NH75OT000024

Suburban Cook County COVID-19 Health Equity Initiative - The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) requests $25,214,437 over two years under the federal funding opportunity, National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities. This funding will use a multi-pronged approach to implement an array of activities that build CCDPH's infrastructure and workforce, capitalize on existing opportunities and needs, consider systematic and contextual barriers, and collectively aim to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and reduce related health disparities in suburban Cook County, Illinois.

Called the Suburban Cook County COVID-19 Health Equity Initiative, this initiative proposes a bold vision to facilitate a culture change within CCDPH and across suburban Cook County that builds thriving communities where everyone feels valued, connected, and safe, and has equitable access to resources and opportunities for physical, mental, and social well-being.

Suburban Cook County, Illinois is large and geopolitically complex. The region is vast, covering 700 square miles, with a population of nearly 2.5 million people. Suburban Cook County has nearly 130 municipalities that include some of the wealthiest and poorest communities in the state of Illinois. COVID-19 elucidated long-known inequities in health outcomes and life expectancy among populations of color in which historical and present systems of oppression are a large contributing factor.

Given this, the Suburban Cook County Health Equity Initiative will focus many of its activities on communities and populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and who are underserved (e.g., people of color). The impact of the initiative is to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and reduce health disparities. To achieve these goals and aligned with the four strategies of this funding opportunity, the initiative will be organized around:

(1) Provision of county-wide evidence-based programs and services (e.g., contact tracing and resource coordination; 211 system; coordinated entry system for the homeless; worker protection program);
(2) Development of CCDPH infrastructure and capacity, including data systems; and
(3) Mobilization of community-based organizations to reach populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 or who are underserved with effective culturally and linguistically tailored outreach and education, programs and services, and policy and systems improvements to advance health equity.

CCDPH with its partners will embed strategic collaborations, capacity building, health literacy, and communication and social marketing techniques across the strategies to advance and sustain activities that will be undertaken in this initiative. Outcomes include increased CCDPH, community, and the overall public health system's capacity and services; increased value for public health and awareness and understanding of COVID-19 related information and a shift in the narrative related to health equity; improved contact tracing and access to testing, vaccine, healthcare, and other resources, especially for people of color; and strengthened policies, systems, and programs that affect communities and populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 or who are underserved.

County Of Cook

NOT APPLICABLE

93.354 - Public Health Emergency Response: Cooperative Agreement for Emergency Response: Public Health Crisis Response

CDC Office of Financial Resources (OFR) [HHS - CDC]

Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS) [HHS - CDC]

Cook, Illinois United States

County-Wide

National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities (CDC-RFA-OT21-2103)

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 05/31/23 to 05/31/25.