Evaluation of Cook County Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Health Equity Initiatives

The P3RC is working with the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) to build and use evidence for its COVID-19 health equity initiatives. Drawing on a longstanding partnership and utilizing multiple funding streams, the P3RC works with CCDPH to provide evaluation, quality improvement, and ongoing technical assistance. The P3RC supports CCDPH to build and strengthen effective community engagement initiatives and drive strategic decision-making around CCDPH's community engagement efforts.

Suburban Cook County COVID-19 Contact Tracing Initiative Heading link

  • Community Supports Program

    The Community Supports Program (CSP) was an assets-based approach to improve the effectiveness of COVID-19 mitigation and enhance the implementation of community strategies in suburban Cook County. The CSP utilized partnerships and expertise of 44 community-based organizations throughout suburban Cook County to communicate timely COVID-19 messages and provide resources and services, placing an emphasis on disadvantaged communities affected by health disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Contact Tracing

    CCDPH’s contact tracing included activities around the hiring, training, and monitoring performance of case investigators and contact tracers.  These CCDPH employees contacted residents of Cook County who had tested positive for COVID-19 and/or who had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive.  Case investigators and contact tracers could also refer residents to additional resources to help them during isolation/quarantine.

  • Worker Protection Program

    The Worker Protection Program (WPP) involved a partnership between CCDPH, the Raise the Floor Alliance, and six worker centers that conducted outreach to communities of low-wage workers in suburban Cook County. Through the WPP, worker centers conducted training for and provided educational materials to workers and employers on workers’ rights and practices to reduce transmission of COVID-19 in workplaces and helped identify employers who did not comply with requirements to reduce transmission of COVID-19.

Suburban Cook County Health Equity Initiative Heading link

  • Building Healthy Communities

    Suburban Cook County’s Building Healthy Communities Initiative funds community-based organizations to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, lessen the pandemic’s health, social, and economic impacts, and address COVID-19 health disparities.

  • Health Equity Partnership Development

    CCDPH is working with partners to deliver health equity-based initiatives and services. The P3RC is supporting these partners in leveraging resources and identifying areas of alignment and coordination toward a shared vision.

  • The Healthy Work Initiatve

    The P3RC is helping CCDPH to develop the Healthy Work Initaitive, which addresses the occupational health and safety needs of essential low-income workers in suburban Cook County who experienced higher effects and proportions of effects from COVID-19 through exposure, mitigation, and workplace violations versus the general population.