Happy spring, everyone! This Heartbeat is all about joy and community, so come along with me to Macedonia Baptist Church in Sacramento, California, where community leaders, Pastor Jeffrey Johnson and Derrell Roberts, teamed up with Dr. Kevin Mackey, Medical Director for Sacramento Regional Fire, and UC Davis Emergency Medicine providers to offer COVID vaccinations to the local community. Equitable vaccine distribution is an ongoing concern across the US and, according to a recent CDC report (linked below), our most vulnerable communities are still under vaccinated. In Sacramento County and across the country, local physicians, administrators and community leaders are coming up with new strategies to reach these communities, including partnering with trusted community leaders. When things come together, the results are amazing, and the vaccine clinic at Macedonia Baptist is a shining example of this. 

What innovative strategies have you seen in your community to work toward vaccine equity? Share your ideas and experiences with us on social media, @empulsepodcast, or through our website, ucdavisem.com.

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And please pass the word along to your friends and colleagues!

Host:

Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Guests:

Dr. Nate Kuppermann, Pediatric Emergency Physician, Professor and Chair of the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine

Larry Gomez, NP, Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Emergency Medicine

Dr. Kara Toles, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of Equity and Inclusion for the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine

Pastor Jeffrey Johnson, Pastor at Macedonia Baptist Church in Sacramento, CA

Macedonia Baptist Church community members

Resources:

Hughes MM, Wang A, Grossman MK, et al. County-Level COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Social Vulnerability - United States, December 14, 2020-March 1, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021 Mar 26;70(12):431-436. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7012e1. PMID: 33764963.

Vaccines are about to become a free-for-all. Here’s how to ensure it’s done equitably.  Opinion by Harald Schmidt, Lawrence O. Gostin and Michelle Williams. The Washington Post. March 30, 2021

Macedonia Baptist Church of Sacramento

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Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Audio Productions for audio production services.