Colorado Access Finds Success in Community-Led Approach to Increase Health Care Access and Reduce Vaccine Disparities for Hispanic Population
The Latinx Immunization Access Program Increased COVID-19 Vaccination Rates and Health Care Access by Building Trust and Removing Barriers
AURORA, Colo. – While the first COVID-19 vaccination was being made available in 2020, Colorado Access designed what was known later as the Latinx Immunization Access Program (LIAP). The LIAP aims to increase trust in communications and support vaccine access to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among Latino communities, focusing especially on the most marginalized and underserved groups (including monolingual Spanish speakers) in the counties Colorado Access serves (outlined in the paragraph below). Between 2021 and 2023, the LIAP’s targeted funding and innovations contributed to a significant increase in the COVID-19 vaccination rates for Hispanic members and eventually evolved to address broader vaccinations and health needs (full policy brief). This was accomplished by building trust within the Latino community, reducing geographic, cultural and linguistic barriers to vaccination, and responding to community needs and preferences.
As a result of the LIAP, nearly 16,000 individuals received vaccinations, more than 5,000 Latino members were tested for COVID-19 and more than 110,000 COVID-19 tests were distributed. From April 2021 to January 2023, the gap in vaccination rates between Latinx and Spanish speaking members and white/Caucasian members disappeared entirely in Region 3 (Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties) and by half in Region 5 (Denver county). As of January 2023, Hispanic COVID-19 vaccination coverage in these areas was 49.8% and 55% respectively, compared to 49.4% and 58.9% for non-Hispanic whites. This is a contrast to the broader disparities observed statewide in December 2023, where only 44.75% of Hispanics were vaccinated compared to 80.91% of non-Hispanic whites (CDPHE).
Today, Hispanics constitute 23% of the Colorado population, making the Latino community the largest minority group in the state (U.S. Census Bureau). The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected the Latino community in Colorado and other states. In 2020, Hispanics made up 22% of the population in Colorado but accounted for 38% of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations (HCPF), underscoring an urgent need for targeted interventions.
“This program really helped health organizations step outside of their comfort zone, rethinking what we thought we knew about the Latinx community and how they engage with their health,” said Nancy Viera, community cultural navigator at Colorado Access. “We shifted from saying there was a stigma around vaccines to realizing it’s an access to care issue.”
In accordance with best practices, the LIAP used various approaches to build trust in communication and improve vaccination rates. Additionally, it implemented innovative practices and structures to foster capacity building, including hiring Viera as the company’s first-ever community cultural navigator and the creation of a monitoring strategy to track and analyze program implementation and promote internal learning.
Partnerships with trusted community figures and organizations were a key component of the program, acting as a bridge between health care services and the Latino community. The LIAP partnered with 12 organizations, ranging from health departments to public health organizations, community-based organizations and higher education institutions, to organize vaccination events. With these partnerships, the LIAP operated 124 community-based sites in the targeted Latino communities.
“When you come into a community with authentic engagement – welcoming them, talking with them, engaging them with smiles even if you don’t know their language – there’s a common human denominator of friendliness that validates their culture and brings down barriers,” said Rich McLean, board member at the Aurora Health Alliance. “When a clinic shows up at a church or a school that way, it’s a fantastic example of what public health can do to meet people where they are and build trust where trust didn’t exist before. That can make all the difference in advancing health equity.”
The LIAP also improved Latino community access to broader vaccination and health care necessities as the project evolved from 2021 to 2023 to include further services in response to community needs. Initially focused on COVID-19 vaccination efforts only, the LIAP evolved throughout 2021-2023 to address broader vaccination (i.e., flu, mpox and routine childhood vaccinations) and health needs (i.e., physical examinations and community resource referral) with a culturally adaptive approach focused on building trust within the Latino community.
The LIAP exemplifies the potential of targeted, culturally responsive interventions implemented in partnership with community organizations to enhance public health strategies. By aligning its operations with the needs of the communities it serves, Colorado Access has not only improved its service delivery, but also set an example for how public health organizations can effectively engage with and support minority communities. The results clearly demonstrate the need to sustain and further develop this model, as this community-led approach and emphasis on cultural responsiveness holds promise for replicating similar initiatives in other underserved communities.
About Colorado Access
As the largest and most experienced public sector health plan in the state, Colorado Access is a nonprofit organization that works beyond just navigating health services. The company focuses on meeting members’ unique needs by partnering with providers and community organizations to provide better personalized care through measurable results. Their broad and deep view of regional and local systems allows them to stay focused on members’ care while collaborating on measurable and economically sustainable systems that serve them better. Learn more at http://coaccess.com.