Nonprofit Groups and Health Authorities Unite to Improve Access to Vaccines – Los Angeles Sentinel | Los Angeles Sentinel

Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the Congressional Black Caucus jointly support an initiative to tackle COVID-19 disinformation in the black community.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the Congressional Black Caucus sponsored the COVID-19 African-American Education and Outreach Initiative. (Cora J. Fossett / LA Sentinel)

Campaigns to improve access to vaccines in minority communities will allow churches and community organizations to work with institutions such as Kaiser Permanente and the Watts Healthcare Foundation to vaccinate more blacks, indigenous peoples and people of color (BIPOC). It just kept improving.

The COVID-19 African-American Education and Outreach Initiative, co-funded by Barbara Lee (D-CA) and the Congressional Black Caucus, combats false information about COVID-19 and vaccinates other BIPOC groups. Ultimately, it ends racial discrimination in public health.

To keep you updated on this initiative, the East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) will host a virtual briefing on September 16 to work directly with nonprofits and those who have recorded the lowest vaccination rates. We introduced the top executives of the health group.

Lee and US Congressman James Cryburn (D-SC) welcomed the panel discussion and emphasized their commitment to educating African Americans and the minority about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine. Bottom. After their comments, Dr. Paulette Brown Hind the panel discussion. Brown-Hinds is the editor of Black Voice News and the owner of Voice Media Ventures, a strategic media and creative company based in Riverside, California.

Stephanie Redesma, Interim Senior Vice President of Kaiser’s Community Health Program. Pastor Jacqueline Thompson, senior pastor at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, California. Dr. Oliver Brookes, Chief Medical Officer of the Watts Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles. Gloria Warner, Chief Operating Officer, Buford Jasper Hampton General Medical Center in South Carolina. Dr. Gary Puckrein, Founder of the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF). James Head, President / CEO of EBCF; Keshee Dozier-Smith, CEO of the Rural Health MediCal Program in Selma, Alabama, has formed a panel of experts.

Panellists not only highlighted the challenges both grassroots and expert groups face when trying to reach people who are reluctant to get vaccinated, they also highlighted the significant achievements made possible through institutional partnerships . Did.

“We strongly believe that increased vaccination will end this pandemic, and our position in the community and our strong partnerships with community-based organizations will disproportionately affect the color community. I believe it will help prevent further spread of the COVID-19 that brought us, ”said Redesma, who added that Kaiser invested $ 35 million to help. Charities across the United States by promoting vaccinations and disseminating accurate information about the virus.

Thompson, director of the Bay Area mega-department, said the partnership could enhance Allen Temple’s outreach activities already being carried out by the church. Relationships with other institutions have given access to additional data and tracking tools.

US Congressman James Cliburn emphasized his commitment to educating African Americans and minorities about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Cora J. Fossett / LA Sentinel)

“Thanks to this important association with the Eastbay Community Foundation on this particular project on our small church campus, we can vaccinate 30,000 people and test more than 50,000. It’s done, ”said Thompson. “It is an example of a national, faith-based community of the power of partnership, the power to open the door and help improve the general health of all of us. I hope. I am trying to make a profit. “

Brooks said the main barrier to the benefit of those who dislike vaccines is overcoming the lack of confidence in getting the vaccine. Well-known supporters like US Parliamentary Women Maxine Waters and Karen Bath have released tests provided by his agency, the Watts Healthcare Foundation, but the LA Black community has seen an increase in new COVID-19 cases. I continued.

“We knew the community needed to hear the relevant and accurate information, and they needed to hear it. They had to express their concern to someone like us. Vaccinations. Some people didn’t trust the vaccine, others didn’t trust it to be tested, ”he recalled.

Executives will discuss the outcome of a partnership to fight disinformation from COVID-19 and convince more blacks to get vaccinated. (Cora J. Fossett / LA Sentinel)

“Instead of firing them, this partnership allowed us to address their concerns. [through] The focus group we went to. We also got the data and information we could use to improve the community, ”said Brooks, past president of the National Medical Association and past president of the California Immunization Coalition.

An equivalent success was cited by Dozier-Smith, who used the funds provided by Kaiser to hire additional community health workers and run a COVID-19 testing and vaccination program.

“This made us aware of the importance of patient involvement, partnerships with the community and the importance of creating a very profitable workforce to sustain the work that could be done with this particular grant,” she explained.

“We knew the benefit of developing relationships with patients with chronic diseases and kept primary care from taking a back seat when it comes to COVID. With this funding we have found a way. .. [to create] Open a clinic in your neighborhood. We also partnered with a local church and when they did a food program we did [offer] Check “. Dozier Smith is also a member of the COVID-19 Advisory Board in the Parliamentary District.

Congressman Barbara Lee (file photo)

As a further step, Puckrein recommended looking for ways to maintain and build partnerships. This is in line with his organization’s mission to reinforce national and local efforts to eradicate preventable diseases and deaths from racial and ethnic minorities through evidence-based, data-driven projects. Increase. ..

To that end, NMQF reached out to Twitter for help and joined its Twitter For Good program. The platform includes many components to support nonprofits, including free promotional credits, content and engagement training, and promotional support for specific online campaigns.

Puckrein said on Twitter For Good: “There are several resources available to support social media activities. Once you learn something, Google will do the same.

Here we also need to include social media to drown out some of the disinformation and unfiltered content that is coming out. From the perspective of the National Minority Quality Forum, we want to help you. “

The executives provided resources for his organization, saying: [that] Over the past two decades we’ve spent building a database of over 5 billion patient records. We know what’s happening to your zip code, we know how many people have diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. I have all of this data. We want to share it with you. The way we want to share is by strengthening the relationships that started here. “

The EBCF President’s advice included a reminder that the pandemic is likely to persist for the foreseeable future and that ongoing health resources are needed to fill the void in the BIPOC community. Fortunately, Head can fine-tune the partnership model so that a community-based organization becomes a trusted messenger.

“These organizations do this every day. They acknowledge that they are seeking advice and help so that community residents can express their views. Listen, ”says Head.

“Therefore, we want to understand how the importance of community-based organizations has shown itself not only in our philanthropic activities, but also in the government sector.”

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