In a recent article, Dr. Joseph Cacchione, Executive Vice President of Clinical & Network Services, Ascension, reviews what Ascension is doing to help increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine and address vaccine hesitancy across various populations.
It’s vital to all of us to build community immunity to COVID-19, particularly to protect those most at risk. A key to achieving community immunity is ensuring that everyone receives a vaccine against this virus as soon as it’s available to them – to protect not just themselves, but their loved ones, friends and neighbors as well.
We know that some individuals and communities have expressed hesitancy and concerns about the vaccines. As a national health ministry with a Mission to serve all with special attention to the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, Ascension has a sacred responsibility to provide our patients and the communities we serve with access to reliable and accurate information, resources and care to help them meet their health needs.
When making important decisions, we rely on the people and sources we trust – especially when it comes to healthcare, and especially when the amount of information available can be overwhelming. As healthcare providers, our patients trust us with their care and well-being. The individuals we serve also trust us to help improve the overall health of the community, educate them on healthy behaviors, increase accessibility and eliminate barriers to care. We also have a responsibility to be proactive and go out into the community to build relationships with community partners and organizations that can help us to raise awareness and provide access. All of these responsibilities come together in highlighting the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine and making it available and accessible to all.
There is an art and a science to the work of educating our communities about public health matters. It’s important that we listen to our communities and create opportunities to better understand the questions and reservations our patients, associates and communities may have, and address them appropriately, combining the latest medical science with the most appropriate and engaging means of communicating with each audience.
It’s essential that we engage directly with our communities to build awareness and opportunities for access to information about COVID-19 vaccines. Ongoing outreach and trust-building efforts will be vital to ensure that vulnerable and marginalized populations have access to the vaccine when it’s available to them.
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