As Pandemic Surges, NCRN Launches Mobile App to put COVID-19 Resources in the Hands of Highly Impacted Minority Groups
App Makes it Easier for Highly Vulnerable Minority Populations to get
Culturally Relevant Information in their Communities.
Atlanta (Aug. 9) – With cases and deaths surging, the National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN) launched a new mobile app designed to enable racial/ethnic minority groups -- hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic -- to easily access information and health services to help curb the pandemic’s impact in their local communities.
“In the midst of a new surge in COVID-19 cases, the app has the potential to be a real game changer for those communities most impacted during the pandemic by giving them a way to quickly access culturally appropriate information that will help them to find the resources they need to protect their health during the pandemic,” said Dominic Mack, MD, MBA, Professor of Family Medicine and NCRN Director which is based in the National Center for Primary Care at Morehouse School of Medicine.
Developed in collaboration with KPMG, the app will enable users to find nearby COVID-19 vaccination sites and testing facilities, see updates on the prevalence and spread of the disease in their local community and find nearby organizations that provide a wide-range of services and assistance for people affected by the pandemic. NCRN has developed an innovative technology platform that includes the app and the NCRN website and uses advanced data and analytics to reach target populations and pair them with the services and support that they need.
“The app is our consumer gateway to what we believe could be a model for a technology solution that could also address health disparities in populations that have historically suffered from a lack of equitable access to healthcare,” said Todd Ellis, PhD., Principal, KPMG Health and Government Solutions.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health gave Morehouse School of Medicine a $40 million award in June 2020 to fund a three-year project to create a strategic network focused on delivering COVID-19-related information to communities hardest hit by the pandemic leading to the development of NCRN, which has partnered with over 400 national and local organizations.
“We have made tremendous progress in our first year from creating a national network of community partners and a community coalition board to building our technology infrastructure and launching the app,” said Daniel E. Dawes, J.D., Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at MSM.
NCRN is focused on communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, including African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders, Native American and Alaska Natives, as well as other groups such as individuals with disabilities, rural residents, and individuals’ justice-involved. The project is national in scope but is prioritizing areas of the country that have had the highest impact from COVID-19.
To learn more about the NCRN and COVID-19 resources near you, visit: www.covid-resources.org
or download the app:
- iOS Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/NCRNAppleApp
- Android Google Play App Store: https://bit.ly/NCRNAndroidApp
@NationalCOVID19Network
About Morehouse School of Medicine
Founded in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians, biomedical scientists, and public health professionals. An independent and private historically-Black medical school, MSM was recognized by the Annals of Internal Medicine as the nation’s number one medical school in fulfilling a social mission—the creation and advancement of health equity. MSM faculty and alumni are noted for excellence in teaching, research, and public policy, as well as exceptional patient care. MSM is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctoral and master’s degrees. To learn more about programs and donate today, please visit www.msm.edu or call 404-752-1500