The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastatingly disproportionate impact on Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) throughout the United States, a direct result of the impact of racism on health. In Denver, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous persons are dramatically overrepresented among people diagnosed, hospitalized, and dying due to COVID-19. This disparity also is evident in the profound social and economic disruptions caused by our public health response including the closing of businesses, loss of jobs, exposure of front-line workers and social isolation. The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) and Denver Public Health (DPH) identified three primary strategies for addressing inequities associated with COVID-19 and will extend this work to eliminate health disparities in the future. The work plan includes several activities associated with each of the three strategies. Strategy One ? Framework (CDC Strategy #1)During the COVID-19 pandemic, DDPHE and DPH have endeavored to intentionally provide support to prioritized populations most impacted by COVID-19 including testing and vaccinations imbedded in highly impacted communities. We also worked to provide additional support through food distribution, social service connections and other programs to help offset the impacts of the COVID-19 responses. In doing this, we created an infrastructure that will serve as the foundation for our continued response and recovery efforts, and our continuing work to eliminate on-going health disparities. Strategy Two ? Data (CDC Strategy #2)COVID-19 underscored the necessity of data to identify community needs and deploying assistance in an effective and timely manner. These efforts require that we ensure the accuracy and efficacy of data in capturing the real experience of people living in prioritized communities most impacted by COVID-19, and to use this data to inform our work and provide information that can be used by organizati
ons and people in communities. Strategy 3 ? Community (CDC Strategies #3 and #4)Health disparities cannot be eliminated without members of the community being full partners. Systems of oppression that are rooted in white supremacy obstruct power-sharing by design and will need to be dismantled and trust must be established between public health and the community. DDPHE and DPH recognize the absolute necessity of continually assessing our internal cultures that perpetuate oppression and white supremacy in practice so that our organizations can be better partners with the community members. This includes building in process changes to partnering with community to establish power-sharing rather than hierarchical connections.DDPHE and DPH are working together to establish a vigorous evaluation regime that will ensure the activities described in this summary and our detailed work plan meet their goals. It is imperative that the community is involved in identifying appropriate metrics and conducting that evaluation. This will be accomplished through the activities for involving community-based organizations and members of the priority communities as we have described.CDC funding provided through this program will be critical in achieving the aspirational and tactical goals DDPHE and DPH have identified for these strategies and activities. At the same time, the CDC can be assured that these efforts are designed and built on a firm foundation laid during one of the greatest health challenges in our history. Even before COVID-19, DDPHE and DPH were deeply committed to effecting systemic changes designed to eliminate health disparities. Our work is predicated on the inherent strength and dignity of BIPOC communities, and in acknowledgement of the value of community-owned systems. We are eager to add the CDC to this partnership, which can serve as a national model for a restorative and reparative recovery.
