Abstract
To describe the reach, implementation, and sustainability of COVID-19 vaccination programs delivered by social service community organizations. Five academic institutions in the Chicagoland CEAL (Community Engagement Alliance) program partnered with 17 community organizations from September 2021—April 2022. Interviews, community organizations program implementation tracking documents, and health department vaccination data were used to conduct the evaluation. A total of 269 events were held and 5,432 COVID-19 vaccines delivered from May 2021–April 2022. Strategies that worked best included offering vaccinations in community settings with flexible and reliable hours; pairing vaccinations with ongoing social services; giving community organizations flexibility to adjust programs; offering incentives; and vaccinating staff first. These strategies and partnership structures supported vaccine uptake, community organization alignment with their missions and communities’ needs, and trust. Community organizations delivering social services are local community experts and trusted messengers. Pairing social service delivery with COVID-19 vaccination built individual and community agency. Giving COs creative control over program implementation enhanced trust and vaccine delivery. When given appropriate resources and control, community organizations can quickly deliver urgently needed health services in a public health crisis.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 61-69 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Community Health |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2024 |
Funding
This research is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, OT2HL161610 (Martin, Lynch, Margellos-Anast, Murphy, Peek, Silva, Spring). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. We would like to thank the many partner organizations, their leadership, and their staff who have been working tirelessly on the front lines to serve their communities. These include Broadway Medical Center, Enlace Chicago, Gage Park Latinx Council, The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Hope Community Church, IMPACT, Marillac St. Vincent Family Services, Mobile Care Chicago, New Mount Pilgrim, Phalanx Family Services, Salvation Army Pathway Forward, Quinn Center of St. Eulalia, United for Better Living, Windsor Park Evangelical Church, Woodlawn Community Food Pantry, and Youth Crossroads, and all the others who have participated in and supported this work. We would also like to thank all of the investigators, staff, students, and partners who participated in the Chicagoland CEAL Program. These include, but are not limited, to Nataly Alvarez, ShellLynn Beasely, Sharlene Branscomb, Sakina Burhani, Emma Canty, Yvette Castaneda, Alex Chen, Kathleen Diviak, Amanda Dougherty, Angela Ellison, Meghan R Fortune, Diana Ghebenei, Jacob Ginn, Frank A. Granta, Tyler Halterman, Adlaide Holloway, Stacy Ignoffo, Jacquelyn Jacobs, Monique Jindal, Marisa Kutchma, Leilani Lacson, Jacob B. Leven, Sarah Lomahan, Danielle M. Lorche, Jerri Mack, Helen Margellos-Anast, Melina Martinez, Ruben Martinez, Banita McCarn, Margarita Moreno, Angela Moss, AnneMarie Murphy, Sithembinkosi Ndebele, A.B.G. Plum, Ava Salonis, Anna Sandoval, Donalynne Schaffer, Matthew Switalski, and Paris Thomas. This research is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, OT2HL161610 (Martin, Lynch, Margellos-Anast, Murphy, Peek, Silva, Spring). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. We would like to thank the many partner organizations, their leadership, and their staff who have been working tirelessly on the front lines to serve their communities. These include Broadway Medical Center, Enlace Chicago, Gage Park Latinx Council, The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Hope Community Church, IMPACT, Marillac St. Vincent Family Services, Mobile Care Chicago, New Mount Pilgrim, Phalanx Family Services, Salvation Army Pathway Forward, Quinn Center of St. Eulalia, United for Better Living, Windsor Park Evangelical Church, Woodlawn Community Food Pantry, and Youth Crossroads, and all the others who have participated in and supported this work. We would also like to thank all of the investigators, staff, students, and partners who participated in the Chicagoland CEAL Program. These include, but are not limited, to Nataly Alvarez, ShellLynn Beasely, Sharlene Branscomb, Sakina Burhani, Emma Canty, Yvette Castaneda, Alex Chen, Kathleen Diviak, Amanda Dougherty, Angela Ellison, Meghan R Fortune, Diana Ghebenei, Jacob Ginn, Frank A. Granta, Tyler Halterman, Adlaide Holloway, Stacy Ignoffo, Jacquelyn Jacobs, Monique Jindal, Marisa Kutchma, Leilani Lacson, Jacob B. Leven, Sarah Lomahan, Danielle M. Lorche, Jerri Mack, Helen Margellos-Anast, Melina Martinez, Ruben Martinez, Banita McCarn, Margarita Moreno, Angela Moss, AnneMarie Murphy, Sithembinkosi Ndebele, A.B.G. Plum, Ava Salonis, Anna Sandoval, Donalynne Schaffer, Matthew Switalski, and Paris Thomas.
Keywords
- COVID-19
- Community health
- Implementation science
- Social determinants of health
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
