Objective:

The pandemic has shone a bright light on persistent, systemic inequities in this country. Unequal access to economic opportunities and healthcare facilities, structural inequality, bias, and discrimination are just some of the systemic hurdles many communities face.

When IPHA/IPHCA identified a significant need for a strategic solution to help support Illinois’ most vulnerable populations, Morreale answered the call to partner with IPHA, IPHCA and their organizations’ community health workers to work towards a better world where access to resources, education, assistance, and care, especially in times of crisis and change, is equitable for all.

Planning/Execution:

The Morreale team took careful consideration during research, development, outreach and implementation to create solutions that were culturally competent and tailored to specific populations to ensure that the hardest hit, underserved populations of Illinois were prioritized. This included rural communities, diverse communities, elderly residents, people at or near the poverty line, undocumented immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, disconnected youth, and people with limited English proficiency.

Morreale conducted extensive, state-wide survey research with residents and nonprofits that showed 1 in 5 Illinoisans were unwilling to receive the COVID vaccine and could not determine the difference between accurate virus information and misinformation. Empowered with this data, IPHA and Morreale launched the Pandemic Health Navigator Program to inform residents on the facts regarding the virus, conduct contact tracing, connect our most vulnerable populations with needed resources, and help individuals make a plan to get vaccinated.

Morreale implemented a multi-channel integrated marketing campaign to help spread the educational information and resources via paid, owned and earned channels to the communities that needed them most.

Morreale’s strategic approach includes a custom website (HelpGuideThrive.org), an e-newsletter, social media, paid electronic and outdoor board advertising, earned media and a wide variety of educational materials, printed and customized to meet the unique needs of diverse communities and inform the public on the facts and guidelines regarding COVID-19.

Social Media

Community Specific Billboards

Informational Print Materials

Millions throughout the state have been exposed to the PHN program. The press conference live stream garnered more than 40,000 views on Facebook. More than 265 million media impressions since the start of the program. The program has amassed more than 20 million paid advertising impressions. Traffic to the HelpGuideThrive.org website has continued to increase 25% month over month since the start of the program.

Through Morreale’s efforts with the PHN program, more than 85 community-based organizations and federally qualified health centers are partnering in the program and more than 600 Community Health Workers are providing services.

With the educational materials and Learning Management System that Morreale developed, all Community Health Workers are trained and are utilizing more than 20 different pieces of educational collateral in English, Spanish and French, and can access 12 courses of PHN Program Curriculum online.

Thanks to the IPHA and the Pandemic Health Navigator Program, coalitions and partnerships were built and community health in Illinois is stronger than ever before. Because of strong public relations and demonstrated success, there is a renewed emphasis on public health infrastructure and the critical role this network will play in healthy communities for years to come.