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Emerging Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and produce early results that are consistent with the objectives of the activities and thus indicate effectiveness.
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Peer Review Study
This study conducted interviews with public health professionals from local and state health departments to understand their experiences in providing comprehensive COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing with refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities. The research identified six themes related to promising practices, including understanding the community and public health context, cultivating relationships, ensuring linguistic and cultural concordance, communicating intentionally, evolving response strategies, and implementing equity measures. These findings aim to inform proactive, community-engaged solutions for public health organizations working with these communities during public health crises, such as COVID-19, to improve collaborations and staff wellbeing.
Promising Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities.
RELEASE DATE:
Peer Review Study
This article discusses the resilience of Indigenous communities in the Arctic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite facing vulnerabilities such as limited access to healthcare and infrastructure, these communities had lower COVID-19 death rates compared to southern regions. The article highlights the importance of Indigenous health-care sovereignty and self-determination in controlling the spread of the virus. Indigenous-led decision-making, community-centered approaches, and cultural relevance played a crucial role in mitigating the impact of the pandemic. Recognizing and promoting Indigenous Peoples’ self-determination in healthcare is essential for developing sustainable health-care systems and addressing future health crises.
Emerging Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and produce early results that are consistent with the objectives of the activities and thus indicate effectiveness.
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Book Chapter
This chapter in a larger book on systems change dives into Human Impact Partners’s experiences centering racial justice and power-sharing at the heart of their work in public health. It offers guidance on developing shared understandings of oppressive structures and systems, relationship development, and centering the voices of people most impacted by systems in need of change.
Emerging Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and produce early results that are consistent with the objectives of the activities and thus indicate effectiveness.
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Toolkit
Lead Local was a collaborative research project between Human Impact Partners and the Right to the City Alliance. The research focused on community power-building and its potential to address social inequities that drive health outcomes. This project was not specific to COVID-19, but its findings apply to disease response and resiliency. It found that community power-building must be central to decision-making processes for true transformation.
Promising Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities.
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Case Study
The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene partnered with 45 businesses or faith-based organizations in the Northeast Bronx to increase COVID-19 and flu vaccine knowledge and uptake in predominantly Black and Hispanic areas. The program disseminated health information through trusted community leaders to address vaccine hesitancy. ZIP codes with higher involvement in the program showed greater increases in vaccination rates.
Promising Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities.
RELEASE DATE:
Case Study
Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts, also known as SEACMA, aims to support the Southeast Asian population in Central Massachusetts. SEACMA is a trusted local partner and hub for refugees, underserved individuals, and residents of all backgrounds. SEACMA actively provided outreach, education, and prevention to their community during the COVID-19 pandemic and center community engagement in building solutions.
Promising Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities.
RELEASE DATE:
Case Study
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) oversees programs and services for older adults through the aging service network, and worked closely with the COVID-19 command center during the COVID-19 pandemic. EOEA worked with senior affordable housing providers and advocated for vaccines for older adult populations. They also used their network to disseminate COVID-19 information to older adults, caregivers, and those working directly with older adults.
Novel Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and are in the process of generating evidence of effectiveness or may not yet be tested.
RELEASE DATE:
Peer Review Study
Jimenez and colleagues conducted an online survey in order to examine reluctance to follow prescribed COVID-19 preventive measures, such as social distancing and hand washing. Research is needed to understand factors underlying such reluctance, with the aim of developing targeted health interventions. The authors found that associating COVID-19 with death as a key factor. Five hundred and ninety participants completed surveys in mid-March 2020, which included attitudes toward COVID-19, preventive behavioral intentions, and sociodemographic factors. Associating coronavirus with death negatively predicted intentions to perform preventive behaviors, including social distancing and hand washing. Social distancing and hand washing were used as outcome measures in separate multivariate models. Further, associating COVID-19 with death was not evenly distributed throughout the sample and was related with a number of sociodemographic factors including age, race, and availability of sick leave.
Novel Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and are in the process of generating evidence of effectiveness or may not yet be tested.
RELEASE DATE:
Peer Review Study
Czeisler and colleagues investigated the prevalence of mental health symptoms, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in late June 2020. To assess mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the pandemic, representative panel surveys were conducted among adults aged ≥18 years across the United States during June 24-30, 2020. Just over 40% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition. The percentage of respondents who reported having seriously considered suicide in the 30 days before completing the survey (10.7%) was significantly higher among respondents aged 18-24 years (25.5%), marginalized racial/ethnic groups (Hispanic respondents [18.6%], non-Hispanic black [black] respondents [15.1%]), self-reported unpaid caregivers for adults (30.7%), and essential workers (21.7%). This research directs attention to the need for community-level intervention and prevention efforts, including health communication strategies.
Emerging Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and produce early results that are consistent with the objectives of the activities and thus indicate effectiveness.
RELEASE DATE:
Peer Review Study
Due to the geographic origins of the first major outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, individuals of Chinese ethnic origin around the world have experienced discrimination, xenophobia, and racism during the pandemic. While reports have highlighted such incidents, this paper argues that when the conversation starts and stops at the reporting of experiences of stigma, the narrative remains as the victimization of the community. Instead, instances of COVID-19 stigma and discrimination are only one aspect of this story, where other aspects include a deeper understanding of the community itself. Highlighting the early actions that the community took to help broader society in dealing with COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic may help reframe anti-Chinese stigma during the pandemic.