Reducing the Impact of COVID-19 in Underserved Communities in Illinois
Originally published in Quest Diagnostics' Quest for Health Equity 2021 In Revi…
Family Christian Health Center
Family Christian Health Center (FCHC) is a nonprofit FQHC providing health services to underserved populations in Harvey, IL, and broader Southland Illinois communities. Today, FCHC is working to expand access to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations while improving healthcare coordination to individuals in need. With Q4HE’s support, FCHC is partnering with the faith-based community to expand awareness and education related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination, as well as chronic health-related issues.
Providing access to factual, current information about COVID-19 is essential to help more people make the choice to get tested or vaccinated. To give more community members access to these resources, prerecorded information sessions are being shared on FCHC’s website and Facebook page. These recordings will also be distributed to religious communities to use during online church services and share on their digital channels.
With Q4HE’s support, FCHC is partnering with the faith-based community to expand awareness and education related to COVID-19 testing and vaccination.
Additionally, Q4HE’s support empowers FCHC to expand health screenings for its members. Through these screenings, FCHC is able to ensure members have a primary care provider and are addressing chronic health conditions prevalent in minority communities, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. For the many members who lost their employment due to the pandemic and now lack health insurance, Q4HE and FCHC are providing information regarding continued healthcare services through FCHC or a partner FQHC. Members will also be connected to one of FCHC’s insurance navigators for support in finding and applying for health coverage.
“Among the populations served by Family Christian Health Center, there is a low rate of vaccination and high vaccine hesitancy compared to the rest of Illinois. Through this initiative, FCHC will be able to increase the number of people willing to become vaccinated by providing health education, which will help reduce health disparities. Doing so will improve the quality of life in the communities we serve, as it improves people’s health and economic prosperity.”
– Mia Webster Cross BSN, RN Community Health & Programs Director
