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Heluna Health Survey Identifies Knowledge Gaps, Socioeconomic Barriers to Outbreak Preparedness LOS ANGELES, Dec. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One-fifth of U.S. adults said that they would not be able to isolate a sick household member in a separate bedroom and bathroom in the case of an infectious disease outbreak, yet 75% believe that an infectious disease outbreak is moderately or highly likely to occur within the U.S. during the next year, according to a data brief issued by Heluna Health this week. The results come as part of a nationwide survey led by Jo Kay Ghosh, PhD, director of research and evaluation at Heluna Health. "While our overall results found moderate to high levels of outbreak preparedness among those surveyed, we identified areas of concern when it comes to people's ability to isolate a sick family member, and their knowledge of how to use air filters in the home," Ghosh said. One-fifth of those surveyed reported low knowledge of how to use or install high-efficiency air filters to reduce communicable disease spread. The survey also identified disparities in overall levels of household preparedness according to socioeconomic factors like age, race, ethnicity, education and income. Younger adults, those of Black or African American race, those of Hispanic ethnicity, those with less than a high school education and those with annual household incomes less than $35,000 reported being the least prepared for an outbreak. Blayne Cutler, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Heluna Health, said these results reinforce the importance of the organization's mission. "Heluna Health is at the forefront of increasing equitable access to disease prevention, treatment, care and social resources," Cutler said. The research was conducted by taking a survey of more than 4,000 adults in May 2023, immediately following the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration. The survey assessed public opinions regarding risk for future outbreaks, preferred sources of outbreak information and preparedness for future outbreaks. The survey also asked about where participants seek information on how to cope with disease outbreaks. The most highly sought sources were government agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or health departments; doctors or health systems; or television and news channels. For more information, visit . SOURCE Heluna Health

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Population health leader Heluna Health has launched the first research tool enabling California officials and community members to determine how well prepared their counties are for an infectious disease outbreak. The Community Outbreak Preparedness Index (COPI), spotlights local-level strengths and gaps in areas including hospital surge capacity, nursing home staffing, insurance coverage, and access to primary care. It can also help community leaders make data-driven decisions on how to enhance readiness by investing public funds more effectively. "Successfully addressing the next outbreak will take a holistic, community-wide approach," says Blayne Cutler, MD, Ph.D., President and CEO of Heluna Health. Slated to expand to include other states, COPI focuses first on California, the most populous state in the country, which also features diverse rural and urban counties. Heluna Health has played an active role in outbreak response for many years, through its own programs in the communities it serves, and by working with partners throughout California in the areas of infectious disease prevention, control, and surveillance. COPI expands on that work by staffing an active research and evaluation team to develop novel data products and resources that support population health stakeholders. Data integrated into COPI assesses county-level preparedness with measures in four critical domains: Healthcare System Preparedness , Public Health System Preparedness, Access to Health Insurance and Social Safety Net Services, and Community Factors. County leaders that follow COPI annually will be able to track their progress and enhance their capabilities to address key gaps in preparedness. A Data Brief informed by the 2023 COPI covers the lack of affordable high-quality housing in California and related preparedness measures. ABOUT HELUNA HEALTH: For more than 50 years, Heluna Health has been providing direct service programs and support to hundreds of partner initiatives that use evidence-based strategies to improve population health outcomes. Our team works to strengthen health interventions and create systems change including more equitable access to primary care and nutrition services, expansion of disease prevention, and more. To learn more about Heluna Health, go to . SOURCE Heluna Health

LOS ANGELES, April 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning Artist/Director Lalo Alcaraz and non-profit population health leader, Heluna Health, announce a collaboration to raise awareness and promote action for birth equity and community health. The partnership launches with an animated short about the benefits of doula care, a message of particular importance for the artist's own Latinx community where there is a need to improve maternal health outcomes. Continue Reading "Joining forces with Heluna Health, we can affect many more people than we can reach separately," says Alcaraz. Tweet this The animation, "Super Doulas," focuses on the work of Heluna Health partner, SisterWeb San Francisco Community Doula Network, which addresses high rates of adverse birth-related health outcomes affecting women of color by providing community doulas who advocate for equitable care and help ensure that pregnancy and birthing experiences are safe. SisterWeb's Semilla Sagrada-Compañeras de Parto program pairs Latinx mothers and families with Latinx doulas, offering specialized prenatal, delivery, and postnatal wellness support. The program also supports doulas and doula mentors through professional development, providing pay and benefits for doulas while offering no-cost high-quality, culturally and linguistically congruent care in San Francisco. Alcaraz has worked with numerous organizations producing socially relevant health content, including with the California Department of Public Health on COVID-19 vaccination campaigns for the Latinx community. "Joining forces with Heluna Health, we can affect many more people than we can reach separately," says Alcaraz, "bringing positive cultural knowledge and helpful health information that improves health outcomes for communities is a mission that we share." Heluna Health, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, has roots in maternal care that stretch back more than 40 years, managing the largest local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in the country and serving approximately 3% of the nation's total and 20% of California's WIC recipients. Direct services in the areas of nutrition, early literacy, and community health worker training are part of Heluna Health's focus on multi-generational family supports that have the potential for national impact. "Super Doulas," produced by Alcaraz and Pocho Villa Productions, is the first in a series collaborative projects. "Heluna Health is thrilled to team up with Lalo Alcaraz," says Dr. Blayne Cutler, President and CEO of Heluna Health. "We embrace the history of artists who use creativity to spark social change and we couldn't be more excited about this collaboration to improve the health and resilience of the communities we serve." SOURCE Heluna Health