PIH-US Presents at White House Summit on COVID-19 Equity and What Works Showcase
PIH-US joins community-based organizations and community, government, and philanthropic leaders from across the country at White House summit.
Posted on Dec 1, 2022
In November, PIH-US was invited to represent the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership at the White House’s Summit on COVID-19 Equity and What Works Showcase.
The event, which convened over 30 community-based organizations and community, government, and philanthropic leaders from across the country, highlighted bright spots from hyper-local efforts to alleviate the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hard-hit populations.
As part of the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership, a consortium of community, philanthropic, government, and health care organizations, PIH-US helped to direct more than $3 million in grants to 100+ community-based organizations to design their own COVID-19 outreach and vaccine access solutions. These grants were used to help increase access to vaccine education, decrease barriers to vaccination, increase vaccine uptake, and coordinate broader COVID-19 relief efforts. In addition to distributing small grants, the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership implemented several strategies to support equitable vaccine efforts including: partnering with Malcolm X College and the Chicago Department of Public Health to offer a free online training to equip community members to speak to their neighbors about vaccination; creating a scheduling tool to support vaccination registration; establishing a virtual learning community that provided a space for community members to problem solve, share personal stories, and exchange the latest resources; and launching a Speakers Bureau that connected area doctors, nurses, and other providers with interested community groups to share accurate, accessible, up-to-date information about COVID-19 and vaccines.
Community-led efforts like those highlighted at the White House Summit are critical for not just closing gaps in vaccine inequity, but addressing the long-standing health injustices that underpinned barriers to COVID-19 vaccination.
Below, we share photos from the event.
White House Summit on COVID-19 Equity attendees walk the poster hall and hear from presenters. Photo courtesy of Max Clermont
Max Clermont, PIH-US Senior Project Lead, and Angelina Zayas, Executive Director of GAP Community Center, stand in front of the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership poster. GAP Community Center was a recipient of the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership's small grant program. When vaccines became available to the general public, GAP saw that many families were concerned about the safety of the vaccines. As a trusted source in the community, they responded by partnering with a local medical facility to host large-scale vaccination events and provide educational information on COVID-19 and vaccines. GAP also offered wrap-around services at their events. At their first event, GAP registered over 600 residents for the vaccine, at their second, over 700 residents. Facilitating one-on-one conversations and informational sessions about the vaccine reassured residents and empowered them to get vaccinated. Photo courtesy of Max Clermont
Angelina Zayas, Executive Director of GAP Community Center, speaks with Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, about the Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership's work and shares reflections on the essential role of local organizations in improving community health and meeting people where they are. Photo courtesy of Max Clermont
