Leveraging Faith Community Investments to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination within Community Hot Spots.

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the use of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to accelerate our ability to implement and maintain mobilization of community partner networks. To provide equity-centric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 virus [COVID-19]) testing and vaccination to historically medically underserved areas in a densely populated metropolitan district, Cobb & Douglas Public Health (Georgia) partnered with Wellstar Health System (Wellstar) through an MOU. Wellstar activated its Congregational Health Network to target COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites, identified by review of local COVID-19 transmission data. The MOU enabled rapid deployment of public health and health care resources, which grew into a consortium that held 141 local events that provided more than 3,000 tests and 10,000 vaccinations. Health care organizations can use an MOU structure to establish partnerships and increase equity-centric COVID-19 testing and vaccination accessibility for disparate communities.