The Cambridge Advanced Practice Center partnered with local service providers to meet with at-risk groups as part of regularly scheduled gatherings. These town hall sessions were conducted with two groups: 1) homeless individuals and service providers to the homeless and 2) elderly and disabled individuals and their service providers. The goal of the meetings was to identify preparedness activities already taking place in various communities, communicate the key points in the Cambridge pandemic plan, and identify gaps where further planning needed to occur. Participants also had the chance to clarify their community's needs and provide feedback on the center's preparedness materials. During the course of each meeting, participants identified numerous challenges and recommendations, and public health officials built new collaborations with service providers and members of the public.
Materials from this project include a facilitator's guide, a meeting agenda, and an overview and set of recommendations gleaned from the meetings. The facilitator's guide and agenda would need to be adapted to local circumstances and goals, but the overview may provide a helpful process for local health departments or community-based/faith-based organizations. The overview includes steps that organizations can take to engage homeless, disabled, or elderly audiences and their service providers; suggests how to obtain important information on their needs; and provides ways to learn how participants prefer to receive health messages.
