Notice2024-12872
Development of Public Health Vaccine and Prevention Educational Campaigns Involving Community Health Workers
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 12, 2024
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services Department
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) seeks input on involving community health workers (CHWs) to increase "cultural competency in educational campaigns on public health vaccines and prevention, including but not limited to influenza and COVID-19."
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 114 (Wednesday, June 12, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49885-49886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-12872]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Development of Public Health Vaccine and Prevention Educational
Campaigns Involving Community Health Workers
AGENCY: Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office
of Minority Health (OMH) seeks input on involving community health
workers (CHWs) to increase ``cultural competency in educational
campaigns on public health vaccines and prevention, including but not
limited to influenza and COVID-19.''
DATES: Written comments must be received electronically at the email
address provided below, no later than 11:59 p.m. on July 11, 2024.
ADDRESSES: OMH invites the submission of the requested information
through one of the following methods:
<bullet> Preferred method: Submit information through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online
instructions for submissions.
<bullet> Email: Send comments to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#713c181f1e031805083914101d0519381f171e311919025f161e07"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e2af8b8c8d908b969baa87838e968aab8c848da28a8a91cc858d94">[email protected]</span></a> with
the subject line ``OMH RFI: Development of Public Health Vaccine and
Prevention Educational Campaigns Involving Community Health Workers.''
Submissions received after the deadline will not be reviewed.
Respond concisely and in plain language. You may use any structure or
layout that presents your information well. You may respond to some or
all of our questions, and you can suggest other factors or relevant
questions. You may also include links to online material or
[[Page 49886]]
interactive presentations. Clearly mark any proprietary information and
place it in its own section or file. Your response will become
government property, and we may publish some of its non-proprietary
content.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Norris Agnew, (240) 268-0665,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a7c9c8d5d5ced489c6c0c9c2d0e7cfcfd489c0c8d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d4babba6a6bda7fab5b3bab1a394bcbca7fab3bba2">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background Information
The Office of Minority Health (OMH)
Authorized under section 1707 of the Public Health Service Act, 42
U.S.C. 300u-6, as amended, the mission of OMH is to improve the health
of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of
health policies and programs that help eliminate health disparities.
OMH grant awards and other activities are intended to support the
identification of effective policies, programs, and practices for
improving health outcomes and to promote sustainability and
dissemination of these approaches.
Role of Community Health Workers in COVID-19 Vaccination and Prevention
The COVID-19 pandemic magnified disparities within the United
States healthcare system, notably in access to culturally competent
health information and services for racial and ethnic minority
populations. CHWs emerged as key figures in addressing COVID-19 vaccine
confidence concerns and supporting other prevention strategies.
The Congressional report accompanying the FY 2023 appropriations
law requested that OMH focus on involving CHWs to increase ``cultural
competency in educational campaigns on public health vaccines and
prevention, including but not limited to influenza and COVID-19.'' \1\
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\1\ <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP00/20220630/114968/HMKP-117-AP00-20220630-SD003.PDF">https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP00/20220630/114968/HMKP-117-AP00-20220630-SD003.PDF</a>.
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II. Request for Information
Through this RFI, OMH seeks to obtain information from CHWs,
recipients of CHW services, and organizations representing and/or
communities using CHWs to guide the development of an educational
campaign focused on increasing the cultural and linguistic competency
efforts related to public health vaccines (e.g., influenza and COVID-
19) and other prevention strategies.
Please Note: This request for information (RFI) is for planning
purposes only. It is not a notice for a proposal and does not commit
the federal government to issue a solicitation, make an award, or pay
any costs associated with responding to this announcement. All
submitted information shall remain with the federal government and will
not be returned. All responses will become part of the public record
and will not be held confidential. The federal government reserves the
right to use information provided by respondents for purposes deemed
necessary and legally appropriate. Respondents are advised that the
federal government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the
information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to
any information submitted. Responses will not be accepted after the due
date.
III. Questions
Note: We understand that not all questions may apply to each
respondent's experience or capacity. Small organizations,
individuals, or groups of recipients who may not have access to
comprehensive data or resources are still encouraged to share their
valuable insights and experiences.
1. What specific methods or practices (i.e., discussing vaccines as
part of a prevention program, prioritizing social determinants of
health (SDOH), being a member of the cultural group being engaged,
etc.) are required to build trust around vaccinations within the
communities you serve?
2. What innovative culturally competent practices have resulted in
increasing vaccine uptake or vaccine confidence in your communities?
3. What training programs have been effective in engaging CHWs to
enhance cultural and linguistic competency to support vaccine
confidence and other prevention efforts?
4. What training, coaching, or learning collaborations would
improve the ability of CHWs to improve vaccine confidence or vaccine
uptake in their communities?
IV. Definitions
For the purposes of this RFI, the following working definitions
apply:
Community Health Worker--a frontline public health worker who
promotes wellness by helping people adopt healthy behaviors. They
implement programs and advocate for people who may have limited access
to health resources and social services. Community health workers are
employed in a variety of settings, including hospitals, public health
departments, and community-based organizations. Community health
workers act as intermediaries between their clients and providers of
healthcare and social services. They identify health-related issues,
collect data, and discuss clients' health concerns within the
community. For example, community health workers might identify
barriers preventing clients from accessing transportation and provide
referrals to resources that provide transportation. Community health
workers work closely with other healthcare and social service
providers, including registered nurses, social workers, and substance
abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors.
Cultural and Linguistic Competence--encompasses the ability of
providers and organizations to deliver services that are respectful of
and responsive to the health beliefs, practices, and cultural and
linguistic needs of diverse patients. It involves recognizing and
addressing biases, facilitating communication across cultural
boundaries, and tailoring health delivery to meet patients' social,
cultural, and linguistic expectations. This competency is critical in
ensuring equitable healthcare access, enhancing patient-provider
relationships, and improving health outcomes in diverse patient
populations.
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)--these are the conditions in
the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play,
worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and
quality-of-life outcomes and risks. The five domains of SDOH are
Economic Stability, Education Access and Quality, Health Care Access
and Quality, Neighborhood and Built Environment, and Social and
Community Context.
Vaccine Confidence--refers to the trust that individuals or
communities have in the safety and efficacy of vaccines and in the
systems that deliver them. This includes beliefs about the development,
testing, approval, and policies that lead to vaccine distribution and
administration. High levels of vaccine confidence contribute to higher
vaccination uptake, which is crucial for the success of immunization
programs.
Dated: April 19, 2024.
Norris Agnew,
Lead Public Affairs Specialist, Division of Information and Education,
HHS Office of Minority Health.
[FR Doc. 2024-12872 Filed 6-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-29-P
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