January 2022 – GRAAHI

COVID and the Workplace – Community Roundtable

January 19, 2022 by Barbara Lash

Online Discussion Shines a Light on Equity and Support During the Pandemic – Jan 27th at 10am

Four women leaders share best practices they have learned from their staff and community

The Grand Rapids African American Health Institute (GRAAHI) will bring together four local female executives for a virtual Community Roundtable event titled, “COVID and the Workplace” on Thursday, January 27th at 10:00 a.m.

From healthcare, education and the private sector, the panelists will discuss how COVID has impacted their teams and our community, and how they’ve navigated the shifting landscape to ensure that new policies are equitable, safe and sustainable for all. The panelists scheduled to participate are:

Christina Keller, President/CEO, Cascade Engineering
Christina (Tina) Freese Decker, President/CEO, Spectrum Health Systems
Teresa Weatherall Neal, CEO, Lead 616
Dr. Wanda Lipscomb, MSU College of Human Medicine

Vanessa Greene, CEO of GRAAHI, will serve as moderator.

“The tragic impact of COVID-19, especially among the African American population, has rocked our community,” said Greene. “We are blessed to have these dynamic leaders in our region who are willing to share their insights and provide guidance to others during this important roundtable discussion.”

Click here to learn more about the Community Roundtable. The Roundtable will be LIVE-streamed to our social channels. Here is a link to Watch it on Zoom

Free COVID tests – Site is LIVE

January 18, 2022 by Barbara Lash

Testing is an important tool to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Public health experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that Americans use at-home tests if they begin to have symptoms, at least five days after coming in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, or are gathering indoors with a group of people who are at risk of severe disease or unvaccinated.

To help ensure Americans have tests on hand if a need arises, the Biden Administration is purchasing one billion at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests to give to Americans for free. A half-billion tests will be available for order on January 19^th and will be mailed directly to American households.

There will be free tests available for every household, and to promote broad access, the initial program will allow four free tests to be requested per residential address. Americans will be able to order their tests online at COVIDTests.gov, and tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering.

Order tests at covidtests.org

GRAAHI to host Free COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic in Grand Rapids on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 12, 2022 by Barbara Lash

What:

Four Grand Rapids organizations are joining forces on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to deliver free COVID-19 vaccinations to residents in our community.

The Grand Rapids African American Health Institute (GRAAHI), an organization devoted to achieving healthcare parity for African Americans, is leading the coordination and public awareness efforts for this event. Health care professionals from University of Michigan Health-West will provide vaccination services. Brown-Hutcherson Ministries has generously provided space to host the clinic. The Grand Rapids MLK Community Worship Celebration Committee is providing marketing support.

The goal of this event is to increase the vaccination rate among African Americans in our community, while building greater awareness about the positive impact of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Residents five (5) years old and up can receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the event. To pre-register online click this link – or simply walk in and register on-site the day of the event.

COVID safety protocols will be enforced including mask mandates and social distancing.

When:

Monday, January 17, 2022 – 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Where:

Brown-Hutcherson Ministries, 618 Jefferson Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503

Who: Grand Rapids African American Health Institute, in collaboration with University of Michigan Health-West, Brown-Hutcherson Ministries and the Grand Rapids MLK Community Worship Celebration Committee.

For more information about the clinic, go to graahi.com/getvaccinated

To pre-register for an appointment, click this link.

GRAAHI joins Faith & Community Leaders to Support Healthcare Workers and Commit to COVID-19 Safety

January 4, 2022 by Barbara Lash

We are honored to join more than 100 churches, faith-based and community-based organizations to stand together to raise awareness of the current situation in our hospitals; issue a public statement of our commitment to help; and pray for the blessing of our healthcare workers and their families.Yesterday we safely gathered at the Mercy Health St. Mary’s parking lot to pray, connect and support our community, especially the healthcare workers that are tired and stretched to capacity.

Here’s the commitment we all made:

Eliminate all non-essential, indoor gatherings

Restrict essential gatherings to less than 50 people per 2,000 square feet

Require all attendees at indoor gatherings to wear a mask and abide by social distancing and appropriate COVID-19 hygiene

Encourage all members of our community to get the COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots

We invite you to join us in this commitment. For more information on the coalition, watch this video from yesterday’s event:https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=927250851483892