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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
This report details the immense toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken, and continues to take, on Black communities. The report’s authors – physicians and public health and policy experts – note massive disparities experienced by Black Americans. The worse outcomes, are a predictable result of structural and social realities. The predicates that caused these disparities have long been present. These are cycles we have to break. The report highlights areas for immediate focus and attention, and presents a set of expert-generated recommendations for action.
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
Filipinx/a/o Americans (FilAMS), are the third-largest Asian American group in the US. They are frequently invisible in health services research and policy, and consequently, are an afterthought in resource allocation decisions. This paper highlights historical and modern practices that impinge on FilAm health. FilAms, who experience long standing health disparities, are heavily engaged in front line health care work, but also have pre-existing health conditions and are likely to live in multigenerational household, both factors that contribute to the burden of COVID-19. Mental health concerns, elevated among front-line and essential workers during the pandemic, were compounded by anti-Asian racism and violence. The authors encourage strategies such as naming neocolonial forces that devalue and neglect FilAms, and making changes to the data collection infrastructure to facilitate the allocation of appropriate resources. Recommendations: investments that prioritize community needs, equitable resource sharing, community-led efforts, and empower communities through capacity building and interdisciplinary research.
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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White Paper/Brief
An early report issued by the CDC identified staff members working in multiple nursing homes as a likely source of spread of COVID-19. The authors performed the first large-scale analysis of nursing home connections via shared staff and contractors. Using a large-scale analysis of smartphone location data, they found that 49 percent of COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents was attributable to staff movement between facilities. Traditional federal regulatory metrics of nursing home quality were unimportant in predicting outbreaks. The results provide evidence for a policy recommendation of compensating nursing home workers to work at only one home and limit cross-traffic across homes.
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
The UN warned that the pandemic would disproportionately impact Indigenous people because of underlying health inequities associated with SDOH. This paper can help with “visioning” action for response and recovery. It highlights data, in Hawaii, and 4 other western States, showing that MHPI have high rates of COVID-19. Reliable and timely data are vital (longstanding issues). The higher risk of infection among NHPI is linked to preexisting health inequities. Chronic medical conditions, linked to the SDOH, are high. The paper highlights the economic conditions of the NHPI population, and emerging behavioral health impact of COVID-19. It also mentions the resilience and cultural assets of NHPI Communities, including the values and practices of aloha (compassion), malama (caring) and lokahi (unity). Recommendations: an emergency response plan developed through engagement with NNHPI stakeholders, and a longer term recovery plan to address employment, education, the racial wealth gap, food insecurity, housing, healthcare, criminal justice, and legal issues.
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.
RELEASE DATE:
Summary Report/Recommendations
Recent national surveys of young people have shown alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges. We know that mental health is shaped by many factors, from our genes and brain chemistry to our relationships with family and friends, neighborhood conditions, and larger social forces and policies. As we learn the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, and start recovering and rebuilding, we have an opportunity. Everyone has a role to play in combating this mental health pandemic. Ensuring healthy children and families will take an all-of-society effort, including policy, institutional, and individual changes. This advisory provides actionable recommendations for young people and their families, schools and health care systems, tech and media companies, employers, community organizations and governments alike. Mental health challenges are treatable and often preventable. This advisory shows how.
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 describes the initial implementation phase and findings from a multi-year engagement process with community stakeholders to build a resilient, trauma-informed community in a vibrant, ethnically-diverse, and economically depressed town, Pottstown, PA. Pottstown can offer guidance about how to coordinate and scale a community-wide engagement process, drawing on principles of community psychology, population health science, and participatory team science. A central feature of this initial phase is the use of data to generate hypotheses rather than test them, as well as to collect data about these processes to provide a continuous empirical feedback loop to guide decision-making and action. The theoretical framework uses a multi-level approach that prioritizes the population through prevention, health promotion, and policy development, consistent with federal initiatives that have emphasized addressing social determinants of health to enhance public health. An important component of this approach is the creation of cross-sector community partnerships to address social determinants that affect population health.
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
This study estimated the avoided deaths and health-care use among people experiencing homelessness during the first wave of COVID-19 in England. The findings included outbreaks of COVID-19 in homeless settings can lead to high attack rate among people experiencing homelessness, even if the incidence remains low in the general population.
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
This article outlines how Rice County Public Health (RCPH) used a health equity data analysis tool to complete an assessment of internal policies and practices related to health equity. Given this assessment, RCPH developed a health equity plan with seven recommended practices to implement, and RCPH created trainings to increase staff awareness of health equity.
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
The article presents strategies of how Durham County Department of Public Health operationalized equity into multiple phases of its COVID-19 response through infrastructure changes and how to apply these methods to future public health emergencies to better serve vulnerable populations. This response relied upon robust data collection of demographic data to identify inequities. Infrastructure changes included standing up multiple COVID-19 Task Forces (Homeless, Community, Food Security, African American) and Strike Teams (Long-Term Care Facility, Clusters) targeting vulnerable populations; placing testing sites in targeted locations; collaborating with multisector and community partners for feedback; and providing Health Ambassadors for in-person dissemination of COVID-19 information. The paper reviews results from these interventions and lessons learned.
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.
RELEASE DATE:
Case Study
This case study describes how the Virginia Equity Leadership Task Force (ELT) uses data to drive allocation of resources. ELT used a data-driven approach to learn where they should allocate resources to make a maximum impact, with a specific focus on marginalized and underserved populations who are at greatest risk of severe disease from COVID-19. They profiled neighborhoods by equity factors including income, race and ethnicity, comorbidities, crowded housing, and preferred language, and then distributed personal protective equipment with priority given to more vulnerable populations. They used similar analyses of social determinants of health; up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination status; and data on cases, hospitalizations, and deaths to determine where to place vaccine centers and hold mass vaccination events.