Cambia Health Foundation Advances Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine

PORTLAND, Ore., March 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambia Health Foundation today announced philanthropic investments of $775,000 to facilitate equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to people of color, homebound seniors and others who may otherwise face barriers or inequities. With this funding, the Foundation will support both national and regional initiatives that build trust in the vaccine through delivering simple, age-sensitive, and culturally relevant resources. Funding also supports the rapid deployment of the vaccine directly to people who cannot access mass vaccination sites.

"As communities look toward recovery from the devastating impacts of COVID-19, the Cambia Health Foundation is focused on making sure all people are able to get access to vaccines, no matter where they live or who they are, while continuing to invest in COVID-19 recovery efforts that remove systemic barriers and build future resilience," said Peggy Maguire, President, Cambia Health Foundation. "Critical to these efforts is our implementation of an equity-centered vaccine strategy so every individual has the ability to  obtain a vaccine for themselves and their family."

Collaboration with the John A. Hartford Foundation
Recognizing that accessibility to the COVID-19 vaccine for older adults can be challenging, especially for over 2 million homebound elders and individuals with disabilities, Cambia Health Foundation is partnering with The John A. Hartford Foundation to support a project led by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) to ensure access to the vaccine for homebound older adults. TFAH will convene key national stakeholders to explore the unique challenges faced by this vulnerable population, to document best practices that can inform policymakers, and to disseminate the recommendations and strategies both nationally and locally in the communities we serve in our four-state footprint of Oregon, Washington, Utah and Idaho.

Federally Qualified Health Centers
As part of the second investment phase of the Cambia Health Foundation's Community Health Center Crisis Response and Recovery Initiative, the Foundation provided $500,000 to four community health associations (Oregon Primary Care Association, Washington Association for Community Health, Association for Utah Community Health, and Idaho Primary Care Association) that support the work of Federally Qualified Health Centers across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah.

These additional investments will support statewide health centers to create multilingual, age-sensitive and culturally sensitive resources; educate staff about vaccine distribution protocols; identify specific priorities for populations with additional access barriers including individuals who are homebound or are experiencing homelessness, seasonal and migrant farm workers, and individuals with a disability; develop special vaccine administration strategies for rural areas, which are often the hardest to reach; and work with local and state governments to secure additional resources to support mass vaccination efforts.

Community-based Initiatives
Acknowledging that COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted communities of color, Cambia Health Foundation is partnering with organizations in our four-state footprint to prioritize COVID-19 vaccinations in communities historically marginalized by health care systems. These partnerships will actively address the specific challenges that persist within these underserved populations such as language, transportation, access to technology, safety and immigration status, and high rates of documented vaccine uncertainty.  

• Idaho – provide funds to the Idaho Immunization Coalition, a statewide nonprofit fostering multi-sectorial, community-based engagement on immunization issues, to promote evidence-based, information for providers and the public focused on equity.
• Oregon – support a collaborative partnership between OHSU Foundation, North by Northeast Community Health Center,  and the Bridge-Pamoja to reach vulnerable BIPOC populations and implement culturally appropriate best practices at community vaccine events.
• Utah - back a pilot project with University of Utah Foundation, Comunidades Unidas, and other community-based organizations to provide vaccinations to underserved communities of the MetroWest region of Salt Lake City, including future work to reach other rural areas and Navajo Nation.
• Washington – supply funding for the University of Washington Medicine's COVID-19 Community Partnership Vaccination Program for Underserved Populations to break down vaccine access with mobile vaccination teams, community-based pop-up clinics and events at hospital-based clinics.

About Cambia Health Foundation 
Cambia Health Foundation is the corporate foundation of Cambia Health Solutions, a total health solutions company dedicated to making health care more person-focused and economically sustainable. Founded in 2007, the foundation has funded over $80 million in grants to advance whole person care models at every stage of life and build a just and inclusive health care system for all. Learn more at http://www.cambiahealthfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter:@CambiaHealthFdn.

SOURCE Cambia Health Foundation

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https://www.cambiahealthfoundation.org/