In a significant stride towards smashing barriers in healthcare access, Saint Paul – Ramsey County Public Health has been spotlighted in the latest NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery journal. Their collaboration with Fairview Health Services has set the bar for an integrated approach to COVID-19 health equity. Highlighting efforts to bring testing and vaccinations to the underserved, the partnership's achievements include setting up 38 mass-testing clinics, in addition to organizing 210 vaccination events at 71 community-based sites, all aimed at reducing disparities that have only deepened during the pandemic.

This union of services has not just been a numbers game - Public Health and Fairview, alongside dedicated community and faith-based partners, recognized a dire need for COVID-19 interventions that were not just accessible and free, but also culturally sensitive and offered in trusted spaces, tackling language barriers head-on to better serve marginalized communities. According to the case study, the partnership bridged gaps in care from 2020 to 2023, conducted more than 18,000 COVID-19 tests, and administered upwards of 16,000 vaccinations; these critical moves have been portrayed as cornerstones in fighting inequity within the afflicted health ecosystem.

Behind the scenes, the case study was a joint effort, co-authored by staff from Public Health's Emergency Response and Preparedness division and Fairview Health Services – a testament to the collaborative ethos championed throughout their response to the pandemic. True to the mission of NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery, a journal of the NEJM Group, the snapshot of St. Paul and Ramsey County's initiative offers an actionable blueprint for how public health and healthcare providers can come together in times of crisis to foster equity and inclusivity across service provisions.