“Additionally, we wanted to make sure we made time for every patient encounter to be educational by allowing enough time to answer any COVID-19- and health care-related questions to debunk any myths often shared through social media.”ĭuring a testing visit, a registered nurse will ask every client if they have a primary care provider or need to be connected to other health care services, and if they don’t, the nurse will ask if they wish to connect to care at the Medical Center or Esperanza Health Centers. ![]() ![]() “Beyond this COVID-19 era, we want people to be connected to care for all other medical needs,” added Blancarte Mora. “This partnership with Rush University Medical Center and the Chicago Department of Public Health will ensure that we are prepared for any increase in demand for testing, even as we redouble our efforts to educate and vaccinate residents of our community.”īlancarte Mora hopes that this outreach will also serve as a pathway for community members to broaden access to other care needs. “With rates of fully vaccinated individuals struggling to rise above 40 or 50 percent in some areas of the city, it is clear the communities we serve remain at increased risk for COVID-19,” said Carmen Vergara, chief operations officer at Esperanza. The spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 has again heightened concern about community spread and with it, anxiety that can only be eased by easy access to testing and vaccinations. The program is now active, using a three-pronged strategy of high-volume testing, education and connection to care to maximize the reach of testing across the city. “COVID-19 testing remains a critical part of our public health response but the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your family from COVID-19 right now is to get vaccinated.” "As the pandemic enters a new phase, CDPH's community-based testing efforts continue to prioritize equitable access to COVID-19 diagnosis for the communities that need it most, and we are proud to be working with the Medical Center and Esperanza Health Centers, two Chicago-based health care providers, to connect people to COVID-19 testing and additional health care services too, including COVID-19 vaccination,” said Dr. The teams will provide community-based testing along with education and connection to care. COVID-19 isn’t going to last forever, but we hope the relationships we build do.” ![]() “We wanted to use this patient encounter as an opportunity to do more than COVID-19 testing and to be thoughtful about what our communities need. “ Connect Chicago is an opportunity for Rush to take critical health services into South, West, and Southwest communities of Chicago,” said Alma Blancarte Mora, RN, Rush College of Nursing Community Health Nurse leader. With cases of COVID-19 again on the rise in portions of Illinois and across the country, the Chicago Department of Public Health is partnering with Rush University Medical Center and Esperanza Health Centers to redouble efforts on something that remains of critical importance: COVID-19 testing.īoth the Medical Center and Esperanza Health Centers have a history of commitment to addressing health equity in the neighborhoods they serve. As vaccine hesitancy continues to be an issue in pockets of Chicago, CDPH, Rush and Esperanza are working to leverage trusted relationships to increase testing in these areas and support communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
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