Find Resources
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:
Summary Report/Recommendations
This article discusses an academic-health department community partnership that was developed to expand disease investigation and contact tracing capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership involved a local county health department and a local university, which collaborated to address the lack of workforce capacity and technology needed for efficient disease control measures. The program added 108 contact tracers to the county’s public health workforce and enabled remote work using a call center app and secure cloud-based platform. The article outlines the requirements for developing the program, such as hiring, health data security protocols, and data source management, and shares lessons learned from the partnership. The innovative program improved disease investigation and contact tracing efforts, allowing for better control of the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
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
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.
RELEASE DATE:
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.
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:
Summary Report/Recommendations
This article recognizes the challenges and describes the adaptations necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. It also emphasizes employee mental health needs. A theoretical framework for organizational interventions is included that utilizes an Occupational Health Psychology approach. The proposed interventions focus on 8 key topics, such as physical health and safety, and psychological wellbeing, in addition to a tiered structure (primary, secondary, and tertiary) of proposed intervention activities that scale based on need.
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:
Summary Report/Recommendations
This report recommends changing work policies to support employee wellness at public health agencies. Public health infrastructure is often hard to maintain due to high turnover and burnout, especially during times of crisis like COVID-19. Work policies such as flexible schedules and remote work have been shown to increase employee well-being. It also recommends the establishment of cross-jurisdictional sharing arrangements to share key staff between public health departments, e.g., epidemiologists. This can serve as a solution to chronic underfunding of public health agencies at the federal level.
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
This article describes strategies to embed equity into the standard operations of the health department. These include incorporating equity-focused language into written documents like strategic plans and mission statements; utilizing an organizational evaluation toolkit (e.g. Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative Organizational Self-Assessment Toolkit) to find opportunities to improve equity focus of public health strategy; and establishing organization-wide equity-focused work groups to ensure the continued focus on health equity in future interventions.
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:
Summary Report/Recommendations
This brief outlines case studies, resources, and recommendations that counties and cities can take to explicitly and intentionally embed equity staff and practices into their emergency operations structures within the public health emergency response and recovery process. To implement this strategy, health departments should build robust community partnerships before a crisis occurs. They should collaborate with community based organizations, non-profits, and leaders to ensure that interventions are responsive to community needs. Before an emergency, health departments should create a coalition of community partners, and establish a Community Organization Active in Disaster group and agree upon decision-making structures, values, and resources. Health departments should compensate partners for their time. Finally, they should provide opportunity for feedback by creating a Community Advisory Group.
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:
Summary Report/Recommendations
This article discusses the Medical Adaptations series and reveals several lessons. It offers recommendations on providing and utilizing information technology for online learning to mitigate some inequities borne by socioeconomic and generational differences, English as a second-language learners, and those with disabilities who do not have access to adaptive technology.