HHS is providing $66.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds to increase COVID-19 vaccinations
The money is going to eight community organizations serving underserved areas to boost vaccine confidence.
Photo: Marko Geber/Getty Images
In an effort to boost vaccination numbers and confidence in getting the shots among targeted, underserved populations, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, is providing $66.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding for the Community-based Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Program.
The money will go to eight grantees to expand outreach efforts in 38 states and the District of Columbia, primarily focusing on 29 high-priority states.
Close to $10 million is going to the Association of Asian/Pacific Community Health Organizations in San Francisco for the 33 states and territories it serves.
Association of Asian/Pacific Community Health Organizations health workers speak more than 36 Asian, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander languages and are deployed across 22 local community health organizations.
Another $9.8 million is going to the Center for Global Health Innovation in Atlanta for the states of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan and Texas.
The Public Health Institute, serving 16 states, is getting $9.9 million, and the University of Arkansas System, serving Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas and Louisiana, is also getting $9.9 million.
The Morehouse School of Medicine, servicing Georgia and Tennessee, will receive $9.6 million.
The remaining funds are going to Eyes NJ a NJ Nonprofit Corporation; The Medi Inc.; and Project Hope - The People-to-People Health Foundation.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Building vaccine confidence is crucial, according to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
"This funding will help even more community-based organizations build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine among people in their community who may not have been vaccinated yet," Becerra said.
Awardees are engaging communities with access issues, including individuals with developmental and physical disabilities, by using mobile pop-up sites to ensure easy access in the community and accessible vans to transport patients to vaccination appointments.
Examples of local partnerships and activities include deploying community outreach workers fluent in multiple spoken languages and American Sign Language, organizing mobile vaccination clinics for farmworkers, and partnering with Black churches to build vaccine confidence.
THE LARGER TREND
To date, HHS has awarded close to $390 million American Rescue Plan funding to 158 organizations to develop and support a community-based workforce to engage in locally tailored efforts to build vaccine confidence and COVID-19 vaccinations in underserved communities.
Amounts of $125 million, $121 million and $77 million have been awarded since June 2021.
The Community-based Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccine Program supports outreach, events, translation and other enabling services, education and community health worker support in underserved areas in all 50 states.
ON THE RECORD
"Building vaccine confidence is critical to increasing vaccinations, which remains so important as we encourage boosters and kids' vaccinations," Becerra said.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com
