Academy CDHE Director to Participate in COVID-19 Webinar
April 15, 2022, 5:26 p.m. Michael Devitt — On April 21, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of Regional Health Operations in Region 7 and the Heartland Regional Health Equity Council will host “Give Your Community A Boost: A Regional Look at COVID-19 in the Heartland,” a 90-minute webinar that addresses ongoing efforts to promote COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for the residents of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Family physicians and other health care professionals are invited to register in advance to attend.
The webinar begins at 10 a.m. CT and will feature Danielle D. Jones, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the Academy’s Center for Diversity and Health Equity, as one of several speakers. The webinar’s topic also aligns with this year’s theme for National Minority Health Month, which emphasizes the importance of COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots as vital tools in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Catherine Lindsey Satterwhite, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., M.P.H., regional health administrator for the Office of Regional Health Operations, and Corstella Johnson, M.P.H., C.H.E.S., regional minority health analyst, will moderate the webinar. Joining Jones as featured speakers will be
- Nola Aigner Davis, M.A., public health communications officer for the Polk County, Iowa, Health Department;
- Josie Rodriguez, M.S., H.C.A., administrator for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Office of Health Disparities and Health Equity;
- Joseph Palm, M.P.H., chief of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Office of Minority Health; and
- Erica Andrade, M.P.A., chief program officer for El Centro, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation based in Kansas City, Kan., that provides educational and social opportunities to the surrounding Latino community.
The webinar will include panel presentations and small-group breakout sessions covering topics such as promoting vaccinations and booster shots and best practices for combating misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. These will be followed by a short question-and-answer session, updates from the Heartland RHEC, and a brief “call to action” segment during which attendees can reflect on what they learned and how they will use that information in practice.
“What I hope attendees take away most from this session is first, that family physicians are a trusted source of information regarding vaccines, and second, that all conversations regarding vaccination should start with your family physician,” said Jones. “Throughout the pandemic, the AAFP has ensured that its members are receiving the most up-to-date information regarding vaccine safety and effectiveness from reliable sources.”
The webinar is one of several events being hosted by HHS in commemoration of National Minority Health Month. Additional information on other events and resources is available at the Academy’s National Minority Health Month webpage and the Office of Minority Health’s National Minority Health Month 2022 website.