What to know
Recipients of the National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities grant are telling their success stories of how they are addressing COVID-19-related health disparities and advancing health equity through programs and activities funded by the grant.
Overview
The Illinois Department of Public Health partnered with the Immigrant Solidarity of DuPage, a local organization and trusted messenger among Hispanic and Latino communities, to disseminate COVID-19 information and mitigation strategies.
Challenge
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted disparities among certain racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States. Hispanic and Latino populations were disproportionately affected both in the number of people infected and the number of people who died12. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention'sNational Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communitiesgrant, the Illinois Department of Public Health funded the Immigrant Solidarity of DuPage (ISD), an organization that focuses on immigration and workers' rights in Hispanic and Latino communities. Through this funding, ISD was able to expand and enhance how they work with their communities to include COVID-19 information and mitigation. After taking Community Health Worker trainings, ISD partners were able to connect people with COVID-19 testing and vaccines, provide them with information and resources, address misinformation around COVID-19 and vaccines, and raise awareness about Long COVID.
Solution
ISD tackled the gap in COVID-19 knowledge in the community by joining the online conversation, hosting Facebook Live videos to address information gaps about COVID-19 and educate community and grantee partners, including VNA Health Care and Access DuPage. In 2022, the group hosted a Facebook Live video3 in Spanish the week before a vaccine event, asking trusted community members to lead the discussion. They talked about common vaccine misconceptions and helped their community understand the importance of getting vaccinated. ISD also helped humanize the process of dealing with medical institutions.
One week later, at the vaccine event, ISD helped vaccinate nearly 200 people. The ISD team also provided a space to discuss Long COVID (also known as "Post-COVID Conditions") by giving a community member the opportunity to share their experience with the condition. A state representative attended the event, which led to the opportunity to talk about Long COVID awareness at the state level.
Impact
The ISD team was successful in connecting members of the Hispanic and Latino community with the information they needed to prevent or respond to COVID-19. ISD was already a trusted messenger among Hispanic and Latino populations in Illinois; by giving the staff the right COVID-19 training, they were able to lead important health discussions with the community and connect members to available resources. Since the inception of the grant, ISD received and addressed 5 to 10 calls a day about health-related questions—an increase from when the group started its work on immigration and employment issues, demonstrating that the community trusts the organization with their COVID-19 needs. Through the use of Facebook Live videos and community events, ISD was able to educate their community through a Latino lens and connect them with resources and community organizations who can help. Partnerships and lessons learned from these efforts are important for future health emergencies and everyday health needs of Hispanic and Latino communities in Illinois.