15 Months and Counting: CPCA Continues the Fight against COVID-19 in support of Community Health Centers and the People They Serve
Fifteen months and counting. It has been a year that we have never seen, and a year that no one will ever forget. While we continue to battle this pandemic, we see light at the end of the tunnel. Infections are down, hospitalizations are down, and vaccines are plentiful. But how did we get here? How did we make sure community health center (CHC) staff and the diverse communities they serve were as protected, productive, and healthy as possible? We did it together! Working in partnership with CHCs, regional associations, state leaders, and the private business sector.
As we take a moment to reflect, we are proud of the following key collective wins and accomplishments that significantly altered the trajectory of the pandemic’s impact on our communities:
Protected and Expanded the CHC Workforce
More than a year later, community health centers (CHCs) and their workforce continue to serve on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. Despite significant financial losses and uncertainties, staff furloughs and layoffs, and PPE shortages, CHCs and their highly trained health providers remain committed to serving their patients and communities. In addition to transitioning from in-person to virtual care delivery, CHCs screened, tested, and treated patients with COVID-19. Now CHCs and their staff are vital players to COVID-19 vaccine administration. The California Primary Care Association (CPCA) works alongside CHCs to address major concerns and has taken immediate actions to support the workforce. Considering the pandemic worsened California’s pre-existing health workforce shortage, CHCs need additional staff and volunteers to expand COVID-19 capacity. CPCA wrote a letter to the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), which they approved, to allow flexibilities for registered dental hygienists to administer vaccines. CPCA hosted a session with the DCA and California Department of Public Health to describe ways CHCs can leverage state flexibilities and request Emergency Medical Personnel. The organization also offered a free job posting package, which thirty-eight CPCA members took advantage of to recruit new staff. In an effort to bolster volunteer efforts, CPCA hosted two webinars with CA Volunteers and HealthImpact to discuss ways that CHCs can leverage their two statewide volunteer programs, MyTurnVolunteer and VaxForce. CPCA recognizes that the COVID-19 environment is constantly shifting, and staffing needs remain a top priority shaping our internal work.
Partnered with State and Federal Leaders on COVID-19 Vaccination Equity
CPCA has collaborated with all levels within the state on vaccination efforts, from the governor’s appointed leads to health center administrators overseeing outreach, patient scheduling, public health reporting efforts, and much more. CPCA Senior Leadership have also been participants in a statewide Vaccine Community Advisory Committee since December 2020, and staff have hosted bi-weekly meetings on COVID-19 throughout 2021. These meetings have focused on a variety of issues including clinical treatment and workflows, workforce challenges and strategies, billing and financial sustainability concerns, and sharing information on both the state and federal vaccine programs. As it relates to the state vaccination program, CPCA has been an effective liaison since March 2021 with My Turn - coordinating onboarding efforts with the TPA, other Provider Associations, Clinic Consortia, and direct health center support and guidance. Additionally, under HRSA’s Direct Vaccine Program, CPCA has been coordinating weekly outreach to health centers, offering technical assistance on vaccine provider enrollment challenges and offering support around the existing reporting challenges health centers face when navigating both the state and federal Immunization Information Systems (IIS).
Focused on Structural Racism as the Root Cause of Health Inequities
CPCA was forever changed in the wake of the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, and in response to the glaring COVID-19 racial and ethnic disparities. As our nation collectively focused on Black lives in the spring of 2020, CPCA embarked on our journey to become an anti-racist organization. We did this because we believe that structural racism, specifically in the social determinants of health, is the root cause of health inequities. We started by engaging expert consultants, training staff, and centering and supporting our Black/African American staff. We created space for conversations about the effects of internal, interpersonal, institutional, and ideological racism on ourselves and on our communities. CPCA is now on a path to develop new policies, practices, and programs that not only strengthen ourselves and our community health centers, but also work to dismantle structural racism in our state and in our country.
CPCA will continue to ensure that the needs of community health centers, and the people they serve, are identified, prioritized, and successfully addressed.