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COVID-19 has disproportionally burdened racial and ethnic minorities. Minority populations report greater COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy; however, no studies document COVID-19 vaccine willingness among Marshallese or any Pacific Islander group, who are often underrepresented in research. This study documents United States (US) Marshallese Pacific Islanders’: willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine, willingness to participate in vaccine trials, and sociodemographic factors associated with willingness. From July 27, 2020-November 22, 2020, a convenience sample of US Marshallese adults were recruited through e-mail, phone calls, and a Marshallese community Facebook page to participate in an online survey. Of those surveyed (n = 120), 32.5% were extremely likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine; 20.8% were somewhat likely; 14.2% were unlikely or very unlikely; and 26.7% stated they did not know or were not sure. Only 16.7% stated they were willing to participate in a COVID-19 vaccine trial. Vaccine willingness was positively associated with older age, higher income, and longer US residence. Health insurance status and having a primary care provider were positively associated with vaccine willingness. Findings demonstrate within-group variation in COVID-19 vaccine willingness.

CTEL gathered data from several synchronous telehealth programs that provided data elements. including: patient demographics, patient diagnoses, patient procedures, patient medical history, insurer, and the amount reimbursed to the healthcare provider. Medicaid patients are 8% less likely to use telehealth, while patients that have both Medicare and Medicaid are 7% more likely to use telehealth, as compared to Medicare only patients. Additionally, the difference in percent telehealth use each year between T2D and non-T2D patients was statistically significant (first year: 3.5% vs. second year: 7.5%, p <.001), where T2D patients had higher percent telehealth use compared to non-T2D patients. Among the 49% of patients, 22,667 patients utilized video for telehealth visits, 1,020 patients utilized audio for telehealth visits, and 2,441 patients utilized both video and audio for telehealth visits. With 31% of participants responding, the Telemedicine ECHO respondents reported pre-test to immediate post-test gains across all 8 self-efficacy questions (e.g., addressing technical issues; ensuring the clinical appropriateness of telehealth; creating protocols/processes; keeping up-to-date on telehealth policy/regulatory environment; understanding telehealth billing; evaluating and continuously improving telehealth; educating patients, staff, and providers in what to expect during a telehealth encounter; and serving as a local/regional expert). [Extracted from the article]

COVID-19 disparities exposed health inequity across socioeconomic status, with community members of color experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and death. Racial/ethnic differences were especially disparate in Benton and Washington counties in northwest Arkansas, a region in the United States that experienced high COVID-19 infection rates. To address these disparities and support families with COVID-19, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Community Clinic (a federally qualified health center) worked with the Arkansas Department of Health and community partners to develop systematic Care Navigation and Enhanced Case Management. During an initial screening process, contact tracers offered Care Navigation and Enhanced Case Management services to individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 within Washington and Benton counties. Bilingual community health navigators, social workers, and nurses began providing enhanced case management to households that accepted services. Between September 9, 2020 and June 19, 2021, 3,502 households representing ~ 13,000 individuals were offered services, and 1,511 (43.1%) households requested/accepted services. Based on our experience, we provide four recommendations for practice: (a) provide contact tracing in community members' preferred language, (b) incorporate assessments into the contact tracing process to ensure community members have necessary resources for quarantine, (c) implement comprehensive care navigation and case management services for those who need additional support, and (d) integrate bilingual health navigators who are part of the target community into the process. Public Significance Statement Many communities experiencing COVID-19 disparities face socioeconomic challenges making quarantine difficult. Enhanced case management using bilingual community health navigators, social workers, and nurses can help address these COVID-19 inequities and reduce community spread by providing assistance to support quarantine. Keywords: COVID-19, disparities, enhanced case management, Marshallese, Latinx This article was published Online First May 12, 2022., Introduction COVID-19 disparities exposed health inequity across socioeconomic status, with community members of color experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and death. Counties with a higher percentage of minority [...]