Local Organizers and Leaders Making a Difference

 

Dr. Luis Manriquez, Katie Zinler, Chloe Sciammas, and others authored a 2024 article in the journal Health Services Research. They reported  the impacts of the health equity organizing initiatives in Spokane, Missoula and Portland.  

In Spokane, during the early stages of the COVID pandemic, medical students from the Health Equity Circle and trained community-based volunteers from other Spokane Alliance institutions, mobilized quickly to provide pulse oximeters and regular volunteer monitoring of 137 individuals diagnosed with COVID.  The goal was to monitor the individual’s health status so that those that could safely stay at home were able to remain there.

The study found that our relational style of organizing had positive outcomes specifically helping the volunteers and individual with COVID feel more connected and giving both a sense of more control when there were many unknowns during the early days of this health care crisis.  It also improved collaboration with community health partners.

You can find the full article here. 

Citation:

Tuepker A, Johnson A, Manriquez L, et al. The impacts of relational organizing for health system and community collaboration: Early evidence from a rapid multisite qualitative study. Health Serv Res. 2024;59 (Suppl. 1):e14256. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.14256

Dr. Luis Manriquez is a family physician, and a member of the SA Strategy Team and Racial Equity Team

Katie Ashmore Zinler was the organizer with SA 2018-2022

Chloe Liliane Sciammas was an associate organizer with SA 2021-2023.