Thursday, December 26, 2024
12/26/2024
The Minnesota Department of Health will address COVID-19 related health disparities and advance health equity by expanding capacity and services across Minnesota to prevent and control COVID-19 transmission among populations that are at higher risk and currently under-served.The MDH has been raising awareness of and promoting policies to address health disparities starting long before the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed work will implement an approach that builds on culturally, linguistically, and locally tailored strategies and best practices to reduce COVID-19 risk. This coordinated and holistic approach is essential to build and sustain trust, ensure equitable access to COVID-19 related services, and advance health equity to address COVID-19 related health disparities among populations at higher risk, under-served, and disproportionately affected.Specific efforts will include: 1) creation of regional equity hubs across the state that strengthen infrastructure and relationships across state government, local public health, and community partners to embed equity into emergency response frameworks; 2) a health care provider survey ($900K) to better characterize long-term symptoms and complications associated with COVID-19; 3) sustaining existing Community Liaisons to raise awareness of risks and coordinate prevention efforts; 3) capacity grants to local public health, community organizations, and faith communities ($5M), Tribes ($3M), and rural primary care facilities ($850K); 4) creation of a data model for long-term symptoms and complications from COVID-19 ($4.6M); 5) incorporation of diversity, equity and inclusion practices in all MDH human resource activities; 6) working with Wilder Research to create and assess evaluation measures that are sensitive to equity factors; and 7) increasing capacity to translate public health materials into appropriate languages to ensure awareness of prevention and mitigation steps.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).