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Best Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes when implemented in multiple real-life settings, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities.
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Toolkit
This guide from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation offers best practices and suggestions in how people can frame discussions on health equity and social determinants. Its focus is on effective rhetoric. This includes the use of accessible language to talk about disparities, leading with arguments that your audience is likely to find agreeable, and focusing messaging on one or two compelling facts.
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 Connecticut Department of Public Health Contact Tracing Program implemented a Community Outreach Specialist program to support COVID-19 contact tracing among vulnerable communities with high proportions of Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, or Haitian Creole-speaking residents.
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
Health equity zones aim to eliminate health disparities and promote healthy communities. To create these zones, the Rhode Island Department of Health leveraged various federal, state, and local funding sources. This article describes the program, outcomes and impacts, and advice for local health departments seeking to replicate this model.
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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Toolkit
This toolkit is an easy-to-use, practical resource that aims to help leaders make decisions and actionable plans amid these complicated questions. The planning framework that is the crux of this toolkit takes leaders through four key steps: Reground, Prioritize, Plan, and Connect. At each step, leaders are prompted with a series of key questions to help clarify their thinking and decision-making. These resources help leaders move from making decisions in a reactive, crisis-driven way to developing intentional short- and long-term actionable plans.
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
This case study outlines how Sonoma County Department of Health Services created a framework called Health Action, outlining goals for improving the most pressing health disparities in their region. The study also describes how the Department convened a collaborative Health Action Council, comprised of community partners to address the key indicators of health outlined in the framework. They created a report based in data to align the work of the Department and its partners in order to more effectively address health disparities. Some of the most pressing problems identified included disparities around education and the relationship between education and health. Formation of Health Action has resulted in multiple groups using the strategic plan to inform their efforts.
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
During the pandemic, the Minnesota Department of Health created three new teams focused on an equitable COVID-19 response. These teams included the Cultural, Faith, and Disability Communities Branch; the Tribal COVID-19 Healthcare Team; and the Vaccine Equity Branch. These teams created partnerships with community partners, elevated community voices, set equity goals and metrics, and respected tribal sovereignty in their COVID-19 response. This helped to ensure resources were used equitably and that COVID-19 responses were effective within diverse communities.
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
This case study describes how the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has partnered with a wide range of community-based organizations to ensure food security. Before the pandemic, these partners worked together to change policies related to food security, while, during the pandemic, this partnership allowed communities to quickly provide emergency food distribution. Through this network, the department and communities both created guidelines to address food securities and worked to outreach to communities about these strategies, including by reaching individuals in their languages.
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
This paper discusses how health departments can increase community trust in their work by formally partnering with CHWs and integrating them into the department’s work. In this case study, CHWs were particularly instrumental in educating community members about COVID-19 symptoms, best practices, and more. These CHWs also served as stakeholders in a variety of health department meetings, especially around COVID-19 decision making.
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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Case Study
This report collects the strategies that urban health departments used to protect residents experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness during COVID-19. Strategies included working with community partners (particularly shelters) to expand housing, increasing outreach and resource allocation to people experiencing homelessness, and building better communication networks.
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:
Case Study
The case study outlines how Solano Public Health used funding to create a Race Equity Team, which conducted trainings internally and built relationships with external partners to address policy changes focused on racial equity. The Solano Public Health Division used this grant funding to work with community partners and other government agencies to undertake projects focused in low-resourced neighborhoods, such as conducting healthy store makeovers, adopting and implementing policies to increase access to water in parks and schools, improving clinical prevention referrals, and introducing policies that address access and exposure to tobacco. Of note, much of this work has focused on racial equity in the realm of chronic disease prevention in low-resourced neighborhoods.