Present, UTHSCSA One Community One Book Planning Committee, Faculty  
    • 2008 - Present, UTHSCSA Community Service Learning Conference, Program Committee

    Service to the Profession

    • 2022-present, Vice-Chair, Texas Physicians for Social Responsibility
    • 2021-present, Member, UT Houston School of Public Health Search Comm.
    • 2019-2023, Mentor, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environment: Environmental Health Nurse Fellowship Prog.
    • 2011- present, Steering Comm. Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments  
    • 2017-present, Reviewer, Intl Journal of First Aid  Education 
    • 2021-present Member, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Committee American Academy of Nursing 
    • 2021-present Member, Environmental and Public Health Expert Panel American Academy of Nursing 
    • 2022 Member, Committee Public Health Nursing Organizations American Public Health Association  
    • 2022 Manuscript Reviewer, Intl Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 
    • 2020-present Manuscript Reviewer, Journal of Aging and Health

    Professional Affiliations

    • 2010 - Present, UTHSCSA Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Member 
    • 2010 - Present, Texas Nurses Association, Member 
    • 2007 - Present, Natl Association of Hispanic Nurses, Member 
    • 2003 - Present, Western Institute of Nursing, Member 
    • 1985 - Present, American Nurses Association, Member 

    Community

    • 2023-present Chair, Immunization Coalition of San Antonio

    • 2021-present Cochair COSA COVID-19 Contact Tracing Workgroup 
    • 2019-present Program Developer/Member SA KIDS B.R.E.A.T.H.E 
    • 2018-present Member South Texas Asthma Coalition  
    • 2021-present Vice Chair COSA Climate and Equity Committee 
    • 2018-2021 Member COSA Climate and Equity Technical Working Group.
    • 2022-present Vice Chair CPS Energy Rate Advisory and Generation Planning Committee 
    • 2021-present Member CPS Energy Citizens Action Committee  
    • 2021-2022 Organizer UT Health SA Mobile COVID-19 Clinics  
    • 2021-present Member Committee on Accreditation for Anesthesia Technology Education 
    • 2021 to present Member Community Response and Equity Committee (COVID-19)  
    • 2017 - Present, Manuscript Reviewer International Journal of First Aid Educations 
    • 2012 - Present, Board Member Ella Austin Community Center 
    • 2011 - Present, Board Member Bihl Haus Art Gallery 
    • 2010 - Present, Chair Healthy Futures of Texas

     

  • Publications