While the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in our healthcare system, it also created opportunities for healthcare organizations to collaborate with community institutions toward a common goal to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the healthcare disparities in communities of color. An informal collaboration between a pharmacist and educator resulted in the creation of innovative approaches to educate, inform, and build confidence in the new COVID-19vaccines among students and parents in Clayton County where 72.8% of residents identify as African-American.

Join us for this discussion, which will illustrate the value of hospital-community collaborations in improving health outcomes.

The presenters will share the data they collected from surveys administered to Clayton County students in grades 5-12 and parents of students in grades K-12 during the last week of February 2021 and the first week of May 2021. The survey results showed a decrease in overall resistance to COVID-19 vaccination from 67% to 49%, and an increase in the likelihood to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for higher-risk populations (age 65 and older, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity) from 46.7% to 62.7%.

Our presenters will also make the case for reframing the conversation around how health care decisions are made, and the impact younger people can have on their caregivers. A key goal of this session is to engage the audience on how they can think beyond the resources of their healthcare institutions to better understand the communities they serve and meet healthcare needs in spaces outside of traditional healthcare entities.

Speakers: