Partners Across Regions Tackling Needs for an Equitable Response (PARTNER) Project - People of color and/communities/with fewer resources/experience/higher rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths throughout the pandemic and now face lower rates of COVID-19 vaccinations when compared to Los Angeles County overall./Efforts to close the gaps/in COVID-19 outcomes (e.g., rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, deaths) and increase utilization of public health mitigation practices (e.g., testing, contact tracing,/quarantine and isolation, and/vaccination)/require targeted investments in community-based strategies that/quantify and monitor population-specific needs; center, mobilize, and coordinate/trusted messengers/in local communities;/and/bolster partner/networks/comprised of service providers and people with lived experience, subject matter expertise, and an overall understanding of the complex needs experienced by/communities/disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Los Angeles County (LAC)/benefits greatly/from/a robust community-based infrastructure/with/demonstrated success and nimbleness in/supporting/residents/at/highest risk during this pandemic./The/PARTNER Project/builds upon this/infrastructure/by bringing/together the/LAC Department of Public Health (DPH),/community based organizations/(CBOs),/regionally based/service providers,/data/collection and/reporting entities,/essential workers,/internal and external advisory bodies,/and others/to/eliminate inequities in COVID-19 related health/outcomes, increase use of public health practices that limit the spread of COVID-19, and/sustain/equitable response and recovery activities/beyond/the COVID-19 pandemic./Specifically, the PARTNER Project will (1) Expand provision of mitigation and prevention services/(e.g., contact tracing, system navigation, education and outreach)/to reduce COVID-19 related disparities among/priority populations, (2)/Improve data collection and reporting for/priority populations/experiencing disproportionate COVID-19 related impacts, (3) Build upon existing infrastructure/to/sustain/equitable practices during/COVID-19/prevention and control activities, and/(4)/Mobilize partners to advance health equity and address social determinants/during and beyond the/COVID-19/pandemic. Local data/clearly elucidate areas of need that must be addressed through the/PARTNER Project, including/geographic/regions/highly impacted/by COVID-19/such as/densely populated/portions of/Los Angeles County including/South Los Angeles (e.g.,/Historic South Central Los Angeles), Southeast Los Angeles (e.g.,/Vernon, Cudahy, Bell, Paramount, Maywood, South Gate, Bell Gardens),/and the North East San Fernando Valley (e.g., Pacoima, Sun Valley, Arleta)/and more sparsely populated areas in/the Antelope Valley (e.g., Palmdale, Lancaster, Lake Los Angeles, Littlerock, Hi Vista)./Additionally,/racial/ethnic groups that are often/medically/underserved and more likely to experience severe COVID-19 related outcomes due to a/non-geographic distribution of/community members and disproportionality in chronic disease rates, including/Pacific Islanders/and American Indian/Alaska Natives,/as well as/populations/who/cross-cut/geography and racial/ethnic identity, such as immigrants (non-US born persons), LGBTQ+ communities, and people with disabilities,/are all/priority populations/that/the/PARTNER Project/will serve.
