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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 [...]

BACKGROUND: Nutrition plays a vital role in children's physical and emotional health. More than half of school age children's calories are provided in the school food environment, making school interventions an opportunity to address child nutrition. METHODS: The Creating Health Environments for Schools (CHEFS) program is designed to leverage local resources to create customized solutions that improve the nutritional content of school food and encourage children to choose healthier food. There are 8 components: (1) customizing nutrition plans, (2) modifying/replacing menu items, (3) helping procure healthier food, (4) providing equipment grants, (5) training cafeteria staff, (6) implementing environmental changes and nudges, (7) engaging students and parents, and (8) supporting sustainability. Supporting child nutrition directors is key to facilitating cooperation with schools. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: Menu modifications and procurement are interrelated and depend on successfully collaborating with corporate, independent, and local food services organizations. Limited school budgets require low or no‐cost solutions and staff training. Student and parent engagement are critical to facilitate culturally‐appropriate solutions that increase awareness of healthy food. CONCLUSIONS: Every school district has particular resources and constraints. CHEFs engaged stakeholders to design customized solutions and encourage healthier nutrition for school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with food insecurity experience type 2 diabetes (T2D) at higher rates than others while lacking the resources to manage the disease. In order to improve the health of food-insecure individuals with T2D, interventions must address nutrition at multiple levels. Delivering Health utilizes healthy eating and active living lifestyle programs to address food insecurity and diabetes management for food-insecure people with T2D. This program is designed to help Arkansans with T2D and food insecurity. The program includes interventions at three levels: 12 weeks home delivery of T2D-appropriate food boxes with adapted education materials to food-insecure individuals with T2D; dissemination of education materials (diabetes-friendly toolkit and training) that support the nutrition of T2D clients to food pantries in Arkansas; and development of an interprofessional health education (IPE) course to increase food security assessments and dietary interventions for T2D patients. Biometric data, measures of food security, food pantry utilization, health history, medications, and Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities are gathered from individuals; survey data is collected from food pantries and interprofessional health students. One hundred and one food-insecure people with T2D have been recruited, 92 pantries have received a diabetes-friendly toolkit and training, and 241 health profession students have completed an IPE course. Pantry surveys show that trainings have increased the ability of most food pantries to improve client health, that over half have increased the use of diabetes-related components, but that few had implemented operational changes. Seventy-six percent of students reported this was a valuable educational activity. Real-world constraints often limit the ability of food pantries to support clients with T2D, but most are willing to implement changes when given support; the availability of healthy food is often limited, so some pantries have requested help procuring food. The IPE module is effective in training future healthcare professionals about how to treat patients with both T2D and food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latinx and Marshallese populations experienced significant COVID-19 disparities in Arkansas, as well as high rates of food insecurity. This case study describes a partnership to rapidly deliver food to isolated and quarantined individuals with COVID-19. It focuses on the project's initial three weeks (June 19–July 2, 2020) of operation in which 531 home deliveries of food boxes were made to 2,192 unique individuals in 373 unique households. This community partnership was possible because of existing relationships established prior to the pandemic and leveraged to rapidly reach and respond to acute need in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study explored community-based doulas’ experiences working with immigrant clients and maternal health-care providers in Arkansas. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Three themes emerged: (1) experiences with immigrant clients; (2) experiences with maternal health-care providers; (3) suggestions to improve support for immigrant clients. Within the first theme, three subthemes emerged: (1) language barriers; (2) transportation; (3) access to food and housing. Within the second theme, two subthemes emerged: (1) dismissive; (2) takes time to build rapport. Within the third theme, two subthemes emerged: (1) listen to the client and improve communication; (2) more community-based doulas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]