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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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Summary Report/Recommendations
This commentary discusses the importance of inclusive health systems strengthening in promoting equity during health emergencies, using the example of disability inclusion in the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the increased risks faced by persons with disabilities during the pandemic and the barriers they encounter in accessing healthcare. It emphasizes the need for accessible and comprehensive health emergency preparedness and response plans that consider the needs of persons with disabilities. It also explores strategies for disability inclusion in COVID-19 responses, such as producing accessible public health information and involving organizations of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes. Opportunities to strengthen inclusion and equity in COVID-19 responses include equitable access to telehealth and inclusive decision-making processes.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
This report offers recommendations for the care of pregnant women and children following the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyzes health impacts on pregnant women and young children, including those related to health care and childcare, using a socioecological approach. Recommendations include expanding reimbursement and telemedicine access, making childcare accessible and affordable, and integrating equity considerations into data collection and research.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
This report outlines a framework for supporting people with long COVID through increased public awareness, accommodations within the school and workplace, research, and advocacy. It emphasizes a person-centered approach to designing this framework and understanding the lived experiences of people with long COVID. As such, recommendations focus on areas identified to be of greatest importance to the community, rather than clinical researchers.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, and Tufts Health Plan Foundation partnered with FSG to conduct interviews and secondary research of COVID-19 lessons and recommendations framed for three key audiences: organizations, partnerships and collaborations, and funders and policymakers. This research was conducted in six communities in Massachusetts, and identifies key themes and strategies to lift up based on real-world activities implemented during the pandemic. Findings emphasize the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on older adults across a broad range of social, economic, and health factors, and effective strategies for supporting older adults are outlined such as direct communication and flexible services. Gaps are also identified across each of the findings, indicating where there is room for improvement and community strengthening. Lessons and recommendations are also clearly outlined by audience, with clear suggestions for implementing effective strategies to support older populations in various community settings.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
A recommendations report for advancing health equity in the Massachusetts Legislature. Especially as the state continues response to and recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the report ultimately emphasizes the necessity of an equity lens in decision-making. Its guiding principles also include the need for the community to be a partner and have a voice in government decision-making, the need for complete and actionable data, and the acknowledgement that returning to the pre-pandemic “normal” is not an option when attempting to alleviate the disparities created by that “normal”. The report outlines immediate, intermediate, and long term actions towards health equity on a policy level. These recommendations impact healthcare, social determinants of health, governance, and more.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
Document outlines the strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion plan for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Emphasizes the need for staff that reflects the diversity of communities served. Provides practical goals and strategies for 2021-2023.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
The purpose of this brief is to highlight some of the strategies states are pursuing to address equity in allocating their ARPA child care funds. It also provides a framework to support decision making around how to use recovery funds that focuses on the needs and preferences of families—particularly families that face barriers to accessing high-quality ECE. Strategies include: (1) Conducting town halls with families, providers, and other early childhood stakeholders to inform state priorities for allocating the funding.(2) Partnering with intermediary organizations to conduct outreach and technical assistance around the stabilization grants with ECE providers. (3) Using the Social Vulnerability Index to distribute grants to ECE providers that serve the communities most in need within their state.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
Report describing Anti-Asian racism during COVID-19 in California. This research report presents the results of interviews conducted with 20 individuals from Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in California. These interviews discussed perceived causes of anti-Asian racism, the impact on the community, and suggested or existing mitigating strategies. These interviews highlighted the connection to the COVID-19 pandemic and the underlying and systemic causes of racism. Mitigating strategies included education about the AAPI community, improved reporting systems, and promoting policy changes to address root causes of racism.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
The report details 13 evidence-backed, built environment interventions to advance health equity. It focuses on 6 domains: safe/affordable housing, active living assets and facilities, regional/local infrastructure, food security and nutrition, vacant property reclamation and urban greening, and neighborhood and community design. The report ranks each intervention by strong, moderate, or weak evidence.
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.
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Summary Report/Recommendations
This resources summarizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use and the experiences of people who used drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights include: the pandemic increased the risk of overdose for people who use drugs, and in response people who use drugs reported using more harm reduction strategies. The pandemic also motivated change in wanting to quit drug use for study participants, but also highlighted the social determinants of health as barriers to sustainable recovery.