The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) contracted with the UPHA CHW Section to utilize CHWs to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in underserved and underrepresented communities.  CHWs will help protect and promote health within their communities while also strengthening the sustainability and infrastructure of CHWs in Utah.

Three New Staff Members Hired to Manage the Project

Three new Covid19 staff have been hired and are working on training and reporting this effort throughout the state.  These staff will be seeking out and securing partnerships with other organizations, supporting community messaging regarding the pandemic, translating materials in various languages and building a Registry of CHWs across the state.  They will also promote the CHW Core Skill training and help with enrollment and coordination with different partners and employers to identify and enhance CHWs roles and staffing needs. The Position Descriptions below outline the duties of the three coordinators.

   Oreta Tupola - Project Coordinator - Position Description
   Javier Campos - Project Communication & Membership Coordinator - Position Description
   Suzi Akok - Project Outreach & Partnership Coordinator - Position Description

OUTREACH & SUPPORT PROJECT FROM UNITED WAY OF SALT LAKE - Stay Safe, Stay Connected & Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer

United Way of Salt Lake (UWSL) has launched a large-scale outreach and support initiatives -- 221 Stay Safe, Stay Connected  (SSSC) and Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (PEBT) -- to promote and support continued learning for K-12 students and their families no matter what school looks like.  These initiatives reach the families who have experienced the most school disconnect since the COVID-19 pandemic began through a multi-faceted statewide public awareness media campaign and through the community-based outreach of dozens of partners.

United Way of Salt Lake provided UPHA with funding for five (5) new CHW contract employees to manage the projects.  UPHA's CHW Section hired these five Community Health Workers from ethnic underserved communities that work in Utah, Salt Lake, and Davis County. These CHWs will spend 8 hours a week each doing Stay Safe, Stay Connected (SSSC) and Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (PEBT) outreach in multiple languages:

• Ahmed Isaak
• Carmen Chavira Jones
• Tile Fagatele
• Juliet Munyambanza
• Jennifer Stoltmann