COVID-19 Disparities Grant: Oklahoma Partnership to Address Health Disparity and Equity Initiative

Oklahoma Partnership to Address Health Disparity and Equity Initiative-2021-2023 applicants must develop and submit a high-level work plan for the 2-year funding period that aligns with the outlined strategies and related activities. Applicants will not be required to implement all four strategies, but rather select the strategies and activities that best address their jurisdiction’s respective priorities and needs. Lastly, applicants should not propose to allocate all funding to one activity (e.g., all funding will be used for one vaccination or testing event only).  

• Grant Application
• Budget Template
• OMES Vendor Payee Form
  • The OMES Vendor Payee Form is only required if your organization is not yet registered with the State of Oklahoma.
• Workplan Template 
  

This grant initiative will address COVID-19-related health disparities and advance health equity by expanding state, local, US territorial and freely associated state health department capacity and services to prevent and control COVID-19 infection (or transmission) among populations at higher risk and that are underserved, including racial and ethnic minority groups and people living in rural communities.

All strategies should aim to build infrastructures that both address disparities in the current COVID-19 pandemic and set the foundation to address future responses.

Examples of activities may include, but are not limited to:

Work Plan Strategy 1 Examples:

• Expand testing (including home test kits and mobile testing sites) and contact tracing among populations at higher risk and that are underserved, including racial and ethnic minority populations and people living in rural communities
• Vaccine coordination, quarantine and isolation options, and preventive care and disease management among populations that are underserved and at higher risk for COVID-19
• Tailor and adapt evidence-based policies, systems, and environmental strategies to mitigate social and health inequities related to COVID-19
• Identify and establish collaborations with critical partners affiliated with populations at higher risk and that are underserved, including racial and ethnic minority groups at higher risk for COVID-19 to: 1) connect community members to programs, healthcare providers, services and resources (e.g., transportation, housing support, food assistance programs, mental health and substance abuse services, substance abuse) they might need and 2) lessen adverse effects of mitigation strategies

Work Plan Strategy 2 Examples:

• Improve data collection and reporting for testing and contact tracing for populations at higher risk and that are underserved
• Build on plans for collecting and reporting timely, complete, representative, and relevant data on testing, incidence, vaccination, and severe outcomes by detailed race and ethnicity categories, taking into account age and sex differences between groups
• Develop strategies to educate providers, community partners, and programs on: 1) the importance of the race and ethnicity data and appropriate strategies to collect it: 2) how to address mistrust/hesitancy about reporting personal information including race and ethnicity, and 3) why this information is important to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19
• Develop and implement plans to disseminate health equity-related data and related materials tailored to be culturally and linguistically responsive for diverse audiences
• Develop key principles and resources for collecting, analyzing, reporting, and disseminating health equity-related data to inform action during a public health emergency
• Assure adequate resources for data infrastructure and workforce to ensure alignment with data modernization

Work Plan Strategy 3 Examples:

• Expand the infrastructure to improve testing and contact tracing among populations at higher risk and that are underserved, including racial and ethnic minority populations and rural communities
• Establish, enhance, or implement leadership-level health equity offices, workgroups, task forces, or positions to guide addressing COVID-19 among communities at higher risk and that are underserved
• Convene and facilitate multi-sector coalitions or advisory groups that include members of underserved communities and organizations that serve the community. These groups may provide advice, guidance, and recommendations for addressing COVID-19 and advancing health equity among their communities
• Update jurisdictions’ COVID-19 plans and health equity plans to support communities most at risk for COVID-19 with the intention of setting up systems that put in place infrastructures and plans that can also support future emergency responses
• Build and expand an inclusive public health workforce, including hiring people from the community (e.g., community health workers, social workers, other trusted community members) who are equipped to assess and address the needs of communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19

Work Plan Strategy 4 Examples:

• Build community capacity to reach disproportionately affected populations with effective culturally and linguistically tailored programs and practices for testing and contact tracing, and quarantine, including racial and ethnic minority populations and rural communities
• Build and implement cross-sectoral partnerships to align public health, healthcare, and non-health (e.g., housing, transportation, social service) interventions that decrease risk for COVID-19
• Develop mechanisms such as community advisory groups that include leaders representing racial and ethnic minority groups and rural community leaders and members representing underserved populations to inform COVID-19 and future emergency response activities
• Develop and disseminate culturally and linguistically responsive COVID-19 prevention communications through various channels (e.g., local media, local or community newspapers, radio, TV, trusted communications agents) written in plain language and in formats and languages suitable for diverse audiences—including people with disabilities, limited English proficiency, etc.—addressing and, as necessary, dispelling of misinformation and barriers to mitigation practices due to mistrust.
• Build community capacity that includes traditional organizations (e.g., public health, healthcare) and non-traditional partners (e.g., community health workers, churches, transportation providers, social workers) to reach disproportionately affected populations with effective culturally and linguistically tailored programs and practices for testing, contact tracing, isolating, vaccination, and healthcare strategies
• Identify and establish collaborations with critical partners affiliated with and who provide services to populations that are underserved and at higher risk for COVID-19 to disseminate scientifically accurate, culturally, and linguistically responsive information and facilitate access to health-related services  

Strategy 1 Resources:

• CDC Information about COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
  
• CDC Resources for Hosting a Vaccination Clinic
  
• CDC Social Media Tools, Guidelines & Best Practices
  

Strategy 2 Resources:

• The Role of Data in Population Health
  
• How Health Care Analytics Improves Patient Care
  
• Which Healthcare Data is Important for Population Health Management?
  

Strategy 3 Resources:

• Striving for Inclusivity in COVID-19 Public Health Messaging
  
• Oklahoma Works Statewide Transportation Services
  

Strategy 4 Resources:

• Social Determinants of Health
  
• What We Can Do to Promote Health Equity