nderrepresented communities experience longstanding disparities in health, and as of 2019, people of color remain more likely to be uninsured. University of Utah Health Plans is taking an active role in educating communities about the importance and need for health insurance.
Near the end of 2020, University of Utah Health Plans (UUHP) conducted a series of focus groups with community organizations and non-profits organizations. In nearly every focus group, participants expressed that many underrepresented groups, especially immigrant communities, have difficulty understanding our complicated health insurance system. Their request: educate communities in their preferred language.
We got to work and began creating short videos that explain the basics of health insurance and why it is beneficial. The videos are now available in 11 languages and there are more to come.
Arabic
Burmese
Dari
English
Kinyarwanda
Marshallese
Samoan
Somali
Spanish
Swahili
Tongan
Randal Serr
Director of community engagement RyLee Curtis shares how we’re partnering with communities to build a new learning and health campus, and what we can apply now, even before construction starts
Learning how to navigate school, healthcare and more as they settle into Utah can be difficult for new Americans. Assistant Professor Milad Mozari from the division of Multi-Disciplinary Design (MDD) at the U’s College of Architecture and Planning, has been working to use virtual reality technology to support the resettlement process of Utah’s newcomers.
Well-being specialist Trinh Mai started BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of color) Check-in & Support via Zoom as a place to grieve and honor George Floyd and process ongoing racism. This is a space for employees at the U who self-identify as BIPOC to experience community, share struggles and solutions, and celebrate being who they are. Trinh and some members of the check in group share how the group started, how it has evolved and its lasting impacts.
