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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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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.
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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Case Study
This case study describes how Milwaukee Health Department’s (MHD) Government Alliance on Race and Equity’s (GARE) third goal is to introduce clear and consistent equity standards in work environments. GARE adapted the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative staff survey to identify skills, organizational practices, and infrastructure needed to address health equity. This includes organizing a racial equity training (where both staff knowledge and needs are considered), creating safe and inclusive organization spaces, and developing a racial equity framework within MHD.
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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Case Study
This case study describes a secondary purpose of Chicago’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team, which is to improve health outcomes among communities that have been most heavily impacted. The work has included campaigns, town halls, prevention programs, city testing sites, and securing grant funding.
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
This article details how the Rhode Island Department of Health built its community-level COVID-19 response from existing capacities and networks through its Health Equity Zone Initiative. The initiative is a place-based, community-level model that brings a range of community members together to address pressing health issues and build capacity for systemic changes surrounding the social determinants of health. The state has used federal pandemic relief funds to expand the Health Equity Zone Initiative by providing resources to community partners, social service agencies, and grassroots organizations to be engaged in the pandemic response. The initiative’s partners provided critical community-based services including COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, quarantine and isolation supports, distribution of masks and other personal protective equipment, and direct outreach and education by community health workers and community outreach specialists.
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
This article describes how the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Health Equity Response Team, which is made up of more than 100 community partners, helps implement recommendations from the task force. The team meets every two weeks to address health inequities associated with COVID-19. Over the past 18 months the team has led initiatives to serve vulnerable populations. Initiatives such as faith-based vaccine sites, immigrant testing access, mobile community testing options, and agricultural worker testing bolstered the department’s response to COVID-19. The team facilitated community partnerships that drove personal protection equipment distribution, investigation of improved paid sick family/medical leave options, and the digital clemency process in the corrections field. The team also spawned the department’s efforts around improved race and ethnicity data enrichment, assessment, and reporting improvements.
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
This article details how in North Carolina, a task force hosted listening sessions in September 2020 to hear feedback related to recommendations from community members and stakeholders. The task force also developed a Public Feedback Form for community members and organizations to submit written comments and recommendations for the Task Force.
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
This article describes how Virginia collected and reported data to inform COVID-19 response efforts and decisions. Virginia officials noted a hallmark of Virginia’s success has been the focus on data strategies and mapping techniques to identify COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and resource allocation priorities. For example, the working group used geospatial data to inform the distribution process for a personal protective equipment (PPE) pilot program that successfully distributed more than two million units of PPE across 66 local governments. The task force uses data stratified by race and ethnicity, medical vulnerability, and other social and environmental factors to identify locations for community engagement, outreach, testing, and vaccination clinics. The task force also launched two equity dashboards to provide a transparent measurement of ways COVID-19 resources have been allocated and equity gaps across various social determinants of health identified in Virginia House Joint Resolution 537.
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
This article describes how Wisconsin is implementing a Just Recovery Framework. It is a task force focused on recommendations for a fair and just recovery from the pandemic and embedding racial and rural equity in future emergency preparedness infrastructure. The task force reviewed existing literature and research and developed a strategic plan, including evidence-based policy and practice interventions to support just recovery after COVID-19. This plan offers practical guidance for local and state officials to address the pandemic and existing inequities exacerbated by the pandemic along the lines of racial equity, rural equity and worker health.
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
This article describes how New Mexico partnered with local organizations to address structural and institutional barriers between communities and the health system, such as lack of insurance or immigration status. The state Department of Health worked closely with the National Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency to build a mobile vaccine clinic infrastructure and mobilized community health workers to reach communities routinely left out of the health care system. Additionally, the Department of Health has worked closely with community health workers and community organizations to co-develop training and messaging for priority populations, including a community resource center to improve access to resources and a vaccine equity flipchart in English and Spanish to address misinformation.
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:
White Paper/Brief
This article describes how in Michigan, in July 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services commissioned a project to survey Michigan residents on their attitudes toward masking, social distancing, vaccines, and other safety precautions. The department used survey responses to inform COVID-19 public health messaging strategies. In September 2020, the department launched the “Spread Hope, Not COVID” campaign to encourage Michiganders to continue helping reduce the spread of the virus and take actions to keep themselves and others safe.