Chiricahua Community Health Centers Receives Support for Program to Improve Infectious Disease Care in the U.S.

Chiricahua Community Health Centers (CCHCI) is among the recipients of Direct Relief’s Innovation Awards in Community Health: Addressing Infectious Disease in Underserved Communities. Grants totaling $2.5 million will go to 11 U.S. safety-net community healthcare providers, including Chiricahua Community Health Centers, to support innovative approaches to infectious disease education, screening, testing, treatment, and care.

The recipient programs span 10 U.S. states and are a mix of urban and rural initiatives that will work to create greater health equity among the country’s most vulnerable communities. The awards program is implemented by Direct Relief and is funded by The Pfizer Foundation.

2020 awardees are located in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, and these community health centers and free clinics will undertake program approaches including:

• Mobile vans and pop-up clinics to improve patient access and reduce barriers to care
• Telehealth and health technology to improve patient care and safety
• Community partnerships to expand reach and strengthen trust within target populations
• Outreach and education to address stigma and misperceptions
• New uses of electronic health records to standardize clinical care and track progress
• Use of community leaders to build trust and promote healthcare activities

Chiricahua Community Health Centers has received funding to create a “Borderlands Infectious Disease Prevention Program.” Emily Harris, Infectious Disease Program Manager said, “The healthcare services provided by Chiricahua Community Health Centers are deeply impacted by the 100-mile border wall with Mexico. Infectious disease does not respect international boundaries. Our new Infectious Disease Program will help us track and treat infectious diseases in the United States by opening up communications across the border.”

Over the next two years, the funds provided by Direct Relief will allow CCHCI to build a sustainable infectious disease treatment and prevention program. This new program will also incorporate collaboration with both Mexican and United States public health entities. These efforts will lead to better health outcomes for Cochise County citizens.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing systemic health inequities, resulting in vulnerable patients and their loved ones experiencing even greater hardship,” said Caroline Roan, President, The Pfizer Foundation and Chief Sustainability Officer, Pfizer Inc. “We are proud to support Direct Relief and its network of frontline safety-net clinics across the U.S. to break down barriers to good health in underserved communities and increase access to life-saving infectious disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.”

“These awards are intended in part to allow providers to test and improve new care models and solutions, which is of utmost importance as healthcare is drastically changing due to COVID-19,” said Thomas Tighe, CEO and President of Direct Relief. “We are humbled by the dedication of these largely unheralded safety-net health providers to improve the lives and health of the people they care for.”

About Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc:  CCHCI is a mission driven Federally Qualified Health Center and is a tax exempt not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It was founded as grassroots community effort in 1996 as a makeshift clinic in Elfrida’s small community center and has since grown to be the largest primary care organization in southeastern Arizona. CCHCI currently has nine clinics in Benson, Bisbee, Douglas, Elfrida and Sierra Vista, 5 mobile medical units, two mobile dental clinics, and four pharmacies serving Cochise County.

About The Pfizer Foundation
The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organization established by Pfizer Inc. It is a separate legal entity from Pfizer Inc. with distinct legal restrictions. The Foundation’s mission is to promote access to quality healthcare, to nurture innovation, and to support the community involvement of Pfizer colleagues.

About Direct Relief

A humanitarian organization committed to improving the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources throughout the world to communities in need—without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay. For more information, please visit https://www.DirectRelief.org.