Wellness & Equity Alliance, RS21, and community-based organizations share strategies to help alleviate the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on hard hit and high-risk populations

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — For many community-based organizations, the COVID-19 response has placed equity squarely at its center. Public health collaborations in communities across the country have focused on protecting, supporting and uplifting hard-hit, high-risk communities in the face of the unprecedented public health threat. While there remains much to do in pursuit of health equity, the White House Summit on COVID-19 Equity and What Works Showcase highlights interventions and approaches that have moved the needle on equitable COVID-19 outcomes and showcases a path forward.

This event, held virtually on November 16, 2022, convenes community organizations, equity leaders, government officials and philanthropic organizations in the sharing of best practices to light the way forward.

Taking part in the showcase include the Wellness & Equity Alliance (WEA), a national organization of public health clinicians working to close gaps in population and public health, and RS21, a data science company with a Health Lab dedicated exclusively to healthcare analytics. The two organizations will share strategies and best practices learned through a partnership together that has focused on bolstering WEA’s responsive, equitable approaches to providing direct access to COVID-19 services in communities at the U.S.-Mexico border by using RS21’s data, analytics, and machine learning capabilities. Speakers include Dr. Tyler B. Evans, WEA CEO and Co-Founder, Dr. Christina Madison, WEA Chief Pharmacist and Public Information Officer, and Angelica Maestas, RS21 Health Lab Division President.

“COVID-19 amplified the inequities in the health system that have existed for decades and predated on vulnerable public health systems that intended to protect the most marginalized communities in the U.S. After administering over 2 million COVID-19 vaccines in 10 states with a focus on communities lacking historical health care access, we believe that strong private-public partnerships and key data insights are the future of public health,” said Dr. Evans.
“The goal in using big data and machine learning is to make new information visible that moves us beyond traditional delivery of health care and focuses on early public health interventions that make a difference in our communities and the people who live within them,” added Maestas.

The discussion will center on building relationships with public health departments and local news outlets and using data to develop targeted approaches to reach the highest-risk communities with COVID-19 services, such as vaccinations and treatments. Through these relationships and data-driven strategies, WEA deployed “pop-up” mobile clinics to vaccinate and educate over 1,000 patients that live in colonias, or unincorporated villages along the southern U.S. border with nearly 2 million inhabitants living in abject poverty, in Laredo, TX.

This and other sessions are featured as a virtual showcase to demonstrate groundbreaking work on COVID-19 equity. Panel discussions are live streamed. More information can be found online at https://rs21.io/white-house-covid19-equity-summit.

The White House is joined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in hosting this event.

About Wellness & Equity Alliance
Wellness & Equity Alliance (WEA) is a novel national public health organization comprised of a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, community health workers and population health experts with expertise in infectious disease, public health, emergency medicine, primary care, cardiology, pediatrics, psychiatry, community health work (CHW), nursing and advanced practice pharmacy. They work nearly exclusively with underrepresented communities, fundamentally addressing health-care disparities and the social determinants of health (SDoH) that have been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing the following: people experiencing homelessness, indigenous communities, immigrant communities, rural communities, BIPoC communities, LGBTQ+ communities and justice-impacted communities.

About RS21
RS21 is a rapidly growing data science company that uses artificial intelligence, design, data engineering, and modern software development methods to empower organizations to make data-driven decisions that positively impact the world. Our innovative solutions are insightful, intuitive, inspiring, and intellectually honest. With offices in Albuquerque, NM and Washington, DC, RS21 is an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company and a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators.

We help clients achieve programmatic goals, improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and maximize productivity using MOTHR, our human-centered, artificial intelligence engine that allows users to seamlessly integrate data and reveal insights at hyper speed. We navigate complex data issues in the fields of healthcare, defense, safety, urban planning, energy, cyber, land use, climate, disaster preparedness, disaster recovery, space, and social equity. Visit http://www.rs21.io.

Media Contact

Natalie Sommer, RS21, 1 5056151356, natalie@rs21.io

SOURCE RS21